I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving. I enjoyed my little break from school, and it was difficult to get up and out this morning. I think many of my students felt the same way. That end-of-the-semester buckling down is starting to kick into gear, though. It’s my favorite time of semester. I love seeing the students piece together all of the things we’ve worked on for the previous twelve or so weeks. Next semester I have the opportunity to teach a novel or novella to my freshmen. Can I tell you that I’m frozen in terms of selecting a novel? I love so many books, and I’m also worried that I’ll select a book that most of my students have read already. So, I"m torn among books such as The Things They Carried, Jane Eyre, Wide Sargasso Sea (do you think you can get that if you haven’t read Jane Eyre?), Grendel (must one have read Beowulf to get it?) or maybe a shorter Steinbeck novel. I’d like to read something by a woman, as male writers are certainly well-enough represented in most readers. I’d love to hear your suggestions. This class isn’t a literature class, but rather a composition class in which we use literature as a springboard for writing.
So let me know. What book did you love when you were around 18 years old?
I have always been a fan of Pride & Predjudice. I was deeply disappointed when I took English Lit in High School and they skipped over Jane Austen.
What about Love In The Time Of Cholera?
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card is one of my favorites and, at 18, kids should be able to *get* the philosophy even if they’re not scifi fans. It would also breed some fantastic essays I think as they pick apart the philosophy. I’ve not read a lot of those older classics with the exception of P & P which I loved and my daughter has read multiple times as well as watched both versions of the movie every chance she gets.
The Peaceful Warrior.
Such a great book!
And how WEIRD that they made a movie about it. I had no idea!
what about Pearl Buck (the Pavilion of Women) or Kate Chopin… both are canon worthy, but often under-read…but, then again any Jane Austen is a great choice!
ps — looking forward to the holidays and Abby LOVED her card!
Hmmm, Things they carried is good. I also enjoyed Daisy Miller. Mrs. Dalloway, perhaps?
I loved anything by Willa Cather. And Patricia McKillip – her work is fantasy, but her writing is so beautiful regardless.
I LOVED Jane Eyre (and still do), as well as Pride & Prejudice. :0)
What about The Awakening? I remember reading it in my high school AP English class and then again in college in Modern American Lit.
I loved A Prayer For Owen Meaney at that time of my life. I like a little looniness. Or what’s the other one from that same author…Oh yeah, the Hotel New Hampshire – very funny, The World According to Garp of course. I loved them all as a senior in high school.
Along the Mrs. Dalloway lines, how about To the Lighthouse? I read it sophomore year and loved, loved, loved it. Plus it’ll give you oodles to talk about, composition-wise. The Years is perhaps a tad easier but still interesting from a composition standpoint. I’d avoid The Waves or Jacob’s Room for freshmen.
I’d have to recommend Ender’s Game as well. 😀 GREAT Book!
I’d also recommend Cannery Row by Steinbeck.
Both very lovely, very readable books that both men and women can get into. Some of the period books you selected might just go over the heads of some of those students as they wouldn’t be able to get past the concept to see the story or composition.
Connie Willis: most anything, but especially Uncharted Territory, Remake, Lincoln’s Dreams, or To Say Nothing of the Dog.
If you wanna go for females writers Jane Austen has to be tops, although I love Wuthering Heights too. Another fave of mine by a female is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I read that at 18 and it really spoke to me.
I personally love Jane Austen. I also loved the Scarlet Letter in high school AP English. Those are the ones that are stuck in my head right now. You know, my brain doesn’t work as it should. 😉