The tale of Dorian Gray’s moral disintegration caused a scandal when it first appeared in 1890, but though Wilde was attacked for the novel’s corrupting influence, he responded that there is, in fact, “a terrible moral in Dorian Gray.” Just a few years later, the book and the aesthetic/moral dilemma it presented became issues in the trials occasioned by Wilde’s homosexual liaisons, which resulted in his imprisonment. The content of the book is mature, including themes like drug use, and even rape. Of the five daughters, Elizabeth is the focus of the novel, though the others are discussed aplenty. In this book, Orwell tells a story that warns readers about the possible consequences of complacency in the face of rising dictators (think Hitler and Stalin) and burgeoning technology ripe for misuse. If you want to stay alive, you have to say that stuff, though.” There are insiders of and outsiders to this world, and each character views and interacts with the society in a different light. It tells the story of a small town where a black man has been falsely accused of raping a white woman. Ask below and we'll reply! The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. Plus, you'll understand more of the references that crop up all the time in pop culture. Below are 31 books to read in high school that will help you prepare for college and beyond. Add it to your Goodreads shelf! Huxley’s ingenious fantasy of the future sheds a blazing light on the present and is considered to be his most enduring masterpiece. BONUS: Reading The Great Gatsby for school but finding it hard to keep track of all the characters? As the protagonist "awakens" to her emotional and sexual needs, as well as the ultimate truth of her own independence, all sorts of problems ensue. There are still plenty of good antics worthy of a laugh, but it concerns itself largely with a young boy’s attempt to escape severe family dysfunction and the moral implications of his taking an escaped slave as a companion on his adventure down the Mississippi River. The inevitability of change is neatly demonstrated. From the tranquil roads of London, they are drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror, and they soon fall under the lethal shadow of La Guillotine. The story of … Readers should be warned that the "n-word" is used liberally throughout the novel, which tends to be jarring to many a modern ear. Amy Tan’s novel, The Joy Luck Club, deals with intergenerational and intercultural questions. While certainly not all mental health care was like what’s described in the book, nor is it all like that today, audiences of the novel are aghast that any care might even vaguely resemble the horrors discussed. Add it to your Goodreads shelf! But so strong is the bond between the two boys that Amir journeys back to a distant world, to try to right past wrongs against the only true friend he ever had. Bonus: Studying The Crucible for school and struggling? Set in yet another dystopian future where firemen are employed to burn books and the houses that contain them, Fahrenheit 451 tells the story of a fireman who begins to wonder what books have to offer. From the prophetic Simon and virtuous Ralph to the lovable Piggy and brutish Jack, each of the boys attempts to establish control as the reality – and brutal savagery – of their situation sets in. It’s also hilarious, if absolutely weird. score: 21 of 50 (42%) required scores: 1, 12, 17, 23, 29 list stats leaders vote Vote print comments. When a plane crashes on a remote island, a small group of schoolboys are the sole survivors. In high school, we suddenly all became obsessed with prohibition and the 1920s and Daisy Buchanan. It tells the story of a black woman who is full of zest and passion and who is passed from man to man as she goes through life. The hero-narrator of The Catcher in the Rye is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caulfield. 14 YA Books To Catch Up On Before Their 2021 Sequel Releases. He describes a world where everything is monitored, right down to citizens’ thoughts, and where any opposition to the ruling class is punishable by extreme measures. is coming out with like a million new books! No one can deny the novel’s hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions -a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time. The boy himself is at once too simple and too complex for us to make any final comment about him or his story. She attended Dartmouth, graduating as salutatorian of 2013. High school summer reading lists are legendary. I read 3 of those books in high school: Jane Eyre, The Great Gatsby, and To Kill a Mockingbird. Add it to your Goodreads Shelf! Tolkien’s masterpieces are more than just pleasure reading, though; the trilogy covers major themes of the epic struggle between good and evil, the necessity of persevering through immensely difficult ordeals, and how to apply mercy. Via amazon.com. Tackling universal themes such as the friendship of a shared vision, and giving voice to America’s lonely and dispossessed, Of Mice and Men has proved one of Steinbeck’s most popular works, achieving success as a novel, a Broadway play and three acclaimed films. As the plot builds to its climax, readers, along with Gatsby's simpler, humbler friend and neighbor, are left to ponder the passing of an era in American history. The novel tells the story of a man considered mentally retarded who is selected for an intelligence-enhancing surgery. You might start with those that simply sound the most interesting to you, or you could look for themes in the books that relate to what you're learning in school. A comprehensive list of the worst books you had to read in High School English. These issues seem too big for his six-year-old mind, and yet he grapples with them valiantly through the end of the novel. Black Rain, by Masuji Ibuse, is about the very immediate, human consequences of the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Drifters in search of work, George and his simple-minded friend Lennie have nothing in the world except each other and a dream–a dream that one day they will have some land of their own. This bold and controversial novel by J. D. Salinger centers around ideas including adolescent sexuality and relationships. Rather, the very human Victor Frankenstein is responsible for creating what we recognize as the monster from the story; the creature itself is nameless. made by Izzy. If you can read through these 30-odd books before you graduate high school, you'll be in a good shape, from a literary perspective. Then there’s the thematic material, which includes obedience, fate, and rash decisions, among others. Suspenseful and sardonic, narrated in a voice that takes in the symphonic range of the American language, black and white, Invisible Man is one of the most audacious and dazzling novels of our century. You read and you’re pierced.”, A post shared by My Life with Books | (@nick__reads). That's why so many high school kids are so resistant and resentful about the books they've been assigned to read by their teachers. Critics were greatly offended by Salinger’s frank discussions of sexual matters and his generally very casual style. With wit and wile, the ‘man of twists and turns’ meets the challenges of the sea-god Poseidon, and monsters ranging from the many-headed Scylla to the cannibalistic Cyclops Polyphemus – only to return after twenty years to a home besieged by his wife Penelope’s suitors. When Robert Fagles’ translation of The Iliad was published in 1990, critics and scholars alike hailed it as a masterpiece. This novel is an ode to literacy, and, while it has its tragic moments, it ultimately leaves readers with a message of hope. When the book was first published, many passages that her father, Otto Frank, found too long, unflattering, or inappropriate were excluded. Fagles ’ translation of the Flies also represents a coming-of-age story of a Kabul... Important read in high school: Jane Eyre, the book has been banned in American... Plus, you 'll understand more of the Flies speaks to the evil and degenerate potential lurks. 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