Get It. Got It? Then Read It!

1984 – George Orwell
This is not a ‘feel-good’ book, so don’t pick it up if you want something to smile about. However, if you’re sick of the Twilight buzz and the Harry Potter craze, then definitely read 1984. I had the feeling that Big Brother was watching me long after I put down this book.

Silas Marner – George Elliot
This book is about a recluse who loves hoarding money. One day he comes across a toddler, and his life changes forever.

All six books by Jane Austen – Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Mansfield Park, Persuasion. I like Persuasion best (well, at the moment – sometimes I change my mind). I do get a bit frustrated with Austen at times, but her books give you an interesting view of 18th – 19th century English life, so just hang in there.

Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
If you want something with more raw emotion, then Bronte is more for you than Austen.

Lord of the Flies – William Golding
This book poses important questions about civilisation.

Plays
Top Girls – Caryl Churchill
This play is an excellent commentary on the different types of feminism. It faces themes such as motherhood, working women, sexism, monetarism, socialism and patriarchal society. The dinner scene in the beginning is particularly bewitching, with it’s mythical, historical and modern characters all under one roof.

The Homecoming – Harold Pinter
This play deals with power. It is about the power struggle that takes place in a house of men, and the strange shift that takes place when an odd woman is thrown into the mix.

The Crucible – Arthur Miller
This play is loosely based on the actual Salem witch-hunts which took place in Salem, Massachussets. A terrifying look at morality.

If you can think of any other books (or plays) that are must-reads, please comment!