READ THIS!
Chris Snider
September 30, 2009
Filed under Features, Student Life
With English curriculum changing and students getting involved in numerous 
extracurricular activities, many students find that they do not have time to read novels, especially outside of their required reading assignments for their various classes. Sadly, when they do read, it is normally mainstream fiction that does one absolutely no good. If more students read more (for a lack of a better term) intelligent literature, then they may find both school and reading easier and more enjoyable. The following is a list of novels that could (1) make relating to English assignments easier, (2) provide you with entertainment that you can actually apply, and (3) actually make you think (Heaven forbid).
The Giver is now one of the most frequently banned books in America.
The Giver, by Lois Lowry
The Giver follows the life of a boy named Jonas who turns thirteen. Jonas lives in a futuristic “utopia” where no one is forced to choose jobs, because they are chosen for them, overpopulation is a thing of the past because extra children and the very elderly are Released (meaning killed), children are paired up with parents and siblings with whom they are most compatible, and there is no color. This society functions perfectly and everything in it is safe, but when Jonas is assigned his future career, he is named the Receiver. He is forced to receive all the memories that humans decided to forget in order to create the utopia. With his new found memories, given to him by the old man The Giver, he decides that he hates the society and runs away with a child that is due to be Released.
This is a somewhat simplistic book that helps one understand the theme of the individual versus society. It is a classic that no one should be without. Anyone who reads it will not only realize the importance of free thinking, but also be a bit frightened by how our own society is constantly taking steps toward becoming like Jonas’ society.
The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
Ralph as depicted on the cover of The Lord of the Flies
The Lord of the Flies is the story of a group of boys that are stranded on an island all alone, and the oldest one of them is only about thirteen or so. They create their own mock government and hunt for meat. Through the course of the novel a schism divides the boys between Jack, the choir leader and leader of the hunters, and Ralph the golden boy whose soul concern is not meat but rather being saved. Thus, Ralph is forced to watch as their attempts at government dissolve into savagery and he even witnesses the deaths of some of his friends, at the hands of other children.
Anyone who is or was a fan of LOST will enjoy this novel; it is exciting and yet filled with “English-y” stuff like symbols and themes. Not only can it be useful on future tests (hint to all you future AP English students), but it is actually very entertaining. Between the children hunting down a pregnant sow and Simon having a vision where he speaks to a dead pig’s head, the reader is never left bored. This novel is likely to be required reading in some level of English, but even so, I would recommend reading it as soon as you get the chance.
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of the most popular and well-known Holmes novels
While most Sherlock Holmes stories are simply short stories or novellas (meaning short novel) this is one of the relatively few Holmes novels. It begins with Dr. Watson and Holmes being told the myth of how Sir Hugo Baskerville was killed by a hound of hell and how it seems to have returned to plague the Baskerville family. Holmes takes the case and is able to unravel the secret behind the attacks. (Obviously since it’s a mystery novel, describing the novel in full detail would defeat the purpose.)
Many people know about the legendary Sherlock, but few have actually read one of his adventures. If you have ever enjoyed an episode of House, CSI, NCIS, or any other mystery show, Holmes trumps them all. (In fact I would not be surprised if the writers for these shows are also fans of Sherlock Holmes.)
Eragon and the Inheritance series, by Christopher Paolini
Eragon is the first book, followed by Eldest and Brisingr in the Inheritance series. The fourth book has not been named yet.
Imagine a cross between Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings and your favorite horror movie. Roll them all together, and you basically have the Inheritance series. The first installment, Eragon, follows the story of an orphan farm boy, named Eragon, who finds a mysterious stone while he is out hunting. The stone reveals itself to be a dragon’s egg, which leads to the death of his uncle and sets him on a long and difficult journey. Because he owns the last free dragon, he has the opportunity to totally change the world.
However, his journey will force him to face creatures that eat humans, murderous monsters, and even fight relatives that he didn’t know he had. Although it is a magic-based fiction series, it is very deep as well and extremely well written. In fact, Paolini was only fifteen when he wrote Eragon and is currently working on the final novel after only recently graduating from college.
Inheritance is probably my favorite book series in a long time. Do not judge the book by the terrible movie; it is simply spectacular, especially the further you get into the series. While it does show the importance and the power that one person can have in the world, it also questions religion, raises the issue of how to make a better government, questions what makes a man, and shows how every generation will eventually replace the older generation and thus shoulder their burdens.
1984 by George Orwell
When 1984 was written the date, 1984, was actually the future, thus the novel was supposed to be a grim prediction of our society today. Thankfully it has not happened yet because Orwell thought that the modern society was destined to have thought police watch your every move and control what you think. Orwell suspected that the individual would be squashed out of existence because a society would function at its best without free thought and individuality.
In the novel, Big Brother and the Party control what people think is their history, and controls their language so that they cannot even form a rebellious sentence. The main character Winston Smith feels oppressed by the government and thus writes down his illegal, rebellious thoughts in a dairy. Between altering history as a job and secretly trying to overthrow the Party, Winston falls in love, which is illegal, with a woman named Julia.
Without giving up too much, the ending is extremely depressing. If anything, this novel will ensure that its readers never give up their freedom of free speech and free thought. Never blindly conform and fight to the very end in order to protect what you care about. This novel is one of the most powerful and most often alluded to novels today, and is thus worth the read.
I hope you take some of my suggestions to heart. There are many other great novels that actually educate the reader, so feel free to add your own recommendations and comments.
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I was all for this article, and taking it seriously, until Eragon was mentioned. That series is just generic fantasy, and not particularly well written. Eragon = a no-no
The rest are good, though. 1984 being the best on the above list.
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Haha, true, Eragon can be a bit annoying (partly because the first book was written by a fifteen-year-old), but I like it for the duo-protagonists in Eldest and Brisingr, with my favor going towards Roran over Eragon. I generally find it takes a certain mentality to enjoy it. However, I guess you and I will have to agree to disagree on it being well written; it’s not generic. Magical laws in Eragon are actually very similar to the assumed laws of Alchemey (which I assume was on purpose, but you know what happens when you assume), and if you look at it with an analytical perspective, it’s about as deep as Hamlet (another personal favorite of mine).
Conclusion: Eragon is basically a male version of Twilight (but a thousand times better). Either you really like it and have nerd discussions, or you make fun of the people that like it. Response: Reread my Anime article.
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