What do you mean, Stephen King isn’t considered classic literature?
I read anything, all the time. If I can’t find something to read with breakfast, I’ll read the back of the cereal box, the nutritional info, the ingredients, anything. I’m always reading, and I read all kinds of thing. I have subscriptions to two computer magazines, I used to have several subscriptions to RC Car magazines, and I’ll even buy any issues of Mad magazine I see when I go grocery shopping. In fact, solely as a geek exercise, I recently created a “What I’m Reading” sidebar for this site (you can see it on the right, under the random Simpsons quote.)
I have a desk at two different offices, and when I’m working at the far office (which is basically one week a month), I’m on Max for about an hour in the morning and another hour on the way home, plus I usually read for an hour at lunch. During these weeks, I can easily read two novels a week.
Despite all this reading, I came to an intereseting realization recently: I’ve never really read any classic literature, with just one exception. Just like probably everyone, I was forced to read a bit of it in high school. I remember having to read The Scarlet Letter, but I really don’t remember anything about it, nor whether I thought it was any good or not. And I don’t mean the story; Of course I get that, but I don’t remember whether I enjoyed the style of the writing, the prose, the symbolism, all that stuff.
I’ve read every single fiction book written by Stephen King, and I’ve almost read everything by Dean Koontz. I immensely enjoyed Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker series, and I’ve read a few other suspense, horror, and science fiction authors. But I feel like I’m missing out, never having read anything by the greats: Hemingway, Steinbeck, Faulkner, et. al.
So, my question to you is: What should I read next? I’ve got my library card in my hand, ready for that bar code scanner to do its thing, I just need you to give me some ideas. What do you recommend?
7 comments August 4th, 2005