Classic Books Everyone Should Read

Try these books if you're looking for:

• Classic Books
• Strong Characterization
• Meaningful Themes

Cry, the Beloved Country
By Alan Paton
F PATON
Cry, the Beloved Country stands as a singularly important novel in twentieth-century South African literature. A work of searing beauty, it is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom, set against the background of South Africa and a people driven by racial injustice. Unforgettable for character and incident, it is a novel of love and hope, courage and endurance, born of the dignity of man.

Howard’s End
By E.M. Forster
F FORSTER
Written in 1910, Howards End is a symbolic exploration of the social, economic, and intellectual forces at work in England in the years preceding World War I, a time when vast social changes were occurring. In the Schlegels and the Wilcoxes, Forster perfectly embodies the competing idealism and materialism of the upper classes, while the conflict over the ownership of Howards End represents the struggle for possession of the country’s future. As critic Lionel Trilling once noted, the novel asks, “Who shall inherit England?”

The Count of Monte Cristo
By Alexandre Dumas
F DUMAS
For Edmond Dantes, life couldn't be better. At 19, he is soon to be captain of his own ship and about to be married to his true love, Mercedes. But his life is suddenly turned upside down when on his wedding day he is arrested. Without a fair trial, he is condemned to solitary confinement in the miserable Chateau d'If. Soon, it is clear that Edmond has been framed by a handful of powerful enemies, jealous of his success. After 15 years, Edmond escapes, transforms himself into the Count of Monte Cristo, and plans his revenge against those who imprisoned him.

The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini
F HOSSEINI Traces the unlikely friendship of a wealthy Afghan youth and a servant's son, in a tale that spans the final days of Afghanistan's monarchy through the atrocities of the present day.