Normal People is a young adult novel written by New York Times award-winning author Sally Rooney. It explores two protagonist Connell and Marianne, and we are introduced into their world and how they collide. It’s a complex exploration of young love, social dynamic, and finding one’s identity. Rooney’s writing is raw and honest, ensuring the feeling of teenage innocence with every page you turn. The characters in this novel feel so incredibly real, flawed, yet relatable.
1984 is a dystopian novel about what life is like in Oceania with the totalitarian government watching over every citizens’ move. The main character, Winston, struggles with the concept of freedom since citizens are not allowed to have thoughts, or do what they want. The book explores how Winston tries to go about rebelling against the totalitarian rules. I would highly recommend that everyone reads this book. It exposes a world of fear and the unknown, and how characters live a life in a situation like this.
The Stranger by Albert Camus follows the story of a man named Meursault who is indifferent to everything around him. He is only really controlled by his basic primal needs, like hunger, thirst, sleep, etc. Throughout the story, he doesn't show any deeper connection to anything and only describes things at face value. This makes sense considering his personality is so indifferent, but it creates a dull story where that is very slowly paced.
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov is one of the most disturbing and symbolic books I have read. I am hesitant to rate this book so high considering how it deals with so many serious topics, and how it might not be suitable for many people. Lolita deals with the adventure of a French literacy professor who moves to New England in 1947 and goes by the pseudonym Humbert Humbert.
The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald tells the story of a man from Minnesota who moves to New York City and gets tangled up in Long Island High Society through his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom. Nick looks up to his neighbor, a grand mysterious man who is somehow in love with Daisy, and the possibility of her reciprocating these feelings is high, especially when struggling with Tom's own infidelity.
The Scarlet Letter is a story that follows Hester Prynne, a woman living in 17th century Puritan society, who has been accused of adultery and must wear a letter “A” to atone for her sin. She struggles to raise her baby without the father there to help her, as he will not confess to his sin. Hester continues to hide the identity of the baby’s father from her husband and the rest of the town until the baby grows up and it’s ultimately revealed.
Frankenstein is a book following the life of the scientist Victor Frankenstein. He creates a monster with a horrifying appearance and a conscience which he immediately abandons upon its awakening. He continues to be haunted by his creation, and the story follows the many encounters Frankenstein and his monster have. Frankenstein ultimately has to grapple with the morality behind creating life as he continues to face the consequences of doing so.
Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and small-town Alabama Scout Finch gives us a glimpse into growing up during the 1930s. Scout lives with her dad and brother and their housekeeper Calpurnia. Scout’s dad is a lawyer who is representing an African American man who is being wrongly charged for rape. Scout also experiences fear in her neighbor because her family lives next to the supposed town crazy Boo Radley.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a Classic Novel written in 1960. It is set in Maycomb, Alabama during the early 1930s and features the main characters Jean Louise “Scout” Finch and her older brother Jeremy “Jem” Finch, children of Atticus Finch, a lawyer.
Tradition, honor, discipline, and excellence are the four pillars that Welton Academy lives and dies by. Well, most of the people at Welton Academy at least. The dead poets society is formed when the school begins its new year, and with this come new students and a magnificent new teacher. This eccentric new teacher, Mr. Keating teaches the boys how to be their own person, not just a student. Keating teaches like no other, telling the boys to rip out the pages of their textbooks and go outside and play football.
