The Great Gatsby
This is one of the greatest novels ever written, and its portrayal of the lost dreamers, the so-called rich kids of the 1920s, is very fascinating.
The story follows several characters as they pursue happiness in the roaring ’20s. But all these people have something in common — they are all part of the old wealthy elite of once small towns! They bought their houses there with money they made from furs or tobacco farms, but when those crops were no longer profitable, they moved away to pay more taxes and less effectively live their lives.
Also, another interesting thing about this novel is that it was adapted into a movie back in 2013, which received mixed reviews. It was rated a 6 out of 10 on IMDb, indicating “mostly indifferent” reviews.
Read the book and see what you think; if you like the book, watch the movie to compare the two versions!
Lord Of The Rings
If you’re looking for a good read, you can’t go wrong with Tolkien’s The Hobbit or Fellowship of the Ring. But overall, his epic fantasy series is still one of the best adventures ever written.
With an ensemble cast of humans, elves, dwarves, and other mythical creatures, Lord of the Rings aren’t just about heroic wizards and magical swordsmen. It’s about determining right from wrong, battling internal and external foes, and learning to think outside the box.
The story begins with Middle-earthlings Bilbo Baggins (a weasel) who gets drafted into a quest to find the lost treasure of the wizard Gandalf. Along the way, he encounters trolls, dragons, and a legion of dark goblins, while coming across others that hold greater importance, such as the elf Legendarith and dwarf Fingolfin.
This literary hero sets up a classic ‘rags to riches’ storyline in which low-born characters save the world.
But what makes these books so special is how detailed J.R.R.Tolkien’s legendarium was. He gave every character depth and a distinct personality. His writing is very humorous yet elaborate, easy to follow but also difficult to put down once you start reading.
There are dozens of different paths to take through Middle Earth, meaning you’ll always have a book to suit your mood.
Crime and Punishment
A classic tale about justice, oppression, and responsibility, this novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky have lasted more than 100 years not only because it is extremely well written, but also due to its powerful commentary on human nature.
Many critics consider The House of the Dead, published in 1866, to be the first horror story ever written. It was inspired by various legends and stories such as the one about Ivanhoe and the White Knight.
You may know some of the characters like Raskolnikov or Roderick Usher. Others you might recognize from French novels’ names such as Fantasio, Mesdames les Inspectrices (Mrs. Inspector), or Pistache.
This book follows five protagonists whose lives are changed forever when tragedy strikes. You’ll find out how courage, greed, guilt, fear, and love influence each character after the accident.
Readers either feel sympathy or hate for the main villain, Jacques Robielle, also known as Raoul Silva. His evil deeds shock everyone who reads the book. Even readers who have never been afraid of anything themselves feel disgusted and paranoid while reading his pages.
Death is not very popular in the book, which makes this story unique. Luckily, both versions of the novel contain many amazing moments.
If you can put yourself in the mind of an angry criminal, you can understand why his actions were horrific.
The Hunger Games
With this novel, Suzanne Collins took all the greatest tropes in YA lit (young adult literature) — teen heroes, angsty young heroes, high school drama, straight-A students, rich kids getting treated badly by evil teachers/administrators
She crammed them all together like a mad scientist at her lab, giving us the monstrously great character of Katniss Everdeen. Who is she? She’s our protagonist. She’s the underdog. She’s you—with a capital “you.” You’re going to love this book!
Katniss lives with her family in District 12, which happens to be located along the border of Panem, the area that feeds 1 country every year as punishment for another. Because they are poor people, Katniss’ father gets drafted into the war effort, and he becomes a baker, making cakes—but it isn’t enough food to feed his family.
So Katniss steps up, becoming more than just a friend or helper to other characters. She takes care of their children so they can go out fighting. She brings danger to those around her because she has to.
It’s a compelling story about loyalty in someone who is ordinarily very selfless, justice, control, and power. And it makes for one terrific read.
Also read: Benefits of an Additional Outdoor Living Space for Entertaining & Relaxing
My favorite Greatest Book of all time – Harry Potter
With this novel, JK Rowling made history as the first author to earn $1 billion from her work. And she did it only at age 26!
With nearly 400 million copies sold worldwide, you’d think she would have written something great by now. Well, critics agree that “the boy who lived upstairs” is indeed one of the greatest books ever written.
Here are all the reasons why we think this book is so very good…
And how the story gripped the world.
Plotting & pacing
The most important thing about any well-written movie or book is its plot structure.
This way readers/ viewers can understand what is going on in the story and feel engaged with it.
Without a strong plot, your audience will be bored and may lose interest quickly.
However, having a storyline that is too complex can sometimes hinder a reader’s ability to get immersed in the story.
That is because humans need stories to make sense of life’s chaos.
They want to know how the characters in the story achieved their goals, but also how the character failed to achieve theirs.
Through storytelling, we learn more about the characters of the world belong to, in turn, become more involved in the story.
Also, people tend to enjoy stories that are simpler regardless of whether they are reading or watching.
The Lord Of The Rings
It is one of the best-selling novels ever written, with over 40 million copies sold.
The Lord of the Rings was an innovative take on the traditional fantasy genre. Written by English author J.R.R.Tolkien, it comprised several stories centered on characters we follow during their quest to defeat Dark Lord Sauron.
We first meet these fascinating people when they are still children, experiencing all the adventures of childhood along with their parents. Then we see them as teens, hanging out in school or going to parties before being sent away to other schools or kept at home to help with chores.
Later, we find them serving as soldiers in the army of good against darkness. Through many trials, journeys through Middle Earth are experienced, friendships form and secrets are told.
Pride and Prejudice
Few novels can hold up after years together as one’s favorite book. “Pride and Prejudice” is such a novel, even though it was written in 1852 and published in 1895.
It’s interesting to note that Elizabeth Bennett (the main character and writer of the novel) shares many similarities with her ancestor, Jane Austen. They were both single, creative women who lived during an era where gender norms made life difficult for them.
However, there are differences between their stories. While Austen wrote two well-regarded books, “Emma” and “Persuasion,” Bennett only produced one, “Pride and Prejudice.”
In the novel, we learn about Bennet’s determination to marry for love rather than wealth, something she failed to do in real life. She also writes about how modern marriage laws could be improved upon from her perspective as a mother.
The novel never became popular like Shakespeare’s plays or some of Henry David Thoreau’s works. This may have been due to its length (it was defined by pages instead of hours), making it harder to wrap up in a day or two.
Its popularity today seems to stem more from our growing perception of what makes a good story versus what makes a good speaker.
The Princess Bride
There’s only one reason that this classic made it onto the list of the top 10 greatest books of all time, and that is because its place in pop culture is so widespread.
Hanson has said that he put the book together with “total freedom,” adding that “if you don’t have any ideas, we can always come up with something.”
He had two goals with the project: to make people feel good and to teach people something.
As far as feeling good goes, Hanson says that reading the right book at the wrong time can make you feel better. About The Princess Bride, he says,
“I think I tried to target the audience who likes fantasy fiction for kids, but now they’re grown up and maybe they want to grow out of it, but here I am saying, ‘Hey, read This Book.’”
The Adventures of Robin Hood
If you’ve ever wanted to read a romance book, but don’t want to spend too much time reading, check out the adventures of Robin Hood. Many movies have been made, so if you haven’t seen them already, watch them or download them online.
Next, let’s talk about the history of this story. It was written in an era when people thought chivalry was still relevant. Everything about it is romantic; there are heroes and villains, love stories, and fights to the death.
However, what makes these characters memorable is their humanity. They’re all humans, making this a unique chance to learn more about good versus bad relationships with others.
These guys were real women who lived at different times giving everyone a dose of realism. This isn’t some fairy tale where miracles happen every 15 minutes, this is reality, so grab your felt tip pen and start writing!
