5 Classic Novels That Will Make You An Adult

Reading encourages us to immerse ourselves in worlds we would have otherwise not thought to invest time in. We learn different ways of living and seeing the people and places around us, which makes us more open minded, socially aware and verbally eloquent. Here are a list of classics with timeless messages, many particularly relevant today.

1. On The Road – Jack Kerouac

I read this when I was 18 and it’s still one of my favourite books. It’s all about a young dude who hitchhikes across America with barely any money. His name is Sal Paradise and he follows his mate Dean Moriarty around looking for good times. They meet girls, get boozed up, go to jazz gigs and work random jobs where they can. It’s kind of a coming-of-age novel about the joys of being young. Despite being set in the 1940s, this book as relevant as ever, especially if you’re planning to go travelling. And if you dig this style, check out some of the other beat generation stuff.

Life Lesson: Be free, enjoy life, go on adventures.

2. 1984 – George Orwell

Orwell is a goddamn genius. He was really concerned about how much power the government and police have over us, and this book is a super interesting story about love, censorship and state control. This is a classic piece of “dystopian” fiction, which basically means it’s an account of how the world will be if we completely f*ck it up. While the content is deeply serious and quite philosophical, it’s fairly short and written in a really clear way, so it’s not a heaps challenging read. Other cool books by Orwell are Animal Farm and Down and Out in Paris and London.

Life Lesson: Be wary of how much control you give the government.

3. The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald

Great Gatsby is about a mysterious, young, rich man who throws hectic parties in an attempt to win over a girl. You’ve probably seen the Baz Luhrmann film, but as usual, the book is better. Set in New York in the 1920s, it’s a classic American love story, but with a deeper motif that warns us against greed and reckless pleasure seeking. The Great Gatsby presents us with all the glamour of money and partying but asks: isn’t there more to life?

Life Lesson: Money can’t buy love.

4. To Kill A Mocking Bird – Harper Lee

Harper Lee won the 1961 Pulitzer prize for this epic tale, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s written from the perspective of a young girl growing up in Alabama and she manages to reveal a lot to the reader without necessarily understanding it herself. Her dad’s name is Atticus Finch (best name ever) and he’s the local lawyer. Things get dicey when he decides to defend a black man who’s been accused of raping a white woman. The book reveals the racial prejudice of the era, but more than that, it’s about how we react to conflict and gossip.

Lesson: Show sympathy to all and try not to be too cynical.

5. The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

When it comes to storytelling, Steinbeck was a total legend. He’s really good at characterising young men and the way society doesn’t really allow them to show their emotions. Grapes of Wrath is about poverty and how hard life can be for the poor. Set during the American Great Depression, this is the story of family who moves from Oklahoma to California in search of work. Essentially, they lose everything along the way and are exploited by the faceless powers that be. It’s a sad but important story which includes a bit of booze and violence, as well as the best ending I’ve ever read.

Life Lesson: Don’t judge the poor before you’ve heard their story.

by Nat Kassel