15 books worth rereading for an adult

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

At school age, many literary works seem very boring. It is not surprising that many resort to all sorts of tricks so as not to read the next book by another author from the century before last. However, in all of these books, despite how long ago they were written, countless eternally relevant topics rise up.

And that is why it makes sense to re-read them already as adults, at a conscious age (or read them for the first time, if you still managed to shirk during school years). We made a selection of 15 books in which you can find many answers to today's questions: about new ethics, social (dis) approval, the importance of education, soft skills and much more.

5th grade

Heroes of Hellas - Myths of Ancient Greece

In ancient Greece, tales of gods and goddesses, heroes and monsters were an important part of everyday life: they explained everything from religious rituals to the weather and gave meaning to the world that people saw around them. However, Greek mythology does not just tell stories about the omnipotent gods, no less important here are human heroes who achieve success not only and not so much thanks to help from above, but due to their own skills.

It is worth rereading to learn how to set the right goals and, following the example of the heroes, not stop at anything on the way to achieving them.

7th grade

The old woman Izergil - Maxim Gorky

With the help of the image of one of the heroines, Larra, the writer shows what an exorbitant desire for freedom can lead to, completely excluding the concept of justice and love. The second important image is the complete opposite of Larra, the merciful altruist Danko, for whom self-sacrifice is the absolute norm.

The third image is the old woman Izergil, whose character complements the image of the other two heroes, making them more understandable and more definite. The stories of all three heroes are reduced to the eternal for literature question about the meaning of human life. It is worth rereading to remember what true power lies in everyone and moves us forward.

Gifts of the Magi - O. Henry

Not the only, but an important theme of the work is the unselfish love of Della and Jim. Both heroes value each other highly and strive to express their love, in the name of which both are ready to make sacrifices and difficulties. It is worth rereading to remember what selflessness is and what it is really worth to appreciate and love each other. Spoiler alert: not for the beauty of long hair, but for being attentive to wants and needs.

Storytel is an international audiobook subscription service. The Storytel library contains audiobooks of almost all genres, from classics and non-fixation to lectures, stand-ups and podcasts. It is a service that solves the reading problem. It lets you listen to audiobooks anytime, anywhere: while exercising, cooking, commuting, on the plane, before bed, and whenever you want. Storytel creates and records its own unique content - lecture projects, podcasts, audio series, and also collaborates with the best voices of the country.

8th grade

The history of one city - Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin

The novel is Saltykov-Shchedrin's observations of the autocratic system, embodied in literature. The main idea of the work is the satirist's view of the history of Russian society. It is interesting that the writer seemed to predict the fact of the death of the Russian autocracy, which is felt in the decisions of residents who do not want to live in a regime of despotism and humiliation. It is worth rereading to realize the relevance.

Asya - Ivan Turgenev

The heroines of Turgenev are invariably deep and developed characters, whose experiences cover the entire spectrum of emotions, whose feelings are real and, most importantly, whose morale is stronger than that of male heroes. Such are the heroes of the work "Asya", which, as is often the case in Russian literature, is not destined to end with a happy ending. It is worth rereading to plunge into the world of deep emotions and answer a couple of moral questions.

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Bradbury's book is a foresight of the future in which "firefighters" are sent not to put out fires, but to burn books with flamethrowers. It depicts a world with surveillance, robots and virtual reality: a vision that turned out to be surprisingly far-sighted, but at the same time spoke of the problems of its time (the novel was published in 1953).

It is worth rereading for a fresh and artistic look at the current issues of information suppression and violent government investigations.

Lord of the Flies - William Golding

The boys in Golding's work, once on a desert island, are doing a pretty good job of building a democratic society, at least in the beginning. Ralph, the democratically elected leader, convinces Jack to stick to the "rules" because "the rules are the only thing we have." The author himself once said in an interview that the novel is about the importance of the rule of law and the complexity of people.

It is worth rereading to refresh your memory of an unusual plot twist and try to understand what kind of "terrible disease of human existence" the heroes suffer uncontrollably when they find themselves in isolation.

9th grade

We are Evgeny Zamyatin

The work differs from earlier dystopias in that it connects the inhuman world depicted in the novel with what many consider the defining attribute of humanity - the ability to change society with the power of reason. Zamyatin rejected the very idea of perfection and believed that the single-minded pursuit of a rational model of society would invariably end in tyranny.

It is worth rereading to think how correct the author's predictions turned out to be.

Heart of a Dog: Mikhail Bulgakov

In Bulgakov's own formulation, his story is a satire and a provocative gesture, the strength and energy of which are so multidirectional that after almost a century the work still seems fresh and daring. Along with satire, his text is also a riotous sci-fi comedy that anticipates the modern fashion for political dystopias. It is worth rereading to realize the timelessness of the Sharikov and Preobrazhensky.

Storytel is an international audiobook subscription service. The Storytel library contains audiobooks of almost all genres, from classics and non-fixation to lectures, stand-ups and podcasts. It is a service that solves the reading problem. It lets you listen to audiobooks anytime, anywhere: while exercising, cooking, commuting, on the plane, before bed, and whenever you want. Storytel creates and records its own unique content - lecture projects, podcasts, audio series, and also collaborates with the best voices of the country.

Travel from St. Petersburg to Moscow - Alexander Radishchev

The description of a typical journey from the capital to the country's second most important city and former capital does not sound like a thrilling adventure that could capture the imagination of readers. Indeed, Radishchev primarily sought not to entertain, but to show the terrible state of social conditions in Russia, where serfdom was as commonplace as a trip from St. Petersburg to Moscow.

It is worth rereading to refresh the memory of the misfortunes and defeats of the people of Russia and, possibly, draw some parallels (both positive and negative).

The fate of a man - Mikhail Sholokhov

When meeting Sholokhov's characters, readers are invariably surprised at how generous the human heart is and how the inexhaustible kindness hidden in it is expressed through the need to protect and preserve. The chain of episodes created by the writer fully demonstrates the courage, human pride and dignity that are hidden in the image of Andrei Sokolov. It is worth rereading to see how one peace-loving person turns out to be stronger than the war.

History of the Russian State - Nikolay Karamzin

The work of the greatest Russian writer of the era of sentimentalism and reformer of the Russian language is a work consisting of 12 volumes and describing the history of Russia from ancient times to the reign of Ivan the Terrible and the Time of Troubles. Karamzin began History in 1804 and worked on it until his death in 1826.

By virtue of its literary merits and author's scrupulousness, the work for the first time revealed to the Russians the past of its country and significantly influenced the national consciousness. It is worth rereading to transfer the lessons of the past to the present day.

Divine Comedy - Dante Alighieri

Despite the gloomy tone and theme of the piece, it is actually about what is arguably one of the greatest love stories ever told. The Comedy is an epic journey that encompasses both the human and the divine, but it is not just a religious allegory, but also a witty and caustic commentary on Italian politics. It is worth rereading to delve into the themes of love, sin and redemption once again.

Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Hugo's work demonstrates the gap between the imperfection of human judgment and ideal ideas about the world. It is mainly about poor and righteous people who have been mistreated by the government, and the commitment made by the hero who seeks to make his life more complete and meaningful to help the little girl live happily.

It is worth rereading to once again answer the question about life and whether it makes sense, when everything can be senselessly destroyed overnight by political forces and the people who rule them.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach

The main message of this book is that the goal of a person should be endless learning in order to attain ever higher states. The book is largely religious, in the sense that it presents both the ideas of Buddhist philosophy and reflections on the influence of rituals on true religious teaching. However, it is worth rereading at least in order to once again motivate yourself for continuous self-education and development.