Fall is that one season I find myself reaching for the classics. Something about this time of year takes me back to the days of starting school and being introduced to new (yet, old) reading material that makes me feel a bit more studious.
I began college as an English major who thought she would teach high school literature – I simply loved pouring over the pages of a good book and analyzing it; and while I instead graduated a communications major who went on to work in public relations, I continue to appreciate the words of a well-written story.
Maybe you, too are more apt to find yourself settling in with a good book this season because nothing seems quite as sweet and comforting. And for me, it’s the classics – with their permanence in a season rooted in tradition and comfort – that simply seem right. These are the stories that have endured the test of time and feel as though they could be read at no better time than now, and decidedly so, they are.
So today, three classic stories I love, befitting fall:
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. I read this one for the first time last fall and could not put it down. It’s the lovely coming-of-age story of Francie Nolan set in the Williamsburg slums of Brooklyn, New York at the turn of the twentieth century. Nancie’s character and young heart are endearing, and I fell in love with the Nolans and the unique, everyday experiences that knit them together. This book is filled with laughter and heartache but in the best way, beautifully capturing the rich and raw emotions of daily life and those moments of family connection that shape our lives. As Anne Quindlen stated, “this is that rare and enduring thing, a book in which, no matter what our backgrounds, we recognize ourselves.”
- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. A chilling but beloved classic, this book immediately became a favorite of mine upon first reading. It tells the story of the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter who is taken to the beautiful but intimidating gray stone estate of a new husband she barely knows, only to find herself drawn into the life of the first Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca – dead but not forgotten, tormented by Rebecca’s loyal and sinister servant, Mrs. Danvers, and caught in the overwhelming grips of obsession, desperate to learn more of the real fate of her husband’s former wife and the secrets of Manderley.
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. We’re probably all in some way familiar with this dark and moody, but surprisingly beautiful tale. I read this one my freshman year of college and was surprised by what unfolded in its pages. It is indeed a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science. And yet, there is a beauty and humanness that can be seen within the “monster” that Shelley’s Frankenstein has created. I can understand why this was one of my mom’s favorites. Truly a book that feels like this season.
There are other classics that could be added to the list. Which would you add?