I’m SO excited to dive into the books on this list. I love taking my time and really wrestling with the classics that I love (or think I will love). The kind of books that sink into my bones and maybe even change my life. Right now I’m more about quality over quantity, so it’s okay with me if some of these books bleed into winter and beyond. I really do believe that books like these require the right timing and Fall seems like the perfect time!
East of Eden by John Steinbeck- This has been on my TBR all year and I’ve been dying to get into it. It’s set in California and as I get ready to leave LA it feels like a good time to just be immersed in a book that seems to highlight the beautiful backdrop. I’m also reading through the book of Genesis right now and I’ve heard that East of Eden is allegory to the Biblical story of Cain and Abel which is also in Genesis. Perfect timing.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley- It is spooky season after all. I haven’t read this since high school and I’m excited to refresh my memory on the first ever sci-fi book!
The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov- Okay first of all this cover is GORGEOUS, I need to find out who designed this???? I’m obsessed. This book was a recommendation from a book seller at my local bookstore (Book Soup). I told him Anna Karenina was my favorite book of all time and I wanted something along those lines. He pointed me to this Russian classic which is also apparently Daniel Radcliffe’s favorite novel.
The Count of Monte Cristo- This book definitely gives me Fall vibes. Betrayal. Intrigue. Revenge. Sounds like Autumn to me lol. Also, apparently the translation really really really really matters. I picked up the Robin Buss translation that was recommended to me multiple times and it’s apparently really fun. It’s pretty long, but as it was serialized in the 1840s, I’m going to take the serialized approach and read a bit at a time.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte- This is the one book on the list I’m surprised I haven’t read yet. This is the other book the bookseller recommended, this time for having a strong, female main character. It’s also gothic which is, of course, perfect for Fall.
Have you read any of these? Do you have a Fall classic novel list? I’d love to know!
Love,
Renee
The Creative Year