Daily News Roundup: Classic Western Literature
Looking for book recommendations? Is reading more one of your New Year's resolutions? You've come to the right place!
Among the thousands of Engoo's Daily News materials, we've often covered well-known books and authors. If you'd like to combine your English study with a focus on literature, here are eight Daily News lessons about some classic Western novels.
Why You Should Read The Old Man and the Sea
Level 7: Advanced
This is said to be one of American writer Ernest Hemingway's best works. It's a short novel about a fisherman that deals with the timeless theme of man's struggle against nature.
Why You Should Read Pride and Prejudice
Level 7: Advanced
This novel by Jane Austen is about a romance that takes place in 19th century England. Pride and Prejudice is extremely famous, and its story has been made into television series and films many times over the years. Some versions even include zombies!
An Aging Portrait: Reading The Picture of Dorian Gray
Level 8: Advanced
Written by Irish novelist Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray is an excellent example of the English proverb "Don't judge a book by its cover." This means you cannot fully understand something only based on how it looks. The same is true for Dorian Gray, the handsome main character of this novel.
Why You Should Read Dickens’ Great Expectations
Level 7: Advanced
Charles Dickens' 13th novel, Great Expectations tells the story of a young boy living with his sister and her husband in England in the 19th century. Read to get an idea of what life was like for the lower class then as they struggled to achieve success in spite of their difficult situation.
Race and Justice: Reading To Kill a Mockingbird
Level 8: Advanced
Racism has been a major problem in America since the country's birth. Harper Lee's novel from 1960 focuses on one particular court case, how it relates to race, and how it affects the lives of people in a small southern town.
Fahrenheit 451: A World Without Books
Level 7: Advanced
Fahrenheit 451 takes place in a dystopian society in which people do not have the freedom to read books. Books represent more than just literature, however; they are a symbol for the ability to think and live independently. Stories like these help us to appreciate the freedom we enjoy today.
Why You Should Read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Level 7: Advanced
This is actually the first in a series of comedic science-fiction novels. Although this book has been made into a TV series, a film and even a video game, the story was originally told through a series of radio broadcasts starting in 1978.
The American Dream: Why You Should Read The Great Gatsby
Level 8: Advanced
The Great Gatsby is about a millionaire who enjoys fancy parties in New York City during the "Jazz Age" of the 1920s. But there are different levels of success, and Gatsby's wealth may not be enough for him to join the top of the city's social classes.
Part of the reason for this novel's popularity is because it was given away free to American soldiers during World War II. More recently, it was made into a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio in 2013.
Wrap-Up
One of the many benefits of learning a foreign language is gaining the ability to read books from other cultures exactly as the authors originally wrote them.
If you feel ready for the challenge, try reading some of these classic Western novels in their original English. Once you finish one, there are plenty more waiting to be read!
