13 Classic books you can (and really should) finish in a day

**Kazimiera** · 06-13-2017, 08:08 PM

13 Classic books you can (and really should) finish in a day

Source: http://en.meaww.com/read/family/13-c..._term=articles

Nothing quite passes the time like a good novel; getting lost within the landscape and environment constructed by the author can be both enthralling and exhilirating in equal measure. However, novels generally require you to put down your phones and take some time off from the digital world. Here are 13 classics that you can realistically complete in a single day.

1) The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde)

A book concerning the life of Dorian Gray, a serial narcissist who wants to remain beautiful at any cost, it explores his vanity and egotism and is considered to be one of Wilde's greatest works.

2) The Outsider (Albert Camus)

The Outsider is the perfect example of a small book that makes a huge impact. Nobel Laureate, philosopher and novelist Albert Camus invites us to explore the greatest problem of the modern era -- the struggle to find meaning in this seemingly pointless life. The Outsider intricately narrates the story of Meursault, a man convicted and condemned for not playing society’s games. Is definitely a reccomended read.

3) The Great Gatsby (F Scott Fitzgerald)

Up there with the greatest novels ever written, The Great Gatsby explores the lives of the upper class during the 1920s and their exorbitant and over-the-top lifestyles. However, what seems like a light-hearted novel at first glance devolves into something entirely different by the end.

4) The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemmingway)

Ernest Hemmingway’s most famous work, The Old Man and the Sea, on the surface might seem to be about an old man going fishing and coming back empty-handed. But the deeper meaning of the book is a contemplation of the true nature of the world, and raises more questions than it answers. A classic through the ages, Old Man and the Sea is sure to leave you deep in thought.

5) Animal Farm (George Orwell)

George Orwell’s gripping allegory Animal Farm, is a story of how the animals on Manor Farm overthrow their human overlords. But the deep allegorical writing makes it one of the most politically crisp works of all-time. The book is in fact a symbol of the Russian Revolution and each animal is a clever personification of the political leaders of the time. Even though it can be a taxing book to fully decode, it most definitely is a perfect book to read in a day.

6) Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)

Ray Bradbury’s dystopian masterpiece Fahrenheit 451 bears the tagline “the temperature at which book paper catches fire, and burns”. A story about a distant future where all books are burned and society is estranged from its own culture, the book is a scathing commentary on how new forms of social media are killing the value of literature.

7) The Pearl (John Steinbeck)

The Pearl deals with a young man who finds a large, gorgeous pearl and wants to sell it so he can use the money to treat his sick child; to his distress, he finds out the hard way that greed and avarice are quite extensive out in the real world

8) The Quiet American (Graham Greene)

Graham Greene was apparently inspired to write this novel after having spent time as a war-correspondent in French Indochina. He goes into detail about the ridiculousness and futility of war and gives you a first-hand picture of the fact that war isn't as glorious as it's made out to be.

9) The Day of the Locust (Nathanael West)

Based in Hollywood, The Day of the Locust masterfully exposes the industry and strips away common perceptions that people have about it. He also speaks about the Great Depression and in turn, about how the American Dream keeps failing those who go for it.

10) One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (Alexander Solzhenitsyn)

A book that provides a stark, yet gripping description of a Gulag and the life of the prisoners there, it was inspired by the time the author actually spent in one. Beatifully explained, it's definitely a must-read if you can spare the time.

11) Slaughterhouse-Five (Kurt Vonnegut)

Part autobiographical, part surreal sci-fi, Slaughterhouse V combines the atrocities of World War II, the carpet bombing of Dresden with the strange and fascinating alien planet of Tralfamadore. Told in an unmatched style that only Kurt Vonnegut could master, this book will leave you begging for more and thoroughly exhilarated.

12) Night (Elie Wiesel)

Written by Elie Wiesel to inform people of the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust, it was based on his own experiences in concentration camps and the horrors he had to live through. However, it also goes above and beyond to detail the difficulties in re-adjusting to normal life; a dark and sombre read, but a recommended one.

13) The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka)

Considered to be one of the greatest works of fiction to ever be written, it's based on the life of a man who inexplicably finds himself transformed into a giant insect. While the premise seems simple enough, there are many reasons why the term Kafkaesque was coined in the first place, and this novel is definitely one of them -- the absurdity and the surreality of the novel will tend to run circles around you.