Jane Austen invented the modern novel. She was the first to take marriage seriously and not just tack it on at the end as a sentimental climax. She was one of the greatest satirists to ever write in English. "Pride and Prejudice" is high comedy at the Shakespearean level.
100% respect to what Jane Austen means to literature - P&P just wasn't my cup of tea. I do still want to read Emma though and will still recommend people read P&P for themselves
'The Princess of Clèves' was written 150 years before Austen's novels. It was arguably the first psychological novel and the marriage of the main characters is central to the story.
Yes Jon, I fully agree with you on Catcher in the Rye. I am a woman and I don't find men who like the book 'problematic'. Your analysis is spot on😊! My all time favourite classics are One Hundred Years of Solitude and The Waves. I have read both before the age of twenty and both were eye-opening to me about what literature can do. In that respect, those two will always have that advantage over other books. Two english niche-classics that I like: Grendel by John Gardner and Titus Groan by Mervin Peake.
What a great introduction to your channel and so many books that I need to read! Some of my favorite classics are Slaughterhouse Five, Picture of Dorian Gray, As I Lay Dying, and Persuasion
I feel so validated with your ranking of The Old Man and the Sea - I LOVED that book when we read it in high school and everyone else hated it. Glad to know you loved it too 😎 RIP on P&P tho, need a minute to recover from that ranking 😭
Its really refreshing to hear that about Picture of Dorian G. Ppl say it is the best classic of all time, and that is simply not true lol. Its good, but too hyped. Giovanni's room is 100% no notes
Agree with some rankings - Gatsby - not so much with others - Tenant, but I know I’m in the minority there. It’s much more fun when we don’t all agree about books though! 😉When you read the book can probably make a big difference too, I’m not sure I appreciated many classics at school for example 😉. I think most of my favorite classics are huge, Anna Karenina, Middlemarch, Vanity Fair etc. but luckily a lot of twentieth century stuff is slim, thank you Virginia Woolf, Toni Morrison, Chinua Achebe etc.
Giovanni's Room is absolutely 'no notes.' One of my fav books. Animal Farm kinda ate. Eyes Watching God good for its time. Catcher in the Rye big WHO ASKED. Currently reading Dune.
Gatsby didn't need it. If you want to try a retelling, read Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McClemore. I think the story makes much more sense with marginalized identities.
Hemingway is my favorite author and I agree with your opinions on The Sun Also Rises. I read alot of other novels and stories of his before reading that one. Love Hemingway but the Sun Also Rises is just a negative perception of his life in Europe and his enjoyment of bulls. Read In Our Time 👌🏼
This helps me not feel crazy! The only other Hemingway I've read is The Old Man and The Sea which was great, so I was left wondering what went wrong with the Sun Also Rises or if I was the problem. Adding In Our Time to the tbr - jon
Wooooow 6 months 🎉 I feel that Jon needs to do a lot more 1950s radio voice, so good!! I'm officially old, I had to google what they kinda ate means 😂😂 I didnt agree about East of Eden or gatsby (sorry!) Bluest eye would be no notes for me. Animal Farm they kinda ate. P&P I'd just had a baby so I feel I wasn't on my best reading game 😂 Their eyes were watching God - no notes 😊 I'd recommend Tess Of The D'urbervilles and North & South for you. Modern classic I just read and loved Crossing To Safety by Wallace Stegner. Ooh tier ranking romance books yes pls!!
haha I'm now realizing it is entirely possible that I liked the book more just because of my radio voice Love the book recs as always - adding them to the tbr We have some romance reads coming up so eventually we will be able to tier rank them
Completely agree on Hemingway John I’ve only read those two so far and had the exact same feelings, the old man and the sea was incredible while the sun also rises was very who asked?
someone trying to live their life based off catcher in the rye is so crazy to me like holden gets mugged, almost SA by a man, and passes out all within like 48 hours. I also think he’s constantly stressed and nervous like why would u want to live your life like that i couldnt romanticize being beaten and mugged by a pimp😭😭 he cares too much about what everyones thinking of him but hes also 15 so idk very hard book to romanticize IMO also when yall said “movie thats good and a good time doesnt mean its perfect, idk why its so famous” tbh thats the great gatsby
I agree that Wuthering Heights is great fun but still doesn't really explains why it's so famous. Good list even though I disagree so much with some rankings Fun fact: Vladimir Nabokov and William Faulkner who famously dismissed Hemingway thought that Old man and the sea is a masterpiece.
Honestly fair to disagree!!! I am still learning more about classics, and we’ve just started reading them again over the past 2 years. I will have so much to learn 🫡 I feel like I’m in the same boat of confusion with Wuthering Heights.
Just a heads up from a trans non-binary person, "transgenderism" is a really iffy term. It's usually used by anti-trans people to discuss so-called "trans ideology." The more respectful term to use when taking about the concept/experience of being trans is "transness."
Thank you so much for sharing! Will be changing our language from now on. 🫡 and thanks for sharing here so others in our comments know (though I’m sure many of them already do!)
@@GlitterEnby we’re so happy we’ve created a space where you felt comfortable to let us know. we’re always open to learning as much as we can and appreciate having you in our little corner of the internet 🫶🏽
I DNFed Catcher in the Rye halfway through, for me it was "I get it but, I didn't need it". If I'd imagined a '50s radio voice that probably would've helped tbh!
Jon, can we geek out on 🎾 for a minute!? Who are your current favorite players? And past? I have adored Rafa for years. I currently root for alcaraz and sinner. NOT a Djokovic fan!
Omg I’ve been waiting for this comment! The answer is yes! Not a huge fan of Djokovic but I respect his game. I love Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, Tiafoe, and Coco Gauff. I also love Naomi Osaka but sad that she lost today. In the past, I was definitely a Federer fan
@@andtheywerereaders I am a big Coco fan as well. Ons is probably my fave female right now. I just wish they were a bit more competitive, and that it wasn't always Iga.
@@andtheywerereaders I was going to suggest Andre agassi's book Open if you haven't read it.i listened to the audio and really enjoyed it. I still think about his life to this day. I always loved watching him play (I know he is before your time but...) consider it for a future read, maybe?
@@Patsaintsfan haha he is just barely before my time but I know he left a big mark on tennis. I was looking for my next audio book so this is perfect! Thanks for the recommendation!
Jane Austen invented the modern novel. She was the first to take marriage seriously and not just tack it on at the end as a sentimental climax. She was one of the greatest satirists to ever write in English. "Pride and Prejudice" is high comedy at the Shakespearean level.
100% respect to what Jane Austen means to literature - P&P just wasn't my cup of tea. I do still want to read Emma though and will still recommend people read P&P for themselves
'The Princess of Clèves' was written 150 years before Austen's novels. It was arguably the first psychological novel and the marriage of the main characters is central to the story.
@@flilix1 It's not really about marriage though. Austen's novels investigate the process from start to finish.
Happy 6 months! 🎉. Mondays are good because of you guys! Xo
aww this is so kind! we considered switching from Mondays at one point - so this is the reassurance we needed! Thank you!
Yes Jon, I fully agree with you on Catcher in the Rye. I am a woman and I don't find men who like the book 'problematic'. Your analysis is spot on😊!
My all time favourite classics are One Hundred Years of Solitude and The Waves. I have read both before the age of twenty and both were eye-opening to me about what literature can do. In that respect, those two will always have that advantage over other books.
Two english niche-classics that I like: Grendel by John Gardner and Titus Groan by Mervin Peake.
Love that! Added all those books to the tbr
Grendel sounds really interesting! Thanks for commenting!
What a great introduction to your channel and so many books that I need to read! Some of my favorite classics are Slaughterhouse Five, Picture of Dorian Gray, As I Lay Dying, and Persuasion
Happy to have you here! I'll have to add the ones I haven't read to my tbr but we both love Dorian
I feel so validated with your ranking of The Old Man and the Sea - I LOVED that book when we read it in high school and everyone else hated it. Glad to know you loved it too 😎
RIP on P&P tho, need a minute to recover from that ranking 😭
Old Man and the Sea is a banger! Sorry about P&P. All due to respect to Jane, of course, it just wasn't for me
This was super fun! Excited for more of these tier rankings.
Glad you liked it! There will definitely be more to come!
@@andtheywerereaders Yay!
You guys are so sweet and funny. Saying "Who asked?" in response to a classic novel will always be an S tier joke
Lmao it’s truly something I think when I’m reading a classic on occasion 😂 and thank you! You’re so kind!!
-Sierra
Just discovered y’all and I’m obsessed
Welcome! We're so happy to have you!
Congrats 🥳 glad y’all’s channel is hereee
And we are glad you're here!
Noooooo. Pride and Prejudice should not be compared in quality to Bridgerton and somehow be at the bottom of this list.
tbh it felt like a crime - maybe Sierra will read it one day and redeem its status on our channel
@@andtheywerereaders yes please or Jon you have to read another Austen as punishment/redemption-maybe Emma or Persausion
So far my fav Hemingway is A Farewell to Arms....i hope y'all like it. 😅
And yes there is supposed to be Dune Messiah movie next 🎉🎉
Amazing news about Dune! Added A Farewell to Arms to the tbr
Its really refreshing to hear that about Picture of Dorian G. Ppl say it is the best classic of all time, and that is simply not true lol. Its good, but too hyped. Giovanni's room is 100% no notes
Fully agree on Giovanni's Room! I didn't hear a lot of hype about Dorian before reading it which I think helped me appreciate it more
- jon
Ashame call of the wild isn’t on there. That one’s my favorite.
I'll add it to the tbr
Agree with some rankings - Gatsby - not so much with others - Tenant, but I know I’m in the minority there. It’s much more fun when we don’t all agree about books though! 😉When you read the book can probably make a big difference too, I’m not sure I appreciated many classics at school for example 😉. I think most of my favorite classics are huge, Anna Karenina, Middlemarch, Vanity Fair etc. but luckily a lot of twentieth century stuff is slim, thank you Virginia Woolf, Toni Morrison, Chinua Achebe etc.
Honestly, so fair. I feel like such a baby when it comes to reading classics. I did not give them the attention they deserved in hs.
Great ranking. I have not read these all but of course I need to!
there are so many classics we still have to get to - its a journey
Giovanni's Room is absolutely 'no notes.' One of my fav books.
Animal Farm kinda ate.
Eyes Watching God good for its time.
Catcher in the Rye big WHO ASKED.
Currently reading Dune.
Gatsby didn't need it.
If you want to try a retelling, read Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McClemore. I think the story makes much more sense with marginalized identities.
Understandable response to catcher in the rye. Let me know what you think about Dune!
Hemingway is my favorite author and I agree with your opinions on The Sun Also Rises. I read alot of other novels and stories of his before reading that one. Love Hemingway but the Sun Also Rises is just a negative perception of his life in Europe and his enjoyment of bulls.
Read In Our Time 👌🏼
This helps me not feel crazy! The only other Hemingway I've read is The Old Man and The Sea which was great, so I was left wondering what went wrong with the Sun Also Rises or if I was the problem.
Adding In Our Time to the tbr
- jon
Wooooow 6 months 🎉
I feel that Jon needs to do a lot more 1950s radio voice, so good!!
I'm officially old, I had to google what they kinda ate means 😂😂
I didnt agree about East of Eden or gatsby (sorry!)
Bluest eye would be no notes for me. Animal Farm they kinda ate. P&P I'd just had a baby so I feel I wasn't on my best reading game 😂
Their eyes were watching God - no notes 😊
I'd recommend Tess Of The D'urbervilles and North & South for you. Modern classic I just read and loved Crossing To Safety by Wallace Stegner.
Ooh tier ranking romance books yes pls!!
haha I'm now realizing it is entirely possible that I liked the book more just because of my radio voice
Love the book recs as always - adding them to the tbr
We have some romance reads coming up so eventually we will be able to tier rank them
Completely agree on Hemingway John I’ve only read those two so far and had the exact same feelings, the old man and the sea was incredible while the sun also rises was very who asked?
I feel so seen! Happy someone else had a similar experience
- jon
someone trying to live their life based off catcher in the rye is so crazy to me like holden gets mugged, almost SA by a man, and passes out all within like 48 hours. I also think he’s constantly stressed and nervous like why would u want to live your life like that i couldnt romanticize being beaten and mugged by a pimp😭😭 he cares too much about what everyones thinking of him but hes also 15 so idk very hard book to romanticize IMO
also when yall said “movie thats good and a good time doesnt mean its perfect, idk why its so famous” tbh thats the great gatsby
agreed - the catcher in the rye gets crazy for sure
I agree that Wuthering Heights is great fun but still doesn't really explains why it's so famous.
Good list even though I disagree so much with some rankings
Fun fact: Vladimir Nabokov and William Faulkner who famously dismissed Hemingway thought that Old man and the sea is a masterpiece.
Honestly fair to disagree!!! I am still learning more about classics, and we’ve just started reading them again over the past 2 years. I will have so much to learn 🫡 I feel like I’m in the same boat of confusion with Wuthering Heights.
you guys are adorable x
awww no, you're adorable
Just a heads up from a trans non-binary person, "transgenderism" is a really iffy term. It's usually used by anti-trans people to discuss so-called "trans ideology." The more respectful term to use when taking about the concept/experience of being trans is "transness."
Thank you so much for sharing! Will be changing our language from now on. 🫡 and thanks for sharing here so others in our comments know (though I’m sure many of them already do!)
@@andtheywerereaders Thank you for caring and for creating a place where conversations like this can happen!
@@GlitterEnby we’re so happy we’ve created a space where you felt comfortable to let us know. we’re always open to learning as much as we can and appreciate having you in our little corner of the internet 🫶🏽
I agree with your Hemingway rankings 😂
I DNFed Catcher in the Rye halfway through, for me it was "I get it but, I didn't need it". If I'd imagined a '50s radio voice that probably would've helped tbh!
haha sometimes you gotta become the narrator. it is so entertaining
@@andtheywerereaders yeahhh in my head he ended up with a Trump voice and that actively ruined it 😂🙈
@@MikaDoesStuff23 lmao that would’ve been an immediate no from me, too 😂
-Sierra
Jon, can we geek out on 🎾 for a minute!? Who are your current favorite players? And past? I have adored Rafa for years. I currently root for alcaraz and sinner. NOT a Djokovic fan!
Omg I’ve been waiting for this comment! The answer is yes! Not a huge fan of Djokovic but I respect his game. I love Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, Tiafoe, and Coco Gauff. I also love Naomi Osaka but sad that she lost today. In the past, I was definitely a Federer fan
@@andtheywerereaders I am a big Coco fan as well. Ons is probably my fave female right now. I just wish they were a bit more competitive, and that it wasn't always Iga.
@@Patsaintsfan I love ons too! And really like watching Sabalenka play. Interesting losses for Coco and Iga at Wimbledon. Excited to see where it goes
@@andtheywerereaders I was going to suggest Andre agassi's book Open if you haven't read it.i listened to the audio and really enjoyed it. I still think about his life to this day. I always loved watching him play (I know he is before your time but...) consider it for a future read, maybe?
@@Patsaintsfan haha he is just barely before my time but I know he left a big mark on tennis. I was looking for my next audio book so this is perfect! Thanks for the recommendation!