This week I’ve been really trying to get back into reading. I grew up being one of those kids that could read a book a day, but like many other kids my age, burnt out by the end of high school and hasn’t read anything that wasn’t a dry-as-a-bone academic paper in about three years. So, I’ve put together a list of a few classics that are free to read on Project Gutenberg that I’m reading this week.
Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy. Did you know his name wasn’t actually Leo? It was Lev, which is Slavic for ‘lion’, and for some reason when we translated his books into English, we translated his name too. I’ve really been enjoying this one, which I didn’t expect. Russian literature has always felt, well, too Russian for me, and every time I’ve tried reading them I always get overwhelmed by the many different names everyone has. Anna Karenina, on the other hand, is really approachable, with characters that are so diverse that I really enjoy how Tolstoy gets into their heads. During the pandemic, when you spend such long hours on your own, I’ve really appreciated how Tolstoy shows you how all these characters think and feel; it’s nice being in someone else’s head for a while.
The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gillman. You probably read this in middle school, as a toe in the water taste of what literature was like. I certainly did, and found it horrifying. Now, as all my social media transitions into autumn tones, this short story has kept coming to my mind. I refuse to spoil it for you, but I guarantee it’s not what you think it’s about. Gillman really captures what it feels like to be isolated, tired, and anxious, in a way that feels totally ahead of her time. If you want a masterclass in short story writing, then this is absolutely something you need to read.
The Happy Prince, by Oscar Wilde. For something a little more lighthearted, Wilde never fails to delight. A sweet short story about what it truly means to be happy, the story follows the adventures of a prince statue and the bird that keeps him company. Far from the acerbic, tongue-in-cheek, satirical drama that Wilde was famous for, this short story is just a genuine story about the search for happiness and contentment. I recommend reading it with a few tissues next to you, though. Just in case.
Photo by Brodie Vissers from Burst.
