Charles Dickens called “David Copperfield” his favorite novel. Published between 1849 and 1850, it tells the story of a boy growing into a man. The novel follows David from childhood poverty through betrayal, loss, and eventually success as a writer. This is Dickens’s most autobiographical work. Like David, Dickens suffered childhood hardship. He worked in … Read more
Published in 1843, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a short novel set in Victorian England around Christmas. It tells the story of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and his ideological transformation after visits from the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. Through this simple moral tale, Dickens hoped to revive charitable values and holiday … Read more
Published in 1678, The Pilgrim’s Progress by English author John Bunyan is regarded as one of the most significant works of religious English literature. Presented as a dream narrative, it allegorically chronicles the spiritual journey of a man named Christian towards salvation. Beset by trials, moral dilemmas and vanities, he perseveres to reach the Celestial … Read more
Published in 1726, Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift is regarded as one of the first and most influential works of prose fiction in English literature. Presented as the memoir of a ship’s surgeon named Lemuel Gulliver, it chronicles his fantastical voyages to surreal lands inhabited by tiny people and giant creatures. Through creative worldbuilding and … Read more
Published in 1850, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a classic American novel set in puritanical 17th century Boston. It tells the story of Hester Prynne, a woman punished for committing adultery and bearing a child out of wedlock. She is forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her dress as a mark … Read more
Published in 1851, Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick is considered one of the great American novels. The story follows the whale ship Pequod captained by the brooding, vengeful Captain Ahab on his quest to kill the elusive white whale named Moby Dick. Narrated by sailor Ishmael, this epic ocean adventure blends action, allegory, symbolism, and encyclopedic detail … Read more
Published in 1847 under the pen name Currer Bell, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is considered a pioneering novel for its portrayal of the quest for independence and empowerment by the title character. Orphaned as a girl, Jane overcomes poverty, abuse and social exclusion to forge her own path as a self-respecting woman. Combining gothic … Read more
Published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell, Wuthering Heights is the only novel written by Emily Brontë. A haunting story of all-consuming love, destructive obsession and revenge, it centers around the tumultuous relationship between the brooding Heathcliff and beautiful Catherine Earnshaw. Set on the bleak Yorkshire moors, this gothic romance novel introduced wild, primitive … Read more
Published in 1813, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is considered one of the greatest novels in English literature. A classic comedy of manners, it follows the turbulent romantic journey of Elizabeth Bennet, the feisty protagonist who must overcome her prejudices to find love. Through portrayals of families, class, scandal, and relationships in early 19th century … Read more
Published in 1883, Treasure Island by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson is considered a pioneering adventure novel and a classic of children’s literature. Set in the days of sailing ships and pirates, it tells the thrilling tale of young Jim Hawkins who finds a treasure map and embarks on a perilous quest for hidden pirate … Read more