Today I invite you to go through American classical literature. The five books below are worth reading, I would say, for general development. For me, these novels were interesting not so much for the plot and its twists, but for the description of the way of life across the ocean.
I like to read about the life and customs of ordinary people in America at the beginning of the 20th century. This gives more food for thought than dry facts from history. After all, the problems that tormented people 100 years ago are still relevant today, no matter how actively we brush it aside. Agree?
1. “The Age of Innocence” by Edith Wharton
The protagonist of the novel, Newland Archer, is a successful lawyer. He is engaged to the modest beauty May Welland. Their lives are scheduled for many years ahead.
But everything changes when Newland meets Countess Ellen Olenskaya, who has arrived in New York from Europe. The behavior of this woman is strictly condemned in society. Ellen wants to divorce her husband and live freely. Newland is fascinated by her courage and freethinking. It seems that this is what he has been waiting for all his life. But how is this possible in Puritan America at the end of the 19th century?
The novel entertainingly describes not only the love triangle in which the characters find themselves, but also shows life in American high society. Hypocritical, carefully copying the mores of Victorian England, reproaching and condemning – this is how the author presents it to the reader. The characters of the book are complex and contradictory, Wharton conveyed their feelings and emotions in colors. And the ending makes you think about how much public opinion influences a person.
2. “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck
This is a difficult book, but I believe that everyone should read it. The author does not just describe the misadventures of one family trying to survive in difficult conditions, he allegedly leads a tragic chronicle of the Great Depression that swept America in the 20s of the 20th century.
The Joule family are simple farmers who have worked all their lives on land rented from the bank. These are honest, poorly educated people, whose ancestors worked on the same land in the same way. But the time came when the banks began to drive tenants off their lands, and the Joles, like many others at the time, slaughtered their cattle, packed up their simple belongings, bought a used car, and set off for California. They hoped to find a better life there.
But the reality turned out to be harsh and cruel to the Joules. In California, they were disappointed – the workplaces were occupied by the same poor people as they were. And everywhere there is hunger, poverty and the devaluation of labor. Steinbeck describes the trials that the family had to face, like many others at the time. It is difficult to read the novel, so its pages are permeated with hopelessness and melancholy. But it gives a comprehensive picture of how ordinary people lived during the Great Depression.
3. “Light in August” by William Faulkner
The American South of the 1930s. A young pregnant woman, Lena Grove, is hiking light. She is looking for the father of her child, who promised to marry her, but then disappeared. Fellow travelers help Lina as much as they can – someone arranges with acquaintances about an overnight stay, someone brings her closer to her destination in their kolymag.
At the same time, bootlegger Christmas, a white man who suspects that he has African ancestors in his family, rushes in search of his roots. He cannot understand whether he is white or negro. And because of this, he commits a number of crazy acts. He cannot live normally “like everyone else” while he experiences such exhausting mental turmoil.
The theme of orphanhood, abandoned children and rejection runs like a red thread throughout the story. Faulkner immerses the reader in the era, masterfully revealing the thoughts of illiterate people, their lifestyle and everyday life. The pages of the novel are saturated with hatred, spiritual poverty, and injustice that reigned in their society at that time.
4. “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
Six-year-old Jean and her brother Jim live in a small, sleepy town in Alabama during the Great Depression with their father. An honest and principled lawyer, Atticus Finch was widowed early and is raising children alone. He tries to bring up the best qualities in them, contrary to the mores of contemporary society.
When a black guy is falsely accused of raping a white woman, Atticus takes it upon himself to defend him in court. The public is indignant. But the trial begins. Can justice prevail when intolerance of blacks and bigotry are just beginning to leave the mass consciousness?
The story is told on behalf of a little girl Jean. Personally, I don’t like it when a story is told on behalf of children, but this book is really good. No wonder it is included in the list of world classics. The novel raises the problems of morality, good and evil, justice and honor. Oh, I’ll read it again!
5. “Financier” Theodore Dreiser
The novel “The Financier” is the first part of “The Trilogy of Desire” by Dreiser. The trilogy tells about the life of millionaire Frank Cowperwood, who grew up in the family of a bank employee. Since childhood, Frank has been interested in finance and was looking for ways to make money.
As an adult, he stubbornly climbed the career ladder, and thanks to his intelligence and determination, over time he became a major financier, and later a millionaire. And the first part of the trilogy tells about the formation of Cowperwood. Frank meets his future wife, Lillian, and charms her with his punchy self-confidence.
“From rags to riches” – this can be said about Cowperwood. Frank buys himself a mansion in a prestigious area, gets into high society and begins to turn over government funds, a tireless thirst for profit awakens in him. The author describes in detail the speculations on the stock exchange and the transactions made by his character, interspersing it with reflections on the nature of wealth.
I think that Dreiser should be read by everyone who is interested in history. His books are literally encyclopedias of the life of American society in the 19th century, and each of them has its own moral.
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Abd Faek Ghananeem is a creative storyteller with a passion for crafting engaging narratives that captivate readers of all ages. With a knack for weaving tales that resonate on a personal level, Abd’s work reflects a deep understanding of the human experience. As an author, Abd brings a unique voice to the literary world, offering stories that are not only entertaining but also thought-provoking. Whether writing for children or adults, Ghananeem’s work is marked by a blend of imagination, insight, and a genuine love for storytelling.
