There’s a kind of prestige about reading classic novels. They’re usually well worth reading too, but some of them don’t date well. They had very relevant messages at the time, but less so today. However, there are some which are good stories with storylines that can teach us something about our lives even to this day.
The Scarlett Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne
This novel is about the Puritans’ treatment of a woman who has been accused of adultery. Without giving too much away, it has a lot to say about not being influenced by a person’s position or status in society. Just because someone has a high powered job, doesn’t mean that they can necessarily be trusted or that they’re a good person.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
In our world of Instagram and Photoshop, the supposed importance placed on appearances has rarely been higher. What better novel that The Picture of Dorian Grey to remind us that it’s what’s on the inside that matters?
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A novel that all too clearly tells us how power can corrupt. All animals are equal until the pigs are placed in a position of responsibility, at which point they fast become the exception to the rules they make.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
How far should we let science go? Just because we have the technology to make clones, and the technology to genetically alter growing embryos, doesn’t necessarily mean that we should.
What other novels would you add to the list of classics that still have a message for today’s modern society?
