IBfreefromhomework would like to direct your attention to the novels that were cool BEFORE novels were cool. She's sort of like a literature hipster.—Sparkitors
Once in a while, we read books so brilliant that our nerdy minds are overpowered, and we cannot help but worship them as the epitome of greatness in literature, as books that cannot be beat. Now, a lot of us feel this way about popular books these days: Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Twilight even (hey, some people love it). They were original in their own way perhaps, but no matter what, the classic books below are the real originals, and they paved the way for the books we love today. In my mind, they will never be beaten.
The classics: The Giver trilogy, Anthem, and Fahrenheit 451
Precedes: The Hunger Games trilogy
The Deets: All of these books revolve around future dystopias. The Giver trilogy by Lois Lowry is comprised of three books to represent three societies that might someday exist; the “perfect” society where everyone has become robots of the Council, a harsh society where only the strong can survive, and a “corrupting” society, where fairness and justice slowly succumb to the evils of greed and selfishness.
Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, takes place in a time when light no longer exists; a ruin of our former world. The society is under the rule of a powerful council whose members get to choose the path of every newborn child.
Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, takes place in a very futuristic society where books are burned to ashes. I find this reality to be harsher than the games at times; the people in charge burn people alive, run over innocent bystanders, and don't hesitate to find another victim when the “game” doesn’t turn out the way they want it to.
All this sounds pretty familiar, right? And the heroes in these books are all trying to defy the norms of their restrictive societies, just like Katniss.
The Classics: David Copperfield and Huckleberry Finn
Precedes: Harry Potter series
The Deets: JK Rowling is undeniably a creative force with many original ideas, but the main themes of her books, finding one’s true self and the power of friendship, were pioneered by Charles Dickens and Mark Twain. In David Copperfield, the title character transforms from the poor son of a cruel stepfather to the beloved nephew of his eccentric aunt. Huck Finn’s journey took him along the Mississippi River, where he aided the escaped slave Jim to freedom, finding more about himself along the way. Both protagonists have loyal friends that never leave their sides, much like Ron and Hermione.
The Classic: The Scarlet Letter
Precedes: Twilight series
The Deets: Unlike the senseless Twilight series, this book is full of insight and meaning. However, a lot of elements from Twilight were borrowed from this book; there’s the forbidden love between Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale—similar to the forbidden love between a mortal and a vampire. There’s also that everlasting love triangle; the bitter Roger Chillingworth and the werewolf Jacob are alike in many ways. The children in both books are "different": Pearl is a fatherless child called a fairy by the townspeople, Bella’s daughter is a vampire hybrid.
The Classic: Little Women
Precedes: The Help
The Deets: Tthe characters of The Help are parallels to the four sisters of Little Women; strong, independent women with different flaws. They're all on separate journeys, but their lives are tied together by one cause.
We never would have recognized the similarities between all these books! Do you think these classics are better than their modern-day counterparts?
Related post: Updating the Covers of Classic Books
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