Ready, steady, read! Classic books for reluctant readers

Not everyone is addicted to reading. It is a way of life we recommend. If you want to ease your way into books, it can be difficult to know where to start. There are many choices. Read the wrong one and you might be put off again.

We have compiled a short list of classic books. These are clever and exciting. Above all, they are accessible.

American Classics

John Steinbeck, The Red Pony (1933)

This is a group of linked stories about a ten year-old boy named Jody. He lives on his father’s ranch in California. The pony in the title is called Gabilan. It is a coming of age story that is as absorbing as it is sad. It is often bought for teenage boys. Nobody can go far wrong with Steinbeck. If you like Westerns, you will love this. Later, try some Cormac McCarthy.

Carson McCullers, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (1940)

This is set in Georgia in the 1930s. It tells the story of deaf-mute John Singer and four of his friends. It is not a love story despite the title. It is a gripping tale of a crew of lonely misfits in the American South. The writing is simple but poetic. If you like it and want something longer, try later Steinbeck. The Grapes of Wrath would fit the bill.

S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders (1967)

One for the rebels. This is another coming-of-age story set among the rival Oklahoma gangs of the Greasers and the Socs. Fourteen year-old Ponyboy is jumped by the Socs and saved by his brothers Darrel and Sodapop. Trouble follows them as the violence escalates. You should read the book to see if Ponyboy gets out. If you like it, try Louis Sachar’s Holes. It is marketed at teens but is an excellent book for any age.

Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird (1960)

Two siblings, Scout and Jem Finch, live in the Deep South. They have a recluse neighbour, Boo, and a lawyer father, Atticus. Atticus is tasked with the defense of a black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman. It is about inequality, understanding, tolerance and compassion. For all the heavy themes, it is an engaging read. Scout is an unforgettable narrator. We all secretly want to grow up to be Atticus. This is Lee’s only novel to date, but a new manuscript is expected this year.

British Classics

Jeanette Winterson, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit (1985)

A coming-out and coming-of-age novel about a young girl in the North-West of England. She is raised by a mother who is a Christian evangelist and a wrestling fan. It is sad but also hilarious. It is partly based on the author’s own experiences. If you get on well with this, try Winterson’s later memoir, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891)

This caused outrage when it was first serialized in 1890. Wilde included a preface in the novel version explaining his artistic intent. It is not especially shocking now. It remains an excellent and easy read. Dorian sells his soul in the form of a painting to stay young and beautiful forever. While he parties, his portrait grows older and more hideous. It reflects every hedonistic sin. If you like Wilde’s style but want something less dark, try The Importance of Being Earnest. Laughter is guaranteed.

Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843)

You know the score here: Scrooge, three ghosts and Tiny Tim. Even if you have seen the movies and think Dickens only wrote very long books, you must try it. Charles was a funny guy even when the stories were sad. The energy and wit in his writing will make you see the story afresh. After this, if you want something funny, try Jerome K Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat.

William Golding, The Lord of the Flies (1954)

A boys’ adventure gone catastrophically wrong. A group of British schoolboys crash-land on a deserted island. Their attempts to establish order soon descend into brutal tribalism and violence. Are we inherently good or evil? What happens when the rules are gone? After this, move onto Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange.

Satire and Society

Joseph Heller, Catch-22 (1961)

The war novel to beat all war novels and the satire to beat all satires. This whopping glory of a book will hook anyone who tries the first page. It has a character called Major Major Major Major. It is sharp, bitter and funny. Despite the topic and the length, it is a simple book to get into. If you want something more straight-laced, try Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead.

Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence (1920)

Set in upmarket 1870s New York. This is about a tense marriage and the scandalous cousin who threatens to upend everything. It is really about conformity, desire and betrayal. These are the stuff of soap operas. It has a lot of historical detail and is more dense than other titles here. It is full of savage wit and is worth the patience. Try Jane Austen for something similar but less intense.