Ambiguous Classics You NEED to Read

Hey everyone! I haven't done a bookish post in some time, so I decided to do one today! Recently, I have been reading a lot of classics and mystery-like books (unknowingly hehe). There is just something about a Victorian Era book that manages to leave you with spiraling thoughts and a trip back in time. I particularly love classics as they give me a new perspective of life: looking back helps to pave your path forward 😃. The best books usually have a wee bit of eerieness in them. A book should whisper to you: 

So, here is the list of: 

Let's dive in! 

No one can talk about classics without stating Fitzgerald's groundbreaking, flamboyant novel of 'The Great Gatsby.' The narrator, Nick Carraway is a young man from Minnesota, moves to New York in the summer of 1922 to learn about the bond business. He rents a house in the West Egg district of Long Island next to an enigmatic, extravagant man named Jay Gatsby. He is notable for throwing opulent parties every Saturday night in his gothic mansion. 
Nick slowly starts becoming fluent in the ways of the wealthy. He meets intriguing people like Jordan Baker, Klipspringer, Owl Eyes, etc. The novel follows the tragic story of Gatsby's pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a guileless high-class woman whom he loved in his youth.
Great Gatsby presents an unreliable narrator. You can't really trust Nick's POV as he himself is seen to be a complicated person. When it comes to Gatsby, he is portrayed as both moral and immoral, good and bad. His love for Daisy makes him hungry for wealth and prevents him from thinking twice before getting into any catastrophe. The same for Daisy; later her innocence seems to wither. It is a quick read that will 100% keep you entertained! View on Goodreads. 

Interested in a riveting yet absurd tale? Choose Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis.' 
Imagine you are a traveling salesman who suddenly wakes up turned into a ginormous grotesque beetle!! Well, that's exactly what happens to Gregor Samsa. Initially thinking it to be a delusion, he attempts to go back to sleep but lo! It is reality! He finds it difficult to prevent his parents from walking into his room and discovering his atrocious form. However, he slowly reconnects with his sister. The book has a few moments that will bring you a slight laugh like the uneventful meeting with the boarders. 
But the sad truth settles in, he is becoming more insect-like. He prefers rotting food scraps instead of warm milk, and he gets adjusted to the arduous exoskeleton. 
Though only 100 pages, this book will make you introspect a lot. It is uncanny but will instill thoughts like identity and compassion. Very Kafkaesque! I had a couple of nightmares where I seemed to turn into different animals, but trust me, it is a great read! View on Goodreads. 

Sylvia Plath, the queen of enigmatic writing. I am impressed by her works, I recently bought 'Ariel' which is a collection of her abstract poems. She is known for using her own experiences to compose stimulating literature. 
The Bell Jar opens in the summer of 1953. Esther Greenwood is a bright nineteen-year-old working as an editorial intern at a popular women's magazine in New York City. Speciously, she seems to have everything in order, but excluding her academic prowess, she feels isolated from society and discouraged about her future. It chronicles her first flight into depression, the breakdown she experiences, and the beginnings of her recovery. 
The Bell Jar is an extended metaphor. As Esther spends a lot of time in the psychiatric ward, she begins to symbolize the bell jar as feelings of confinement and entrapment. She is stuck in her own head, spinning around the same thoughts of self-doubt and dejection. 
I like how raw and honest this book is. Of course, you can't recover from reading this book in a day. It brings chills and invokes some deep speculation. However, if you feel uncomfortable from reading such books that speak about Mental Health, you can skip this one. Otherwise, do pick it up! View on Goodreads. 

I was genuinely vexed that George Orwell would write a children's book (or at least, that is what I thought)! I read 1984 before this and that book is *shudders*. Orwell is a person who really likes trapping people in existential crises! But his writing is brimmed with wisdom. 

The book tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, hoping to create a society where the animals can be equal, free, and happy. But, they are overcome with many hurdles that ultimately the rebellion is betrayed, and the farm ends up in a state as bad as it was before, under the dictatorship of a pig named Napolean. 
Animal Farm is used to depict many historical events namely the Russian Revolution and the aftermath that followed. It instills revolutionary musings and the farcical ending makes you contemplate and look at history from a new perspective. It beautifully traces how power can corrupt a person or in this sense, a pig. It is again a short novella that you can finish in one sitting, but you will be contemplating a ton later! View on Goodreads. 

 

Want to read a cottage-core yet gothic book sent in the verdurous West Yorkshire Moors? It is a multigenerational story of love and revenge that revolves around the inhabitants of a desolate farmhouse called Wuthering Heights. It follows the life of Heathcliff, a mysterious gypsy-like person, and his forbidden, eccentric love with Catherine. Narrated primarily through the eyes of Mr. Lockwood, a boarder at Thrushcross Grange (near Wuthering Heights). He is baffled at the intense relationship between the families and seeks to learn more. Through conversations will Nelly Dean he learns about the grief-struck lovers. Societal classes play a major role. Catherine marries Edgar Linton just because he has a respectable stature in society. Heathcliff sought revenge and is ready to go to any lengths. 
Heathcliff's raging love towards something he can't have represents those times where we want something so deeply that we will be okay to do anything to clutch it. It showcases tragedy and the process of moving on. Even though every character seems horrid, there are a few voices that bring gradations of goodwill. One of those books that provoke such intense feelings you need time to figure it out. View on Goodreads. 

An adaptation from another Bronte, Charlotte's work, Jane Eyre: 'Rebecca' is a mesmerizing tale of an unnamed narrator who impetuously marries a well-to-do widower, before discovering that both he and his household are haunted by the memory of his late first wife, Rebecca. As she begins to set in Manderley, the narrator (Mrs. de Winter) is intimidated by the fossils of Rebecca. Everybody loved her, and now she has to walk in the same footsteps. The descriptions of her thoughts are vivid. She is wounded frequently by Mrs. Danvers, the sinister housekeeper who constantly reminds how much Maxim had loved, and would always love, Rebecca. She starts to feel that she doesn't deserve this life. But then, something is revealed. With every page you turn, you will be plunged into more and more spell-binding climaxes. Rebecca is a brilliant suspense novel. You will be confused as to who is the villain and who is the victim. 
I read this book last month and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I liked when du Maurier felt poetic and wrote rhythmic prose in between. It really adds to the lucid narration. She has given a glimpse into her own life which was just as intricate as de Winter's. Last year, Netflix released its own adaptation of Rebecca. I haven't watched it yet, but I hear it is good. Rebecca is highly underrated, don't miss out on this gem and masterpiece of literature! View on Goodreads. 

Well, that's all. I hope you liked this post! Yes, I couldn't post in August, but I really hope to post in September. You can check out my Goodreads profile to compare the books that we have read! What is your favorite genre? Are you a fan of classics? Do you have some recommendations? Have you read the books that I have mentioned? Are you a blogger too? 

Tell me in the comments! 😁