Beowulf
Beowulf, written in Old English is one of the worlds well known renowned epic poems. Beowulf takes its readers on a journey of his personal life as a legendary and brave warrior. In the novel, Beowulf faces three central conflicts: Grendel's destruction at Heorot Hall, the revenge of Grendel's mother, and the rage of the dragon; in which he demonsstrates the heroic code of honor in all of three. Beowulf establishes many important themes in which the readers can relate to such as the discovery of one's self. Truly ot is a poem that should be read by people of all ages.
Grendel By John Gardner
Contrary to Beowulf, John Gardner's Grendel is written from Grendel's perspectuve in which he is the protagonist rather than the antagonist. Throughout the novel, Grendel conveys his most inner thoughts as well as his own observations of the world and that of the human race. In Grendel, the readers feel remorse for Grendel as he faces different conflicts in trying to figure his true identity in a meaningless world and he is no longer seen as the horrifying beast conveyed in Beowulf. Rather, in this bildungsroman, Gardner turns Grendel into a lonely outsider that resembles the humans. Readers would definitely be intrigued on Gardner's perspective of the tale.
Macbeth By William Shakespeare
Just like every other one of William Shakespeare's plays, he has his own way of capturing the reader’s attention through out his story line. What he achieves is using the search for power and other themes to create suspense and drama in hit plays. This way it grabs the attention of readers as to them wanting to know what out come will be.
Hamlet By William Shakespeare
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, was devastated by his father's death. While he has a relationship with a girl named Ophelia they can never marry because she is not of royal blood. Hamlet sees the ghost of his father, who tells him that his uncle Claudius poisoned him and that is how he died. Hamlet is enraged and seeks revenge on Claudius, who married hamlets mother, in order to get at the crown, which rightfully belonged to Hamlet. One night, Hamlet is talking with his mother when he realizes someone is spying on them and stabs the person through a hanging tapestry. He is unsettled when he finds out it's Ophelia's father, who worked for the king. Ophelia goes mad when she finds that her true love killed her father, so she drowns herself in a river. Hamlet, meanwhile plots revenge against Claudius. One day, he engages in a dual with Ophelia's brother Laertes. However, Hamlet does not know that Laertes and the king have secretly plotted revenge against Hamlet for killing Laertes' and Ophelia's father. The king poisoned a glass of wine and Laertes poisoned his sword, one of which would surely kill the Prince. However, things go amiss when the Queen drinks the poisoned wine and falls dead. Laertes slices Hamlet's arm with his poisoned sword, leaving Hamlet with just enough time left to fulfill his goal. He slays king Claudius, and also Laertes when he discovers the sword had poisoned him. They all die in the end.
Jane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte
Jane Eyre is a book that shows that women can be just as mentally strong as men. Women can be sophisticated and have an education and not just be the stereotypical house wife or teacher. It is a story of a young girl growing up with no family to depend on, never being able to understand the meaning of love, and only having herself to depend on. This novel allows readers to engage within the story line and feel for the main character, Jane. It is a very enjoyable novel that I recommend.
A Raisin In The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry
The action of A Raisin In The Sun all takes place in the Chicago apartment of the Younger family: Lena; her grown children, Beneatha and Walter; and Walter's wife, Ruth, and son, Travis. When the play begins, the family members are waiting expectantly for the arrival of a life insurance payment, as the patriarch of the family, Walter senior, has died. Each of the characters has some hope and idea of how the insurance money should be used. Though the money legally belongs to Lena, the characters argue and struggle with one another for the rare chance to make a real change in their lives. The tension over how the money will be used causes explosive tension between the three generations of Youngers who share the South Side apartment.
Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men is a touching story of the friendship between two different men. It takes place during the depression in the 1930's. The novel involves dreams and hopes of the working-class in America. This novel will have readers engaged within the story line and feel for the two men doing what they can to achieve their dream. The tragic ending illustrates the real meaning of true friendship.
Lord Of The Flies By William Golding
Lord of the Flies explores the dark side of humanity, the savagery that underlies even the most civilized human beings. Golding intended this novel as a tragic parody of children's adventure tales, illustrating humankind's intrinsic evil nature. He presents the reader with a chronology of events leading a group of young boys from hope to disaster as they attempt to survive their uncivilized, unsupervised, isolated environment until rescued.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven By Mitch Albom
Eddie is a wounded war veteran, an old man who has lived, in his mind, an uninspired life. His job is fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, a tragic accident kills him as he tries to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakes in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a destination. It's a place where your life is explained to you by five people, some of whom you knew, others who may have been strangers. One by one, from childhood to soldier to old age, Eddie's five people revisit their connections to him on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his "meaningless" life.
The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby is a novel about love and the fulfillment of the American dream. The novel is set in East Egg, Long Island, NY where only people who came from old money lived while West Egg residents worked hard and built their fortune. Gatsby, who is this mysterious character, acquires a great deal of wealth and throws extravagant parties in hope to attract his lover Daisy.