Five Books You Probably Didn’t Read in High School (But You Should Now)

I’ll be the first to admit there were books I didn’t read closely, or simply decided to forgo, in high school. However, some of those books I ended up reading later, usually for an English class where I decided to give them a chance, and you should give them another chance too. It’s worth noting that I enjoyed all of these immensely once I really read them.

So, when you’re looking for something to get into this weekend, pick up one of these books and realize what you may have missed out on.

1) Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare 

Yes, yes, groan and moan: Shakespeare is hard to follow, I get it. However, there is a reason he is basically the greatest and most influential playwright of all time. Romeo and Juliet gets a bad rap as an overly dramatic love story. Now, I liked it for the love story the first time I read it. However, the issue with my first read through was that I didn’t understand that there were elements much more important than Romeo’s poetic and passionate proclamations. Read the play again, maybe with some extensive footnotes to decrypt the dense language, and this time pay attention to more than just the star-crossed lovers. Consider the politics at play, appreciate the loyalty of Romeo’s friends, the humor of the nurse, the advice of the friar, and Juliet’s bravery. If you can consider those elements of Shakespeare’s tragedy, the play will have you thinking about the influence of those we surround ourselves with, what it means to stand by who you love, and what role we play in our own destinies. It may also get you wondering: what do any of us really know about love?

2) The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne

I know, I know Puritan New England doesn’t sound all that interesting to most. However, Hawthorne uses this highly religious society in a way that opens a discussion on the nature of man’s sin and some other, well, dark stuff.  After the main character gets shamed for having a child from an adulterous relationship, things start getting weird…strangers show up to the town, the reverend gets a mysterious illness, and the child has, well, there’s something strange about her. Everything in the book escalates to a dramatic and dark ending. There’s a little bit of mystery the entire time, and it definitely hints at there being some witches and supernatural forces at work. Puritan New England still sound boring?

3) The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

First of all, this is not the greatest love story of all time, whoever said that clearly didn’t really read this book. Although, if it is a love story, it’s a romance between the writer, or characters, and the Jazz Age, not an actual romance between two people. With that being said, the infatuation with the Jazz Age is intriguing enough; because, let me tell you somet
hing about this book, most of the people…they’re kind of awful. Don’t get me wrong, The Great Gatsby is in my top ten favorite books of all time list; it’s worth a read for the beautiful and eloquent writing of the brilliant Fitzgerald, the hidden naughty innuendos, and/or the sheer cadence of the Jazz age that dances off the pages.

4) Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte 

I was actually assigned Wuthering Heights for the first time in a Victorian Literature class in college, but after some polling I found that some people were assigned it in high school. The best parts about this book are the elements you have to think about for
a second before you realize they are really more messed up than romantic (how so many people mistake this book as being a romance I am still trying to figure out). The brooding and volatile Heathcliff and the spitfire Catherine Earnshaw, in fact, portray to readers one of the most unhealthy and deranged relationships I have ever read. However, while you read this book, think about the whys behind the character’s actions. In addition, the gloomy moorlands, where the story is set, add to the sense that something unnatural is happening with and between these characters who struggle with the concept and emotion that is love. Finally, I will shamelessly bring up my own thesis I wrote on and ask you to wonder as you read this book: does the rejection of love cause some
one to become monstrous?

5) Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen 

Almost anyone who knows me is probably tired of hearing me talk about Jane Austen, particularly about the formula I argue all her romances seem to take. My views on such matters are beside the point at the moment, however. The first reason you need to read this book is because Elizabeth Bennet is one of the best female literary characters ever written, in my opinion. Therefore, if the commentary on social constraints of the time don’t interest you, or the argument on whether Austen was conservative or liberal in her writing isn’t really up your ally, or the influential romance formula isn’t fascinating in your opinion, then read the book for the character interaction alone. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy are sass masters, and when they, and their love/hate romance, are placed amidst the frivolity of the characters around then, some of the most amusing and witty dialogue is produced.

What are your opinions of this list? Do you remember skipping over any of these, but later liking them? What others would you add? Let me know in the comments below!