Classics are classics for a reason. Sure, the story might be about rogue doctors during the Russian Revolution, gossip in English parlors about the new rich neighbor or how to reach the Emerald City, but these books have stayed with us through the years.
Why? Because they all have a deeper story that resonates within us. Whether it’s an enduring love, a sharp satire or long-lasting friendships, these novels and their authors have managed to hit a nerve in us. So we’ve kept them more than decades, and sometimes even more than centuries, filling up bookshelves in our houses and backpacks on our way to the beach.
In particular, these five novels have managed to still stay just as relevant as when they were written, captivating us and yet critiquing us as well.
**”Great Expectations” – Charles Dickens**
Morals and love and self-improvement, all wrapped up in satire. That’s Dickens, though. This book really makes us question why our guilt is so strong. Or perhaps why we have no guilt over something at all. In the end, of course, the book comes down to how far we will go for someone we love — even if we aren’t loved back.
**”The Bell Jar” – Sylvia Plath**
This novel is still fairly new, so it’s debatable as to whether or not it qualifies as a “classic.” But the story of a young college girl swiftly spiraling into madness is one of the most intriguing stories ever written. Not only that, but her descent into insanity seems so logical that it’s practically happening to you. How is this relevant? Her madness was caused by nothing other than stress. Pressure from her college and her family all result in one great head case, and what do we as college students deal with on a day-to-day basis? Stress.
**”Sense and Sensibility” – Jane Austen**
At face value, this seems like a novel full of gossipy women with only one normal human being in the whole bunch. But, like the other books on this list, it is so much more. “Sense and Sensibility” makes so much fun out of society, but not just the society of the time. It makes fun of us as well. Why do we put so much emphasis on money and space and hiring other people to do things for us, when we can be just as happy, if not more so, living in a space that fits us and doing things for ourselves? Some societal norms just don’t make sense, and, like the title says, “Sense and Sensibility” makes as much fun of these senseless things as it can.
**”Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” – Robert Louis Stevenson**
Okay, sure, maybe not all of us become complete monsters at night and genius doctors by the daytime, but this novel does teach us a very good and simple lesson: Happy mediums are always best. No one wants to be a Hyde, running around going crazy and being a mess, but at the same time no one wants to be a quiet Jekyll, spending entire days in his room working on formulas and experiments. Neither one is very fun, obviously, and both are equally destructive.
**”Frankenstein” – Mary Shelley**
After so many movie adaptations and sequels and prequels that have been added to it, “Frankenstein” isn’t exactly the first classic novel one thinks of anymore. Its story, however, is so much more than one man creating a monster. This story of acceptance, or lack thereof, is the most chilling part. The creature spends months watching a poor family from afar. He gathers wood for them and he finds them food, yet when they finally see his face, they run away in terror. Not exactly a kindly action, and certainly not what you would do… right?
These novels challenge us and make us uncomfortable. They make us realize that we could easily do things we know are wrong. But they also teach us the value of love and how strong friendships can be. We keep these books alive and relevant because everyone has a new lesson to learn that great classics can teach.