Well, the list itself may not be very exciting, but the content of the list surely is. This list contains thirteen entries ranging from fiction to poetry to dramatic plays to creative non-fiction. Every author is well known in literary circles, so if they are unfamiliar, rest assured that while reading their work, it will become obvious why their work is so famous. These books were written over a span of literally thousands of years and cover multiple continents. Many cultures and value systems are represented. Some of these books will disturb; others will enlighten. Others will provoke thought when least expected. All of them are very well worth their weight in literary gold.
Warm up a mug of cocoa, stoke the fire up, and jump head first into one of these titles when the next opportunity arises.
The Ancient
Homer
The Iliad
The Iliad is the story of the Trojan War that was fought between the soldiers of Troy and those of Greece and the gods that influenced, and attempted to influence, the outcome.
The Odyssey
Odysseus was one of the major players during the Trojan War for the Greeks. After the sacking of Troy, Odysseus decides to make his way back home. What he did not know is that it would take a while.
Vergil
The Æneid
Aeneas was a Trojan prince. After Troy fell, he escaped with a few of his followers and sailed to Italy where they establishment organized themselves and laid the groundwork for the Roman Empire.
Aeschylus
The Oresteia
The Oresteia is the only ancient Greek dramatic trilogy that survives. It is made up of three plays titled “Agamemnon,” “The Libation Bearers,” and “The Eumenides.” The general theme of the three plays is the process that it takes to move from the proverbial darkness to the light in many aspects of life.
Ovid
Metamorphoses
The overall theme of the Metamorphosesis transformation. Ovid gleaned inspiration for these stories from Greek mythology, Latin folklore, and many other legends to come up with a group of stories that are full of humor, irony, subtlety and sympathy.
Old, but not Ancient
Örnólfur Thorsson (Editor)
The Sagas of the Icelanders
This collection of Icelandic sagas combines all of the best that the world literary tradition has to offer. The Viking heritage that influenced these characters followed these men and women from Iceland to Greenland and then to North America. Viking pride drives the drama that these characters experience.
John Milton
Paradise Lost
Published in 1674, and written when Milton was completely blind, Paradise Lostis the epic poem that involves Satan, Adam, and Eve from their experiences in the Garden of Eden through the Fall and their dealings with God and Jesus Christ.
The Modern
Susan Griffin
A Chorus of Stones
This book is somewhat of a biographical adventure about Susan Griffin’s family and the denial that runs through families from generation to generation. Griffin intermingles aspects of World War II throughout juxtaposing the insanity of war with the difficulties of family life.
J. R. R. Tolkien
Lord of the Rings
This is the epic tale of Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Gandalf, the Elves, Dwarves, and Men, and their efforts to destroy The One Ring before it destroys everything they know and love.
The Silmarillion
Tolkien summarizes the history of Middle Earth from The Beginning of Days to the Rings of Power and the Third Age.
Willa Cather
My Antonia
This story is written through the eyes of Jim Burden about a dear childhood friend named Antonia Shimerda who was a Bohemian immigrant. The story is set on the Nebraska plains and deals with the struggles they experienced while eking out an existence.
John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men
Steinbeck’s novella is about two itinerant field workers, George Milton and Lenny Small (who is really a huge man), that walk their way through California on foot during the Great Depression.
Charles Johnson
Middle Passage
This is a story about Rutherford Calhoun who is a recently freed slave that jumps onto a slave ship bound for Africa. The ensuing story takes him through experiences that will be remembered in American literature for a long time.
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