Thanks for listing them out! Have you read any of them? Which one's your favorite?

@@eden_ayash Oh yes, I've read all of them except for Peter Pan! 😊 It's hard to pick a favorite of these, that's of course why they're all classics, but if I had to pick I think my favorite of these is probably The Little Prince. In my view, the stand-out quotation is: “What is essential is invisible to the eye.” That goes for many truths in life, but perhaps most especially love. That is, love should be deep, not merely skin deep. I love that idea! Also I love Frankenstein and I too strongly prefer the 1818 edition. That's the edition that made her famous as a teenager or 20 year old. And it's the one that has the most raw or almost feral feel to it, which fits perfectly well with the tale. Otherwise allowing an author to revise their book decades later feels a bit like allowing George Lucas to revise Star Wars decades later. Or something like that. Plus I don't think the changes in the later edition improved it. At most, the changes were neutral, though I think the changes made it a bit worse. In any case, I love that it's a Gothic tale in the Romantic era. Dark, moody. Grim. Arguably the first science fiction novel (though that's a bit debatable since Shelley didn't know that's what she was doing, she was writing from the heart as it were) and one of the first modern horror novels. Explores many themes, not least of which is the Promethean rebellion of the created against their creator. Fascinating, like Paradise Lost after which she intentionally styles much of the story. The Hobbit. There's so much to say about it. And unlike most I actually love it more than The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which has significant chunks of leaden prose that should have been excised. I could say so much about the Hobbit and Tolkien and the other Inklings especially Lewis but I'd better not or else I'll go on forever! I'm afraid I didn't like Jane Eyre and never re-read it. I think that's likely owing more to a bad high school experience than the book. I may have to try and reread it..I know it's usually regarded as superior to Wuthering Heights and I liked Wuthering Heights. Instead of Peter Pan, I think I'd add another children's book. Perhaps The Wind in the Willows (Grahame). A father (Grahame) writes bedtime stories to tell his only child, a sickly son (Alastair Grahame) who would die in his youth. These stories are set along the river Thames, in Edwardian England. Several heartachingly moving stories. A nostalgic voice in a nostalgic time. Beautifully told. Poetic. Overall though I might pick an entirely different list of classic must reads though.

@@eden_ayash, Charlotte Brontë is my favorite female author. 8) "Vilette" by Charlotte Brontë 15) The Silmarillion - The Hobbit, or there and back again - The Lord of the Rings - Middle Earth stories by J. R. R. Tolkien 74) "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë 77) “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley 146) "The Professor” by Charlotte Brontë 171) "Shirley" by Charlotte Brontë TOP 50 BOOKS for me 0) "The Holy Bible: King James Version" copyright 1967 1) "The Insulted and Humiliated" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 2) "Verbal Behavior" by Dr. B. F. Skinner 3) "Resurrection" by Leo Tolstoy 4) "The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 5) "Fathers and Sons" by Ivan Turgenev 6) Myth Adventures - series by Robert Asprin 7) The Chronicles of Narnia - series by C. S. Lewis 8) "Vilette" by Charlotte Brontë 9) "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy 10) "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 11) "Smoke" by Ivan Turgenev 12) "Chesapeake" by James A. Michener 13) "Poland" by James A. Michener 14) "Roots" by Alex Haley 15) The Silmarillion - The Hobbit, or there and back again - The Lord of the Rings - Middle Earth stories by J. R. R. Tolkien 16) "Even If This Love Disappears Tonight" by Misaki Ichijo 17) "Childhood, Boyhood" by Leo Tolstoy 18) Foundation Series - Isaac Asimov 19) "Eugene Onegin" by Alexander Pushkin 20) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 21) "Paris 1919: six months that changed the world" by Margaret MacMillian 22) "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" by Anne Brontë 23) "Virgin Soil" by Ivan Turgenev 24) "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen 25) The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn - by Mark Twain 26) Old Mother West Wind series - wildlife series by Thornton Burgess 27) "Microbe Hunters" by Paul de Kruif 28) "Cancer Ward" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 29) "Teacher Man" by Frank McCourt 30) "Demons" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 31) "Kon Tiki" by Thor Heyerdahl 32) "The Complete Poems of Anne Bronte" by Anne Brontë 33) "From Beirut to Jerusalem" by Thomas Friedman 34) "The Berdine Un-Theory of Evolution: and Other Scientific Studies Including Hunting, Fishing, and Sex" by William C. Berdine 35) "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair 36) "Caribbean" by James A. Michener 37) "Hawaii" by James A. Michener 38) "The Painted Bird" by Jerzy Kosiński 39) "Interview with the Vampire" by Anne Rice 40) "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee 41) "Torrents of Spring" by Ivan Turgenev 42) "Mere Christianity" by C. S. Lewis 43) "Emma" by Jane Austen 44) "In the First Circle" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 45) The Beatrix Potter books - animal story series by Beatrix Potter 46) "27" or "Sieben­und­zwanzig" by William Diehl 47) "A River Runs Through It" by Norman Maclean 48) "Les Misérables" by Victor Hugo 49) "Winnie the Pooh" by A. A. Milne 50) "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

@@pattube, a great children's book would be the following: "The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter "The Story of Miss Moppet" by Beatrix Potter "Adventures of Reddy Fox" by Thornton Burgess "Adventures of Prickly Porky" by Thornton Burgess "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter "The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or The Roly-Poly Pudding" by Beatrix Potter "Winnie the Pooh" by A. A. Milne "The Tale of Tom Kitten" by Beatrix Potter "Adventures of Jimmy Skunk" by Thornton Burgess "Adventures of Paddy Beaver" by Thornton Burgess "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C. S. Lewis "The Horse and His Boy" by C. S. Lewis "The Magician's Nephew" by C. S. Lewis "The Last Battle" by C. S. Lewis

@@ReligionOfSacrifice Many excellent choices! I think I've read most of what C.S. Lewis has written including his scholarly works. He's a great storyteller, among his many other talents.

Thank you for your comment 🫶🏻🦋 I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed The Little Prince. It's truly a special book with so many profound insights. One of my favorite quotes is: "All men have stars, but they are not the same things for different people. For some, who are travelers, the stars are guides. For others they are no more than little lights in the sky. For others, who are scholars, they are problems... But all these stars are silent. You-You alone will have stars as no one else has them." Do you have a favorite part or quote from it? I'd love to hear what stood out to you! Hopefully, this inspires others to pick up The Little Prince and discover its magic too 🌟📖🌟📖

Absolutely agree! 🥂📖 The Count of Monte Cristo is a phenomenal adventure with so many layers. It's one of those books that stays with you long after you finish reading it. Thank you for this recommendation! 🫶🏻🦋

Have a great summer and happy reading to you as well 🌻💛 By the way, I subscribed to your channel and find it incredibly interesting. I can't wait to watch all the videos there, thanks for sharing such wonderful and unique content! 📖🤩

That's so kind of you to say🥹💛I'm glad you enjoyed this video. It's always rewarding to connect with fellow literature lovers🦋💛 Thank you!

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! Your point about the ending of Jane Eyre is really interesting. Many readers feel that the revelation of Rochester’s first wife marks a shift in the narrative’s intensity. Some literary critics suggest that the plot's focus on romance and resolution makes the ending feel slower compared to the gripping earlier sections. While I totally agree with you, I see it from a ‘learning history through literature’ perspective. Although it’s not as exciting as the earlier parts, this shift might reflect societal expectations during the Victorian era, which sometimes limited the portrayal of a strong, independent female protagonist like Jane. I feel like I learned a lot from this kind of ending about what it was like to live during that time. I also like to try and analyze what the author’s intention was in writing the ending this way. For example, Bonnie Zare discusses the problematic ending in her article "Jane Eyre’s Excruciating Ending" and highlights that Jane's character changes throughout the end and accepts a more subservient role, which sort of undermines her earlier strength and independence. There’s also an interesting article that hypothesizes that Brontë's characterization of Jane and how she changes throughout the plot mirrors the clinical concept of masochism (the name of the article if you want to have a look is "Sado-masochism in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre: a ridge of lighted health"). So while the ending might be a bit annoying to modern readers, I think it holds many complexities beneath the surface. Your symbolism of Hook's ticking clock is spot-on!! It adds such depth to the story and really highlights the underlying themes of mortality and the passage of time. The whole concept of time is very interesting in the story, and the fact that the crocodile is the chosen character who represents time is fascinating as well. As discussed in the article "The Empire Bites Back: The Racialized Crocodile of the Nineteenth Century," the crocodile in the Victorian era was feared and symbolized evil. As you said, Hook is haunted by the ticking clock, indicating that time should be feared, even if you can’t see it. During the Victorian era, they also completed the construction of Big Ben, so it's like the march of time, much like the sneaking crocodile, cannot be seen, but we can hear the ticking clock, much like the chimes of Big Ben, reminding Victorian Britain of the passing time. Ah! I feel I could discuss these things with you for hours! Thank you so much for your valuable insights. I love discussions like these! They make exploring classic literature so rewarding! I also checked out your channel, and it looks super interesting! I subscribed and can’t wait to slowly watch all your content and have more enriching discussions in the future. Thank you for being here!

@@eden_ayash thanks a million for all the insight I’m going to check out those articles about Jane Eyre because despite the ending leaving me a little cold the book very much stayed with me, which is why I ended up diving into Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, two books that really wear the influence they took from Brontë on their sleeves. The other part about Pan and the themes of the march of time that really fascinates me, is how much of a role the Darling father plays. He is the instigator of removing the dog from the nursery, he is the one insisting that Wendy leaves the nursery and (the big one) traditionally when the play is performed the father and Hook are always played by the same actor. Thanks a million for subscribing looking forward to some more of you’re fantastic insights 😁

Thank you so much!🫶🏻📖I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I checked out your KZfaq channel and subscribed-it looks really interesting! I can't wait to explore all the videos there.😊

@@eden_ayash thanks Eden!

East of Eden is an incredible choice! Steinbeck's storytelling is so captivating. It's definitely a timeless classic. Thanks for sharing your favorite!💛📖

I loved East of Eden! Just read it as a matter of fact!!❤

Thank you! I'm happy you liked it. The Hobbit is definitely a favorite of mine too 🫶🏻 If you ever read any of the other books I mentioned, let me know what you think..Do you have any other classics on your reading list?

Hi Emily, thank you so much! 💛🌻I couldn't agree more about Bronte and Shelley-they really paved the way for so many writers. And thanks for subscribing! I'm excited to have you on board. I also took a sneak peek at your channel and subscribed. I already love the content just from a quick glance and can’t wait to dive in and watch all your videos. 📖🫶🏻 Thank you again!

Thank you so much for your lovely comment! It truly means the world to me to hear that you found my video elevated and enriching. This is exactly the kind of connection and impact I strive for, and your words have genuinely touched my heart🥹 Your list of Bancroft Classics is impressive and brings back such fond memories. I've read many of them, but a few from your list, like -Heidi -Kidnapped -What Katy Did Next -The Swiss Family Robinson -Ivanhoe -Jo's Boys -Little Men -Good Wives -What Katy Did at School -Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare -Ben Hur -Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde -Lorna Doone -Great Expectations -Black Arrow -Sense and Sensibility -King Solomon's Mines -The Old Curiosity Shop - are still on my to-read list. I'm especially intrigued by Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare, supposedly aimed at children, as well as the sequel stories like Little Men and What Katy Did Next. It would be interesting to read these and see if they hold up as well as their predecessors. Your reading journey, founded on such classics, is truly inspiring. It's amazing how these timeless tales have shaped and enriched our lives. Thank you for sharing your journey and for being a part of this wonderful community. Happy reading! 🦋📖😊

@@eden_ayash You are most welcome, Eden. It is heartening to see that there *are* still some readers left in the world :) For many years I had an actual library in my home, consisting of the several thousand volumes I had collected over my lifetime (from the first Famous Five book that I bought when I was, appropriately enough, five :)). Sadly that had to be dissolved when I was planning a long distance house move and the logistical problems of shipping so many books, mostly hardcovers, were too great to overcome. My decades-long habit of getting through a novel a night has also faded now - something to return to I think as I can 'feel' how not reading very much is effecting my mental functions.

@@eden_ayash All four of the Louisa May Alcott books - Little Women, Good Wives (which are often found together in one volume, so you may already know the second book without having realised it was one), Little Men and Jo's Boys are excellent and she would definitely be on my own list of must-read classic authors. I'm currently in the process of moving and it means going through my collection of over 1000 books. I already have nearly 400 moved across to my new place and almost everything I've touched leaves me with a desire to re-read it.

Hi Brent 👋 Thanks so much! 🫶🏻 Jane Eyre is such a rewarding read-I hope you enjoy it, and I'd love to hear from you after you finish and get your feedback. Happy reading and all the best to you too! 🌻💛

@@eden_ayash Thank you. I'll definitely get back to you once I've read it. My wife has a copy of The Little Prince, so I'll get 'round to reading it too.

Merci Joe! 🫶🏻 The Little Prince is such a timeless and touching story. I'm happy you agree and thank you for your comment 🌻🦋

Thanks for sharing your favorites, Roberto! Don Quixote and Genji are both incredible classics. I'm actually reading Don Quixote (with Edith Grossman's translation, of course!) right now and loving every minute of it! Thanks for recommending 🫶🏻😊

Thank you so much, Carlos! Whenever you get the chance to read Frankenstein or Jane Eyre, let me know! I'd love to hear your thoughts on these books. Funny you mention Calvino because, in preparation for this video, I stumbled upon a short review he wrote for The New York Review of Books. He talks about the main points from the book, and it was so intriguing that I immediately added it to my Amazon cart 😅😂 And now I feel like it's a sign-I have to read it! I hadn't heard of A Year of Reading by Alberto Manguel, but I looked it up now and had to add it to the cart as well! Thank you for watching and for sharing your recommendations! Can't wait to read them 🫶🏻📖😊

Dori thank youuu, I'm so happy you enjoyed the list. Thanks for suggesting The Alchemist, I'm sure there're many who would benefit from looking it up! The Alchemist is definitely a popular book with a huge following, and many people find it deeply inspirational. I can totally understand why you consider it a classic! While I personally see it more as a modern fable rather than a classic in the traditional sense, I appreciate its messages about following one's dreams and personal destiny. It's always interesting to hear different perspectives and see how various books impact us in unique ways. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! 🦋🌻💛

Thanks so much! 🫶🏻🦋 I'm glad you liked the list. Which ones do you agree with the most, and are there any classics you would add? I'd love to hear your favorites 😊

@@eden_ayash ​@eden_ayash OK here goes with a classics top 5 off the top of my head. 1) lord of the rings - defined a genre 2) persuasion- a beautifully written romance. 3) jane eyre - just love it , I live close to Haworth so that helps. 4) pride and prejudice - funny and filled with great characters 5) a bit of a cheat as its only 40 years old but legend by david gemmell.. in all honesty I could put almost any of his books here ha.

Heyy, I read your comment, and something in me melted with warmth. 🤗 I don't think I can explain it in words because, funny enough, writing a thesis often feels like the most important thing in the world while you're drowning in research, but eventually, nobody cares about it apart from the professors who grade it. So when your comment showed up, I was like, 'yessssss! Someone thinks it's interesting and even added another fascinating perspective!'🥂🎉🥹🫶🏻So, first of all, THANK YOU!!! Second of all, YES! The idea was that as human beings, our most fundamental fear is the unknown, so we try to control every aspect of our lives to regain some predictability. Now, the very concept of childhood and children is considered by critics as 'other' and is the ultimate representation of the unknown and unpredictability because you can never know what will happen with children (and, as you said, they speak the truth and dare to dream, and that already makes them better than adults and it can be scary). This was especially true during the Victorian era when children were meant to be 'seen and not heard,' and like the fear of the unknown, which is often perceived as a threat, children were seen the same way. So, my thesis aimed to prove this idea and to show how this fear of children, and the consequent desire to control children, is demonstrated in children's books from that era. After finishing my research, I started to see this pattern in contemporary books as well. I really hope to expand my research at some point because once I saw it, I couldn't unsee it anymore. We can discuss it more if you want! Thank you so much! This was truly a gift, and you made my week 😊🩷🌻By the way, I checked your channel, and it looks super interesting! For sure, we'll meet each other there too!

@@eden_ayash Wow, thank you for sharing your ideas!! In my dreams, my child symbolizes my emotions, so if I see my child drowning, it means that my emotions are drowning... Your thesis is uncovering important truths, and it's so interesting that you noticed the same pattern in more contemporary books! Sometimes it feels safer to say that something is in the past, so we don't have to face it in the present! I will stop by your channel in the future! I feel grateful to have met you (virtually!) ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Whattt... which school did you go to? 😅🤩 That sounds amazing, and I'm so jealous! The Hobbit is such a fantastic book to start with. 📖🌻 In my school, we only read books like The Scarlet Letter and Lord of the Flies-definitely not as fun!

Wow, what an inspiring comment! 📖💛 Those authors are indeed legendary and have left an indelible mark on literature. It's extremely difficult to pick favorites!😅 I was baffled by this idea of a video for a long time just because it’s so hard to choose-there are so many phenomenal writers. That’s one of the reasons I threw this question out there, 'who gets to decide?' haha because it’s such a personal choice. I tried to think from the perspective of someone new to classics, considering which books might engage them right from the start and keep their attention. But of course, my list is just a suggestion, and I was really interested in hearing what others had to say and add to it, so thank you for listing these incredible authors 🦋🫶🏻. It’s wonderful to hear that these authors have inspired you to write as well! Best of luck on this journey. As an aspiring author myself, I know it’s a longggggg road. If you write some pieces in English, I’d love to read them!!! Your channel looks very interesting and makes me want to learn Portuguese. Thank you for this lovely comment!!!🌻💛

@@eden_ayash Thank you so much, Eden! 😉 I've been working as an independent author for over a decade! But the truth is that I just never published any of my works in English. Although I have a vast amount of poems (most of them from my "hard-rock band" days), that I wrote in English, and probably I will try to publish them in a near future, perhaps directly on Amazon (as e-books), and with distribution for the entire world. - But unfortunately, my two detective novels would be a bit complicated to translate, as there are certain nuances and puns, which in English would not make any sense... As for my horror tales, I will surely translate these, as the language that I use in these shorter works is relatively simpler to be translated! (And the majority of my works are actually those short horror tales, although my real passion are the more elaborated mystery stories). 😅 But it takes months for me to finish those ones! And I just can work on them during my very few breaks...

That's great to hear you’ve read so many! 🎉🎉 The Little Prince can be quite polarizing, but it’s fascinating how different books resonate with different people. If you have any recommendations you'd like to add instead, I'd love to hear them!💛🌻📖

I'm happy to hear you're also a fan of Frankenstein! It's such a groundbreaking work 😊📖🌻 I totally understand that the Brontës can be polarizing-everyone has their own taste in literature, and that's the beauty of it 😊 Your list of favorite classics is fantastic and quite diverse! The Decameron and Tristram Shandy are such unique reads. Indiana and The Good Soldier are on my TBR list now thanks to your recommendation. I'm curious, what specifically do you love about these books? Thanks for sharing your favorites!

Absolutely, that's an interesting interpretation! ✨ Peter Pan’s refusal to grow up can definitely be seen as a metaphor for the consequences of avoiding the responsibilities and challenges that come with adulthood. It’s fascinating how this story can be analyzed from so many different perspectives. Thank you for this 🌻🫶🏻

Hi! Thank you for this comment 🤗 I actually received a similar comment from @jamesrogers5277 earlier in this thread, which helped me realize that the pronunciation of "Frankenstein" differs in English. In Hebrew, we say "Frank-en-shtine," which follows the German pronunciation "Frank-en-shtine." It was my mistake to assume this was correct for English as well. I appreciate you pointing it out, and I’ll make sure to get it right next time! 🌻📖💛

Heyyy, thank you so much for this comment! 🫶🏻I completely agree that classic literature offers profound insights into the human condition, presenting themes and emotions that resonate across time. Somerset Maugham, Steinbeck, and Tolstoy are indeed phenomenal writers with rich and thought-provoking works. Thank you for mentioning them! Which of their works would you recommend for someone who’s new to classic literature? Do you think starting with slightly shorter or more accessible works might be helpful? 🤔🤔 For ex., I think Steinbeck's “Of Mice and Men” could be a great introduction to his style and themes without being too overwhelming and only then to go and read “East of Eden.” Similarly, Tolstoy's “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” provides a taste of his great insights in a more concise format. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and recommendations! It’s always exciting to discover new perspectives and suggestions from fellow literature lovers. Thank you again for sharing! 📖🦋🫶🏻

A fantastic choice! 🌻 I was hoping someone would mention Lewis Carroll’s whimsical world that is always a delight to revisit. Thanks for mentioning it!💛

Haha, right?! 😅 Tolkien sets such a high bar for fantasy. It's hard to find anything that compares. Thank you! 💛

Haha, noooo! 😆 I don’t think he's suitable for this list. I created this list with people who've never read classics in mind, and for those just starting out with classics or wanting to dip their toes in and see what it’s like. I think Dostoevsky might be a bit too much for beginners and could be discouraging for someone who doesn’t care for classics 🤷‍♀️🤔 And funny enough, I’m actually reading Crime and Punishment at the moment because of BookTok! 😂 They got me too! 🙈😅 I really want to see what the hype is all about. We'll see how I feel about it in the future, but for now, I thought it best to keep the list a bit more approachable. Thank you so much for this comment, Alina! Let me know your favorites and if you have any recommendations!💛

@@eden_ayash Oh no! 😂 Looks like we all fell into a BookTok trap. It seems Dostoevsky is being touted as an author for intellectuals, so if you don’t like reading him this means you are less sophisticated. Personally, I find his style too dull and unengaging. I love War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, but perhaps I'm biased since I love family sagas 🙈 If you haven’t read Tolstoy yet, I highly recommend War and Peace or his other novel, Anna Karenina. My all-time favorites are Jane Eyre, Villette, David Copperfield, Gone with the Wind, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, The Master and Margarita, The Makioka Sisters. Can’t think of any others at the moment 😅And currently, I'm reading Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset, and so far it’s really good. For anyone diving into classic literature, I suggest Dumas. Despite the length of his novels, they have incredible plots.

Hi James,🫶🏻😊Thank you for your feedback! I appreciate you pointing out the pronunciation and wording issues. I'm always striving to improve with each video, so your comments are very helpful! Regarding "Frankenstein," in Hebrew, we pronounce it as "Frank-en-shtine," adopting the German pronunciation, which is also "Frank-en-shtine." It was my mistake to assume this is the way it is pronounced in English. Thank you for pointing it out! As for saying "sentinent creature" instead of "sentient creature," I initially thought that this could not be true, because, of course, I meant to say "sentient." Then I listened to myself again and cringed when I heard "sentiNENT."🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ This is so embarrassing and was a mistake made due to nerves. I’ll add a note to this video so that when people watch it, they'll be aware of that, and I'll do my very best to ensure errors like this don't make their way into my future videos. I do want to clarify something important: I’m not a native English speaker and I'm still new to the KZfaq world. Although I am learning a lot with each video I make, I sometimes get nervous and make mistakes, and I'm aware that my English might never be as perfect as I want it to be. Also, I'm not trying to present myself as a literature expert, and this is not at all my purpose. My recommendations are based on my personal experiences and feedback I’ve received from other readers I get to call friends. I don’t claim to belong to a class of classic literature experts-all I want is to share my passion and thoughts on these works. Thanks again for taking the time to provide your valuable feedback. I hope to receive more constructive feedback from you in the future!🤞🏻