beginner classics!

[Annabelle]

I have an english project that requires me to pick any classic to read and analyze and am having a difficult time finding beginner friendly, engaging, and thought provoking classics that are over 200-250 pages. does anyone have any recommendations i could consider for my project?

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

Does it need to come from any specific country?

[Annabelle]

nope! there’s no requirements beside it being something that interests you and that you are able to read and analyze without too much struggle

[Lesle, Appalachian Bibliophile]

Annabelle
And you want these recommendations about Children's/YA books?

[Annabelle]

no i’m about to begin college in the fall so definitely something with darker themes and for newer adults!

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is a novel about a young woman and definitely has darker issues in the second half of the book as she deals with mental health issues.
Plath's style is clear and the book is very well-written.
I rated it four stars and for me that is high praise.

[Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog]

In the late 50's or there abouts, the Great Books sweeped through as the latest thing. Harvard, or some such August univ, published a list of the "official" Great Books. No one else need apply.

As far as I know the beginning of all such "our word is final" lists.

In my grammar school they began an after school reading program called: the Jr. Great Books. These were sets of books, from the sanctified list broken out from those besy suited for ages 10<?> on up, with some grouping by age variation.

If there is a hankering for some authoritative leadership. One could worse than research, google -
The Jr Great Books Or evan the Jr Great Books Society
I remember that Aesop's Fable was one selection .
Several years later, for an older group, I think they added
The Song of Roland. That one is interesting because
1. It is a huge cultural landmark in Spain.
2. It is considered the model for Knightly behavior
3. Its value as history is crap. As in it was a HUGE rewriting of the history of a Franco/Christian invasion of Muslim Spain, and a partic rewrite (white wash) of the humiliating failure of Roland to defend the booty he was assigned to bring back.

What I most remember is that it was more than a tad bloody

[alex (eric whitacre version)]

The Handmaid’s Tale is amazing! If that’s not old enough, maybe read a play like A Streetcar Named Desire. :)