Knowledge, and the public access to that knowledge, is one of the greatest things human beings have ever valued. Libraries have been a cornerstone of society for a millennium. Within their heavy-set doors is access to everything you would ever want to know and any world you want to explore. And, of course, libraries are home to the precious gems of fiction writing: literary classics. Read on for a list of ten masterpieces your library will be happy to lend.
Trigger Warning: The mention of certain content and topics within this article, such as racism, violence, and sexual assault, may be triggering to some readers. Please exercise personal care when reading.
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Beloved, published in 1987 and awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, examines slavery’s devastating and catastrophic legacy in the context of the life of Sethe, a Black woman living in 1873. Sethe’s life is chronicled from her pre-Civil War days as a slave in Kentucky to her time in Cincinnati, Ohio, as a free woman haunted by her past. When a mysterious young woman called Beloved shows up on her door, claiming to be the spirit of Sethe’s daughter, the repressed trauma of Sethe’s life explodes onto the page. Haunting, beautiful, and deeply introspective, Beloved lingers with its readers for a lifetime.
To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
A staple of the Modern period, Virginia Woolf’s To The Lighthouse is an essential classic and a masterclass in form, memory, and time. Written in 1927, the novel centers on the Ramsay family and their visit to the Isle of Skye in Scotland, where their second home lies, between 1910 and 1920. An exemplar of stream-of-consciousness writing, To The Lighthouse delves into the character’s inner thoughts and perspectives to offer a meditation on family, gender roles, and the passage of time. Read it once and then read it again, for To The Lighthouse is the read that keeps unraveling.
The Trial by Franz Kafka
A 165-page nightmare, The Trial by Franz Kafka follows Josef K., who has suddenly been arrested and put on trial for an undefined crime. Plunged into a complex, overwhelming legal system with no regard to reason or fairness, Josef sits trial for charges never specified to him. Navigating an absurd and oppressive system, Josef grapples with his overwhelming feelings of helplessness, paranoia, and guilt. A novel that will tie you in knots and have you questioning the very systems that hold our society together, The Trial is an unforgettable exploration of existentialism, authority, and the dehumanization that walks hand-in-hand with bureaucracy.
Emma by Jane Austen
While Austen’s Pride and Prejudice set her legacy in stone, Emma is too often forgotten. A novel exploring themes of social class, self-deception, and personal growth, all while delivering sharp commentary on human relationships and society, Emma will have you laughing, crying, swooning, and throwing your hands up at the absurdity of the patriarchy. The novel follows Emma Woodhouse, a wealthy, incredibly clever, and spoiled young woman who has a penchant for pulling the strings on her friends’ love lives, while her own experiences with love pass her by.
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
The Master and Margarita, set in 1930s Moscow and ancient Jerusalem, follows the arrival of Woland, Satan, and his entourage as they wreak havoc on Soviet society and expose the hypocrisy rooted within mankind. A story-within-a-story, The Master and Margarita simultaneously tells the tale of a writer named Master who wrestles with writer’s block. Master’s novel is a twisted romance about Pontius Pilate’s unending love for Margarita, a love so deep he makes a pact with the devil to protect it. Daringly inventive and poignantly satirical, Bulgakov’s masterpiece is widely considered one of the most important novels of the twentieth century.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Donna Tartt’s intoxicating 1992 novel The Secret History begins with a murder. Following a group of classics students at a prestigious Vermont college, The Secret History focuses on the unraveling of a seemingly close-knit friend group and its deadly consequences. Completely immersive and original, Donna Tartt’s instant classic is one of those rare reads that the moment you’re finished, you’re dying to wipe your brain and start it again.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Things Fall Apart details the life of Okonkwo, a wealthy and revered warrior of the Nigerian tribe Umuofia. Okonkwo is haunted by the unfulfilled and weak life his father led and is determined to rise above him. The novel explores Okonkwo’s rise to prominence, his demons dragging him down along the way, and his eventual downfall. A chronicle of personal tragedy and the destructive effects of colonialism, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is a haunting tale of man versus himself and man versus empire.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Tolstoy’s 1878 masterpiece Anna Karenina is a beautiful exploration of the human condition, the pitfalls of society, and love. The novel tells the tragic tale of Anna, a Russian aristocrat trapped in a loveless, cold marriage. Anna abandons her husband for a passionate affair with officer Count Vronsky, falling deeply in love with him. The discovery of her affair brings on her social ostracization, exposing the devastating psychological effects an unforgiving and cruel society can produce.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Janie Crawford’s navigation of life and relationships unfolds in Zora Neale Hurston’s 1937 Harlem Renaissance classic Their Eyes Were Watching God. Janie’s journey of self-discovery is told through her three marriages. Her position as a Black woman in a racist and sexist society sends her searching for freedom and fulfillment in her love life. Each relationship teaches her about love, independence, and identity, but it isn’t until Janie experiences true love and tragedy that she’s able to start living fully for herself.
Dubliners by James Joyce
Widely considered the father of modernism for his novels A Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man, Ulysses, and Finnegans Wake, James Joyce is indisputably one of the best and most formative writers who ever lived. Lesser known, but deeply brilliant, is Dubliners, Joyce’s collection of short stories, which dives into the inner workings of 20th-century Irish middle-class life in Ireland’s capital city. Joyce crafts detailed portraits of his characters, exploring themes of paralysis, epiphany, and the stagnation of Irish culture and society due to English oppression, the authoritative nature of the Roman Catholic Church, and nationalism. If you can only read one story from this collection, read The Dead. It will stay with you always.
Libraries are the gift that never stops giving. Milk the best of the best from their book-lined halls with these eye-opening classics. Morrison, Kafka, Tolstoy, Joyce: The genius of the world’s best authors is at your disposal. Be sure to take advantage of it.
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