Hello there again! It's been a while since you heard from me last, but rest assured that I'm doing alright. I started my university studies in September this year and have since then not taken a lot of time to read in my free time. However, I think I've gotten used enough to my studies that I can pick up reading again next year, and I've also read some fiction for a course in English literature.
That being said, I've been thinking about what I want to focus on reading-wise in 2021, and I've reached the conclusion that I really want to dive into more classics. It's been an ambition I've had for some years now, but I've never really grabbed the bull by the horns, so to say. Furthermore, I recently watched a video by lucythereader on YouTube where a reading challenge for 2021 was presented. The idea is to read 1 classic every month of the year. That makes 12 classics, but since I like to set goals in 10's or 5's, I've decided to be optimistic and raise the goal to 15. Following, you'll see the list of the 15 books that I, at the moment, plan to devour in 2021 (from least to most pages):
"No Longer at Ease" by Chinua Achebe
This is the second book in a trilogy that was written
in the mid 20th century. The first book, "Things Fall
Apart", was written as a response to the classic novel
"Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad ca 50 years
earlier. I had the pleasure to read the first novel for
a course in English literature this fall and I'd very
much like to continue on with the series.
2
This will probably be one of my heaviest reads
this upcoming year, despite it being the third to
shortest novel I plan to read. It's about time I
picked this up.
3
"The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
Another 20th century classic, and one that I already
own. This is a very well known classic that I've heard
many good things about. I'm definitely intrigued and
I hope for it to be a deep dive into mental health.
4
One of my sub-goals for 2021 is to read more
classics written by women, for the simple reason
that most classics I've read have been written by
men. Male authors have been grossly overrepresented
in classic literature, but there seem to be plenty of
female authors that I'm just now discovering. Of
course, I'm highly looking forward to my first read
of Woolf's literature.
5
I'm beyond excited to be picking up another
novel by the brilliant author of "Stoner", which
is one of my favourite novels of all time and
the book that made me more interested in
contemporary classics. This is a book that is set
in the Roman Empire and follows the events
after Julius Caesar's death. It's said to be
marvellously written historical fiction and I've
no doubts I'll enjoy it.
6
This seems to be very similar to "Augustus"
by John Williams, and I don't mind that. I'm
simply stoked to finally read both of these
historical fiction novels that have been acclaimed
to be some of the best of their genre. Hoping for
a lot of exciting politics.
7
7
A classic that people seem to either hate
or love. I'm aware there will be topics in this
novel that will unsettle me, perhaps greatly
so, but I'm determined to form my own opinion.
What's more, the cover is gorgeous.
8
"Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
A late and unexpected addition to my course
literature for the spring semester. Regardless,
I've been curious about this book and I think
I'll enjoy it.
9
I've been a big fan of the movies since my
childhood and I've read "The Hobbit". However,
this series remains unread on my shelves. I
intend to tackle at least the first of the three novels
in 2021, but I'll skip ahead to the part with Tom
Bombadil since I've already listened to the first
part on audiobook ;)
10
10
Another classic I'll encounter in the English
literature course I'll take in 2021. I don't actually
have very great expectations (see what I did there?)
for this book, but I'm ready to be proven wrong.
Obviously, it's a cherished book by many.
11
11
This is a collection of short stories by the
beloved author of the famous Moomin
stories. These novellas, however, are unrelated
to Moomin and are targeted to a more adult
audience. Jansson is a queer icon and I look
forward to reading more of her writing.
12
12
This must be one of the most well-known
classics out there, at least amongst European
literary classics. It's only a plus that it's also
written by a female author. Though I've heard
this might be a heavy novel to get through, I feel
ready to acquaintance myself with one of the
renowned Brontë sisters.
13
I know for a fact that I'll be re-reading "Pride
and Prejudice" by Austen for the English
literature course next spring, but I want to
pick up something else by Austen as well in
2021. I've heard that this is a fun and light-hearted
read and that the new movie was great.
14
14
This Swedish translation of "Crime and
Punishment" (of course the original text is
in Russian) is going to be a real challenge to
get through. We'll see if I ever get around to it,
but my ambition is real! I've heard it's well
worth the struggle.
15
15
George Eliot was a pseudonym for female
author Mary Ann Evans, who wrote several
Victorian era classics. The reason I've
decided to pick this up is because one of my
favourite professors this term, Mats, tragically
passed away recently. I was devastated by the
news, and I still am. I took the liberty to look
him up on Facebook in hopes of finding more news
on his passing, and discovered that he was
member of a George Eliot literature group. In
an attempt to keep Mats in my memory, I'll try
to get through this behemoth of a novel. Rest
well, Mats.
So there you have it. I'll be extremely proud of myself if I manage to get through all of these classics in 2021, and I'll try to make them a priority on my reading list. I'm especially pleased to have 8 female authors featured on this list! Overall, I'm super excited to become more educated in classic literature.
Have you read any of these? Are you curious about any of them? Which would you want for me to read first? I'd be delighted to hear your opinions. In the meantime, read on and stay safe.
