Time to take a step back from the craziness that is 2020 and think about good things. This week, we’re going to do a countdown of what I feel are the five greatest novels ever written. A caveat before we begin: The Bible may be the greatest book ever written, but it’s not considered a novel, so we’ll not include that on the list.
No matter what, it’s fun to talk about things we enjoy. I would hope that any differences in opinion on books could lead to an amicable discussion instead of the intense arguments that go on with politics these days!
Number Five: This book jumped right onto this list when I first read it in the past year. Where the Crawdads Sing is a 2018 book by Delia Owens. Wow, you might say, that’s pretty recent to make an all-time great list! You’re right, but this is one of those amazing novels that, once you get started reading it, you will find it extremely difficult to put it down. Plan on a weekend without much else on your calendar for this mystery!
Kya is the main character and the book follows her story in two time periods. One is in the 1950s and 1960s as she is growing up, mostly by herself, in the marshes of North Carolina. The other, intertwined part of the book is set mostly in 1969 when there is a murder investigation in the town near Kya’s home.
Many books flip back and forth between time periods, and Owens does the job masterfully. The best part of this book is that you keep changing your mind on what is happening and what will happen and who committed the murder. The absolute most wonderful part is that you are left hanging right up until the final page before the storylines are truly resolved. My mom read this and said it was one of the best books she’s ever read, and I agree. Even if you have read it, you probably feel like I do, that you can’t wait to read it again!
Number Four: A book that I taught for many years is The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. I don’t use it in my classroom anymore, but I sure recommend it a lot! This was meant to be a children’s fantasy novel, but adults around the world love it just as much. Tolkien first published it in 1937, and he actually made retrospective changes as he worked on the Lord of the Rings trilogy that serves as a sequel.
Bilbo Baggins is the main character, and he is the titular character with this new-to-fantasy race of Hobbits. Sure, the book has elves, dwarfs, trolls, and a dragon, but creating a new race to inhabit Middle Earth was a masterstroke by Tolkien. The development of Bilbo’s character from bumbling layabout to hero is dramatic, but believable. By the end of the book, the reader feels comfortable climbing into a hobbit hole beside Bilbo and perhaps partaking in second breakfast.
Number Three: My daughter recommended the next book to me, and I’m forever grateful! The Book Thief by Markus Zusak was published in 2005 and is set during World War II. It’s an enthralling tale of Liesel Meminger who comes of age during the Nazi regime. Her foster parents hide a Jewish man, which leads to some frightening moments.
I won’t spoil anything because this is another book that takes you right to the end before a major revelation is shown; regardless, a second reading provides a very different perspective when you know what’s coming. The beauty of a book like this is that a second reading is needed just for that reason. For many books, once you know how it ends, another tour through it wouldn’t be very fulfilling, but not The Book Thief. This is historical fiction at its best!
Number Two: Hold on. How has an English teacher gotten to this point before touting a classic? I’m a believer that classics are important, but writing has evolved. Tastes are different, and while it’s important to know where we came from, there is much good writing in the last century that we must acknowledge.
However, coming in at number two is Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This is one of those that I re-read every five years or so. Huck and Jim’s trip down the Mississippi River in an attempt to help Jim escape slavery is meaningful even today. The look at racism is sometimes veiled, but Twain helps us recognize that all humans are created equally.
Some might cringe at the use of the racist language in the book, but this is an important element. We should not hide the past, but we should understand that it is no longer okay to use that language. With racial inequality an important issue in America, there’s never been a better time to read about Huck and Jim.
Number One: If you’ve read my column over the years, this will be no surprise. I’ve made frequent mentions of the Greatest Novel Ever Written. That would be To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Simply put, the story of Jem and Scout and Boo Radley is something I could read once a year and never tire of it. I always feel like it’s going to end differently, but it never does. That’s magical, when you know exactly how it’s going to go in the courtroom, but you still hold out hope.
The tale of Tom Robinson is just as important to read and relate to today’s world as that of Huck and Jim. The racial unrest we’ve seen recently is rooted in the attitudes seen in this novel. If you haven’t read Lee’s masterpiece in a while, do yourself a favor and sit down with it soon. You won’t regret it.
There we go. I’m sure some of you disagree with some of these picks or have other books you feel fit here. Let me know! I love to talk about books!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is ordonnance, which means the systematic arrangement of parts in art or literature, as in, “Even in classic books, there is an ordonnance that follows a familiar pattern.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!