Best Modern Classic Books
This is a list to fill the gap on this site, where classic books are from 200 hundred years ago or ten minutes ago - books from the 1900s seem to be totally ignored.
This book is still an affecting and touching read in the modern day, and it's strength at the time of its release must have been devastating.
It's not that bad...
Best in the best!
Both a thoroughly moving and engaging read, Lord Of The Flies succeeds in using horrific images to exalt a clever plot and devastating message, rather than to hide from little overall depth. The social commentary delivered by this book is classic, but the area it remains unmatched by such books as 1984 is simply how enjoyable a read it is.
Just read it. Adults can do much worse.
If you read this unaware of the depth lurking below the casual if unambitious surface, it could be passed easily by, and written off as a readable narrative capable of strong adolscent summaries. But if you look a little closer, particularly at the metaphor from which the book takes its name, you'll see an unforgettable work revealing the hollowness of morals applicable to the life of any reader.
Although at times 1984 can be a difficult and slowburning read, and the characters are not exceptionally deep or memorable, all is terrifyingly validated with the sheer genius of Orwell's philosophy, and the realism of the threat described.
One man against the whole monster-system, in memories!
Dystopia at it's best. Absolutely chilling.
The eternity of the character of Lenny is enough to shoot this book up the scales alone. There's not a reader who can evade a considerable amount of pity for the classic well drawn characters, and this book being taught at many schools causes it to be one of the only widely read classics. It's an emotion manipulating read, and one garunteed to leave the reader with its tale and message embedded strongly in their mind.
A touching, accessible and enjoyable read - I doubt any will complain at its presence on the list, but nor is it the greatest novel of the past hundred years. Its depth is somewhat commercialised and overplayed by its recent popularity, but it reminds us there are capable authors still among us.
A perfect blend of tension, horror, sci-fi, happiness and so much else. Not only this, John Wyndham was a consistent author, pumping out masterpiece after masterpiece.
A bitesize taste of Orwell's genius and communism in general, it's an excellent way to introduce younger or less experienced readers into a world that could entirely change the way they see the exists ce around them. Although it remains solely as an allegory, never delving into such strong opinions as 1984, it's a very comfortable read that still offers depth as well as a gripping and blackly humorous and ironic novel.
I read this book last semester and I really liked it. I learnt a lot about the russian rev and how evil stalin was. Seeing how the citizens had to suffer made me kind of angry.
Best book. Ever. Inspired me, as a twelve-year-old, to read literature.
The best book ever? Why is this not on here yet?!
Magic realism is beautiful.
The imagery in this book is not going to be easily forgotten. Without wishing to give away the climax, mass orgies in a classic work of literature is bound to raise eyebrows. But the fact this book manages to pull it off already shows it will be a thrilling read before the beginning. It couples excellently with 1984, the classic future dystopias showing the two extremities of human nature. Although shocking and horrific, Brave New World succeeds in delivering a terrifyingly accurate message. All keeping it from the top three is simply the weakness of the plot line - at the end of the day, that should be the key judging point of any novel. But the strength of the concept still manages to keep this book afloat.