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32 Short Classics Perfect for Your Next Book Club Night
Contrary to popular belief, not all classics for book clubs are long and intimidating reads. In fact, there are plenty of short classic novels under 250 pages that are easy to finish in one sitting. For example, John Steinbeck’s The Pearl and Of Mice and Men are both under 100 pages, perfect short book club suggestions.
This list of short classic novels for book clubs are great picks for your reading groups with women. You will love discussing rich themes and engaging characters . These short classics are even perfect as summer book club selections.
Whether your book club wants to find out new short classics or rereading timeless books, this list is packed with unforgettable stories. Now let’s get started with 32 must-read short classic books for book clubs. I’m sure some of these short classics you might not have read yet. Some of these are even underrated book club books.
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Short Classic Novel For Book Clubs
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald ( 218 pages)
Published in 1925, The Great Gatsby is a quintessential Jazz Age novel, captivating generations with the tale of Jay Gatsby’s mysterious wealth and his love for Daisy Buchanan. Set amidst lavish Long Island parties during an era when “gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession,” it’s a finely crafted portrayal of 1920s America—a must-read short classic.
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. This exemplary novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted “gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession,” it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.
The Great Gatsby is one of the great classics of twentieth-century literature
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Animal Farm by George Orwell (141 pages)
George Orwell’s Animal Farm is a short classic novella that vividly portrays a farm rebellion led by pigs Napoleon and Snowball. The story explores themes of power, corruption, and the unraveling of revolutionary ideals, drawing parallels to the Russian Revolution.
A farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality. Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned –a razor-edged fairy tale for grown-ups that records the evolution from revolution against tyranny to a totalitarianism just as terrible.
When Animal Farm was first published, Stalinist Russia was seen as its target. Today it is devastatingly clear that wherever and whenever freedom is attacked, under whatever banner, the cutting clarity and savage comedy of George Orwell’s masterpiece have a meaning and message still ferociously fresh.
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The Pearl by John Steinbeck (96 pages)
The Pearl by John Steinbeck is a classic novella based on a Mexican folk tale. With classic simplicity, it delves into the secrets of human nature, greed, the depths of evil, and the possibilities of love. Ideal for beginners, this well-crafted novella is an easy classic to read.
Like his father and grandfather before him, Kino is a poor diver, gathering pearls from the gulf beds that once brought great wealth to the kings of Spain and now provide Kino, Juana, and their infant son with meager subsistence. Then, on a day like any other, Kino emerges from the sea with a pearl as large as a sea gull’s egg, as “perfect as the moon.” With the pearl comes hope, the promise of comfort and of security…
A story of classic simplicity, based on a Mexican folk tale, The Pearl explores the secrets of man’s nature, greed, the darkest depths of evil, and the luminous possibilities of love.
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The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (127 pages)
This brief yet timeless novel recounts the tragic tale of a Cuban fisherman confronting a colossal Marlin in the Gulf Stream, a narrative acknowledged in the author’s Nobel Prize for Literature citation in 1954. Take your child on a fantastic journey into the middle of the deep blue sea with our illustrated learning guide to Hemingway’s most famous novel. Our simplified, kid-friendly summary and analysis of this cornerstone of classic literature is filled with unforgettable imagery and is a heroic adventure that teaches us never to give up. Dream big with old Santiago, and learn a bit about Hemingway’s life (and love of cats!) through our character and author bios. More than picture books, KinderGuides(R) offer an interactive story time for adult literature fans and children, or as we like to call them – future lit fans. Our illustrated guides introduce the greatest literary works to children everywhere, and lay the foundation for a lifelong appreciation of literacy, and our most beloved classics.
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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (110 pages)
Ebenezer Scrooge, a bitter miser, undergoes a transformation when the ghost of his business partner warns him to change his ways. This edition of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” includes an introduction and discussion questions for a richer reading experience. The novella captures the essence of the holidays and stands as a short classic by Dickens.
To bitter, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, Christmas is just another day. But all that changes when the ghost of his long-dead business partner appears, warning Scrooge to change his ways before it’s too late.
Part of the Focus on the Family Great Stories collection, this abridged edition features an in-depth introduction and discussion questions by Joe Wheeler to provide greater understanding for today’s reader. “A Christmas Carol” captures the heart of the holidays like no other novel.
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Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (187 pages)
The poignant tale of two outsiders, George and his simple-minded friend Lennie, striving to carve a place in an unforgiving world. Working on a California ranch, their dream of owning land unravels in the face of cruelty and misunderstandings. Of Mice and Men is an emotionally charged short classic, exploring themes of dreams and loneliness in an accessible format.
They are an unlikely pair: George is “small and quick and dark of face”; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. Yet they have formed a “family,” clinging together in the face of loneliness and alienation. Laborers in California’s dusty vegetable fields, they hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. But George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own.
While the powerlessness of the laboring class is a recurring theme in Steinbeck’s work of the late 1930s, he narrowed his focus when composing Of Mice and Men, creating an intimate portrait of two men facing a world marked by petty tyranny, misunderstanding, jealousy, and callousness. But though the scope is narrow, the theme is universal: a friendship and a shared dream that makes an individual’s existence meaningful.
A unique perspective on life’s hardships, this story has achieved the status of timeless classic due to its remarkable success as a novel, a Broadway play, and three acclaimed films.
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Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse (152 pages)
Herman Hesse’s classic Siddhartha has captivated readers for generations. The novel follows a wealthy Indian Brahmin’s quest for spiritual fulfillment, weaving together Eastern religions, Jungian archetypes, and Western individualism. “Siddhartha” is a profound and spiritually uplifting journey of self-discovery.
Herman Hesse’s classic novel has delighted, inspired, and influenced generations of readers, writers, and thinkers. In this story of a wealthy Indian Brahmin who casts off a life of privilege to seek spiritual fulfillment. Hesse synthesizes disparate philosophies–Eastern religions, Jungian archetypes, Western individualism–into a unique vision of life as expressed through one man’s search for true meaning.
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Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote (179 pages)
Set in 1940s New York, Holly Golightly finds solace in the expensive Tiffany’s jewelry store. Her apartment is a nightly party, with men coming and going, but Holly is in search of her place in the world and true happiness. Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a great choice for those seeking short classics, especially beginners. This novella explores themes of companionship and love in a concise and engaging manner.
Our illustrated learning guide to this timeless New York story has it all – friendship, humor, tenderness, and many surprises! With our simplified, kid-friendly summary and analysis, you and your child can experience the big city life through Truman Capote’s darling of Manhattan, Holly Golightly, as she learns how to overcome her fears – all while looking fabulous! More than picture books, KinderGuides(R) offer an interactive story time for adult literature fans and children, or as we like to call them – future lit fans. Our illustrated guides introduce the greatest literary works to children everywhere, and lay the foundation for a lifelong appreciation of literacy, and our most beloved classics. * Winner of the 2016 Moonbeam Award for Best Children’s Picture Book series
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The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (102 pages)
Next on the list is Franz Kafka’s novella, a well-known work by the author. In The Metamorphosis, Kafka opens with a startling, bizarre, yet surprisingly funny narrative. The story follows a young man who transforms overnight into a giant beetle-like insect, becoming a disgrace to his family and an alienated outsider in his own home. This harrowing, yet absurdly comic, meditation on human feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and isolation has secured its place as one of the most widely read and influential works of twentieth-century fiction.
As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. He was laying on his hard, as it were armor-plated, back and when he lifted his head a little he could see his domelike brown belly divided into stiff arched segments on top of which the bed quilt could hardly keep in position and was about to slide off completely. His numerous legs, which were pitifully thin compared to the rest of his bulk, waved helplessly before his eyes.
With it’s startling, bizarre, yet surprisingly funny first opening, Kafka begins his masterpiece, The Metamorphosis. It is the story of a young man who, transformed overnight into a giant beetle-like insect, becomes an object of disgrace to his family, an outsider in his own home, a quintessentially alienated man. A harrowing—though absurdly comic—meditation on human feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and isolation, The Metamorphosis has taken its place as one of the most widely read and influential works of twentieth-century fiction.
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Night by Elie Wiesel (115 pages)
Night is a deeply moving story of a Holocaust survivor, offering a terrifying account of the Nazi death camp horror that transforms a young Jewish boy into an agonized witness to the death of his family, innocence, and faith.
Born in the town of Sighet, Transylvania, Elie Wiesel was a teenager when he and his family were taken from their home in 1944 to Auschwitz concentration camp, and then to Buchenwald. Night is the terrifying record of Elie Wiesel’s memories of the death of his family, the death of his own innocence, and his despair as a deeply observant Jew confronting the absolute evil of man. This new translation by his wife and most frequent translator, Marion Wiesel, corrects important details and presents the most accurate rendering in English of Elie Wiesel’s testimony to what happened in the camps and of his unforgettable message that this horror must simply never be allowed to happen again.
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We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (214 pages)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a chilling tale narrated by Mary Katherine Blackwood, or Merricat. With the family marked by tragedy and most members dead from arsenic poisoning, Merricat, Constance, and Uncle Julian live in isolation, shunned by villagers who suspect Constance of the murders. Its concise narrative, engaging plot, and atmospheric storytelling make it a easy classic book for adults.
Shirley Jackson’s beloved gothic tale of a peculiar girl named Merricat and her family’s dark secret
Taking readers deep into a labyrinth of dark neurosis, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a deliciously unsettling novel about a perverse, isolated, and possibly murderous family and the struggle that ensues when a cousin arrives at their estate. This edition features a new introduction by Jonathan Lethem.
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Letters From A Father To His Daughter by Jawaharlal Nehru (154 pages)
When Indira Gandhi was ten, she spent a summer in Mussoorie, and her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, wrote her a series of letters. In these letters from 1928, Nehru shared the story of the earth’s creation, the beginnings of life, and the evolution of civilizations worldwide. This under-200-page classic, Letters From A Father To His Daughter, explores nature, humanity, and religion in an easy-to-read format.
A priceless collection of letters from one legendary leader to another
When Indira Gandhi was a little girl of ten, she spent the summer in Mussoorie, while her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, was in Allahabad. Over the summer, Nehru wrote her a series of letters in which he told her the story of how and when the earth was made, how human and animal life began, and how civilizations and societies evolved all over the world.
Written in 1928, these letters remain fresh and vibrant, and capture Nehru’s love for people and for nature, whose story was for him ‘more interesting than any other story or novel that you may have read’.
Sula by Toni Morrison (192 pages)
In Toni Morrison’s Sula, Nel Wright stays in her birthplace, embracing family life, while Sula Peace rebels, pursuing college and city living. Their choices lead to consequences, offering an unforgettable portrait of being a black woman in America. Morrison’s “Sula” is a beautifully allegorical story of friendship that invites repeated readings.
Sula and Nel are two young black girls: clever and poor. They grow up together sharing their secrets, dreams and happiness. Then Sula breaks free from their small-town community in the uplands of Ohio to roam the cities of America. When she returns ten years later much has changed. Including Nel, who now has a husband and three children. The friendship between the two women becomes strained and the whole town grows wary as Sula continues in her wayward, vagabond and uncompromising ways.
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Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (209 pages)
Things Fall Apart is a succinct portrayal of a “strong man” whose life is ruled by fear and anger. Written with remarkable economy and subtle irony, this uniquely African short classic by Achebe also reflects universal human qualities across time and cultures, offering profound insights.
A simple story of a “strong man” whose life is dominated by fear and anger, Things Fall Apart is written with remarkable economy and subtle irony. Uniquely and richly African, at the same time it reveals Achebe’s keen awareness of the human qualities common to men of all times and places.
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The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (96 pages)
The Little Prince, a moral allegory and spiritual autobiography, holds the record as the most translated book in French. This timeless tale follows a little boy’s journey through the universe, where he learns about adult behavior through extraordinary encounters. Culminating in a voyage to Earth, this short classic not only offers a brief read but also imparts profound lessons about the true meaning of life.
A pilot stranded in the desert awakes one morning to see, standing before him, the most extraordinary little fellow. “Please,” asks the stranger, “draw me a sheep.” And the pilot realizes that when life’s events are too difficult to understand, there is no choice but to succumb to their mysteries. He pulls out pencil and paper… And thus begins this wise and enchanting fable that, in teaching the secret of what is really important in life, has changed forever the world for its readers.
Few stories are as widely read and as universally cherished by children and adults alike as The Little Prince, presented here in a stunning new translation with carefully restored artwork. The definitive edition of a worldwide classic, it will capture the hearts of readers of all ages.
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Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (224 pages)
Virginia Woolf’s greatest novel, a vivid portrait of a day in Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway’s life, is a compelling addition to the must-read classic list. As she prepares for a party, Clarissa reflects on her past and contemplates the realities of the present, reexamining the choices that brought her to this point and contemplating the unfamiliar journey of growing old.
This first volume of its kind contains the complete text of and guide to Virginia Woolf’s masterpiece, plus Mrs. Dalloway’s Party and numerous journal entries and letters by Virginia Woolf relating to the book’s genesis and writing. The distinguished novelist Francine Prose has selected these pieces as well as essays and appreciations, critical views, and commentary by writers famous and unknown. Now with additional scholarly commentary by Mark Hussey, professor of English at Pace University, this complete volume illuminates the creation of a celebrated story and the genius of its author.
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One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Ivan Denisovich ( 234 pages)
Published in 1962 in Novy Mir, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is a contemporary classic. It tells the story of Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, a labor camp inmate, vividly depicting his struggle for dignity under communist oppression. Written in simple language, this classic offers a terrifying tale of a young man’s ordeal.
The only English translation authorized by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
First published in the Soviet journal Novy Mir in 1962, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich stands as a classic of contemporary literature. The story of labor-camp inmate Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, it graphically describes his struggle to maintain his dignity in the face of communist oppression. An unforgettable portrait of the entire world of Stalin’s forced work camps, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is one of the most extraordinary literary documents to have emerged from the Soviet Union and confirms Solzhenitsyn’s stature as “a literary genius whose talent matches that of Dosotevsky, Turgenev, Tolstoy”–Harrison Salisbury
This unexpurgated 1991 translation by H. T. Willetts is the only authorized edition available, and fully captures the power and beauty of the original Russian.
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Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? by Lorrie Moore ( 160 pages)
The summer Berie turned fifteen, she and her friend Sils worked at Storyland in upstate New York. Berie sold tickets while Sils portrayed Cinderella. They enjoyed breaks smoking, joking, and gossiping. Their adventures included sleeping in a station wagon and sipping liquor from mayonnaise jars. But when Sils needs help, the carefree days take a serious turn in this easy-to-read coming-of-age classic that can be finished in a day.
In this moving, poignant novel by the bestselling author of Birds of America we share a grown woman’s bittersweet nostalgia for the wildness of her youth.
The summer Berie was fifteen, she and her best friend Sils had jobs at Storyland in upstate New York where Berie sold tickets to see the beautiful Sils portray Cinderella in a strapless evening gown. They spent their breaks smoking, joking, and gossiping. After work they followed their own reckless rules, teasing the fun out of small town life, sleeping in the family station wagon, and drinking borrowed liquor from old mayonnaise jars. But no matter how wild, they always managed to escape any real danger—until the adoring Berie sees that Sils really does need her help—and then everything changes.
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Speedboat by Renata Adler (192 pages)
Renata Adler’s Speedboat follows the coming-of-age journey of a young female newspaper reporter in New York City. Written in a unique style, the novel is a collection of seemingly unrelated vignettes that offer a sharp analysis of urban existence, remaining as fresh as ever since its first publication.
One of the most acclaimed novels of the late 20th century is back. When members of the National Book Critics Circle were polled to see which book they would most like to see republished, they chose Speedboat—“by far.” This story of a young female newspaper reporter coming of age in New York City was originally published serially in the New Yorker; it is made out of seemingly unrelated vignettes—tart observations distilled through relentless intellect—which add up to an analysis of our brittle, urban existence. It remains as fresh as when it was first published.
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Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger (201 pages)
In the short story Franny, an undergraduate in an unnamed college town grows disillusioned with the perceived selfishness and inauthenticity around her. The novella “Zooey” follows Zooey Glass, aiding his sister Franny during a spiritual crisis. J.D. Salinger’s Franny and Zooey, a short classic of around 200 pages, delves into themes of religion, family, and intellectualism.
Everything everybody does is so—I don’t know—not wrong, or even mean, or even stupid necessarily. But just so tiny and meaningless and—sad-making. And the worst part is, if you go bohemian or something crazy like that, you’re conforming just as much only in a different way.’
First published in The New Yorker as two sequential stories, ‘Franny’ and ‘Zooey’ offer a dual portrait of the two youngest members of J. D. Salinger’s fictional Glass family.
Franny Glass is a pretty, effervescent college student on a date with her intellectually confident boyfriend, Lane. They appear to be the perfect couple, but as they struggle to communicate with each other about the things they really care about, slowly their true feelings come to the surface. The second story in this book, ‘Zooey’, plunges us into the world of her ethereal, sophisticated family. When Franny’s emotional and spiritual doubts reach new heights, her older brother Zooey, a misanthropic former child genius, offers her consolation and brotherly advice.
Written in Salinger’s typically irreverent style, these two stories offer a touching snapshot of the distraught mindset of early adulthood and are full of the insightful emotional observations and witty turns of phrase that have helped make Salinger’s reputation what it is today.
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Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (176 pages)
In Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys returns with a modern fiction masterpiece, shedding light on the madwoman in the attic from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. The novella follows Antoinette Cosway, sold into marriage to Mr. Rochester, in a society driven by hatred and skewed sexual relations, pushing her to the brink of madness. This dark exploration delves into themes of identity, marriage, and relationships.
Wide Sargasso Sea, a masterpiece of modern fiction, was Jean Rhys’s return to the literary center stage. She had a startling early career and was known for her extraordinary prose and haunting women characters. With Wide Sargasso Sea, her last and best-selling novel, she ingeniously brings into light one of fiction’s most fascinating characters: the madwoman in the attic from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. This mesmerizing work introduces us to Antoinette Cosway, a sensual and protected young woman who is sold into marriage to the prideful Mr. Rochester. Rhys portrays Cosway amidst a society so driven by hatred, so skewed in its sexual relations, that it can literally drive a woman out of her mind.
A new introduction by the award-winning Edwidge Danticat, author most recently of Claire of the Sea Light, expresses the enduring importance of this work. Drawing on her own Caribbean background, she illuminates the setting’s impact on Rhys and her astonishing work.
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Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan (154 pages)
On the French Riviera, the beautiful and hedonistic Cécile and her libertine father Raymond lead a life of free love and indulgence. When Raymond decides to marry, Cécile and her lover intervene, leading to tragic consequences. Written by Françoise Sagan at eighteen, this quick classic book explores jealousy and relationships in a descriptive narrative style.
The French Riviera: home to the Beautiful People. And none are more beautiful than Cécile, a precocious seventeen-year-old, and her father Raymond, a vivacious libertine. Charming, decadent and irresponsible, the golden-skinned duo are dedicated to a life of free love, fast cars and hedonistic pleasures. But then, one long, hot summer, Raymond decides to marry, and Cécile and her lover Cyril feel compelled to take a hand in his amours, with tragic consequences.
Bonjour Tristesse scandalized 1950s France with its portrayal of teenager terrible Cécile, a heroine who rejects conventional notions of love, marriage and responsibility to choose her own sexual freedom.
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (192 pages)
Charlie Bucket’s adventure kicks off when he discovers a Golden Ticket, earning him a day in Mr. Willy Wonka’s enigmatic chocolate factory. Unaware of the surprises awaiting him, Charlie’s journey in this easy-to-read classic is a must-experience. If you haven’t read it yet, dive into the delightful world of Willy Wonka immediately.
Charlie Bucket’s wonderful adventure begins when he finds one of Mr. Willy Wonka’s precious Golden Tickets and wins a whole day inside the mysterious chocolate factory. Little does he know the surprises that are in store for him
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The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (56 pages)
In The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Peter and his sisters are warned not to enter MacGregor’s garden, where their father met an unfortunate end. Disobeying his mother, Peter sneaks in, feasts on vegetables, narrowly escapes MacGregor, and returns home for chamomile tea. This easy classic offers an entertaining read, perfect for those seeking a timeless story to revisit.
Follow the story of naughty Peter Rabbit as he squeezes—predictably—under the gate into Mr. McGregor’s garden and finds himself in all kinds of trouble! But how does Peter Rabbit get himself out of this tricky situation? Beatrix Potter’s story about one mischievous but ultimately endearing little creature will tell us, accompanied by beautiful illustrations and timeless verses which have transcended generations.
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Matilda by Roald Dahl (232 pages)
Matilda features a little girl with astonishing intelligence and a love for reading. Despite having self-centered parents and a nightmarish school principal, Matilda’s resilience and intellect shine. This fun and engaging classic novel, just under 250 pages, is a delightful read for those who enjoy tales of cleverness and revenge.
Matilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she’s knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she’s a super-nerd and the teacher’s pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda’s world…
For starters she has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived. Then there’s the large, busty nightmare of a school principal, Miss (“The”) Trunchbull, a former hammer-throwing champion who flings children at will, and is approximately as sympathetic as a bulldozer. Fortunately for Matilda, she has the inner resources to deal with such annoyances: astonishing intelligence, saintly patience, and an innate predilection for revenge.
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The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting ( 180 pages)
In this beloved children’s classic, Doctor John Dolittle’s love for animals propels him to learn their language from Polynesia the parrot. Becoming a world-famous doctor, he travels, even to Africa, to help his animal friends. With black-and-white illustrations by Michael Hague, The Story of Doctor Dolittle is a must-read adventure for both adults and kids.
Doctor John Dolittle loves animals. He loves them so much that his home and office overflow with animals of every description. When Polynesia the parrot teaches him the language of the animals, Doctor Dolittle becomes a world-famous doctor, traveling even as far away as Africa to help his friends. This edition of the beloved children’s classic contains black-and-white illustrations by Michael Hague and has been edited by award-winning authors Patricia and Fredrick McKissack for modern audiences.
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Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez (122 pages)
In Gabriel García Márquez’s compelling novel, a man returns to the town where a mysterious murder occurred 27 years ago. After marrying Angela Vicario, Bayardo San Roman returns her in disgrace, leading to the announcement of Santiago Nasar’s impending murder by her twin brothers. Despite everyone’s knowledge, no one intervenes. As the story unfolds, an entire society is put on trial, making it a uniquely gripping classic perfect for beginner readers.
A man returns to the town where a baffling murder took place twenty-seven years earlier, determined to get to the bottom of the story. Just hours after marrying the beautiful Angela Vicario, everyone agrees, Bayardo San Roman returned his bride in disgrace to her parents. Her distraught family forced her to name her first lover; and her twin brothers announced their intention to murder Santiago Nasar for dishonoring their sister.
Yet if everyone knew the murder was going to happen, why did no one intervene to try and stop it? The more that is learned, the less is understood, and as the story races to its inexplicable conclusion, an entire society–not just a pair of murderers—is put on trial.
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Lord of The Flies by William Golding(224 pages)
In the onset of the next world war, a plane crash leaves a group of schoolboys stranded on an uninhabited island. Initially reveling in their freedom, their attempt to create a society unravels in the face of terror, sin, and evil. As order collapses, the hope of adventure fades, and the darkness of man’s heart takes center stage. Lord of the Flies is a classic short novel, often hailed as a parable and a compelling exploration of the end of innocence.
At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate; this far from civilization the boys can do anything they want. Anything. They attempt to forge their own society, failing, however, in the face of terror, sin and evil. And as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far from reality as the hope of being rescued. Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the Flies is perhaps our most memorable novel about “the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart.”
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The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson ( 236 pages)
The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man,” the pioneering fictional memoir by a black author, shaped the Harlem Renaissance and inspired Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison, and Richard Wright. Written in the 1920s, it provides a striking perspective on racial identity, uncovering the double standard imposed on black Americans. This fictional autobiography captures the life of a colored man in the early 1900s.
James Weldon Johnson’s emotionally gripping novel is a landmark in black literary history and, more than eighty years after its original anonymous publication, a classic of American fiction.
The first fictional memoir ever written by a black person, The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man influenced a generation of writers during the Harlem Renaissance and served as eloquent inspiration for Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison, and Richard Wright. In the 1920s and since, it has also given white readers a startling new perspective on their own culture, revealing to many the double standard of racial identity imposed on black Americans.
Narrated by a mulatto man whose light skin allows him to “pass” for white, the novel describes a pilgrimage through America’s color lines at the turn of the century–from a black college in Jacksonville to an elite New York nightclub, from the rural South to the white suburbs of the Northeast.
This is a powerful, unsentimental examination of race in America, a hymn to the anguish of forging an identity in a nation obsessed with color. And, as Arna Bontemps pointed out decades ago, “the problems of the artist [as presented here] seem as contemporary as if the book had been written this year
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O, Pioneers! by Willa Cather (142 pages)
Willa Cather’s O Pioneers! is her first and often hailed as her masterpiece. Set on the wind-blasted prairie of Hanover, Nebraska, it portrays the transformation of the American frontier and its settlers, focusing on Alexandra Bergson. A short classic, it powerfully explores the relationship between people and the land, blending archetypal success with the shadow of loss.
O Pioneers! (1913) was Willa Cather’s first great novel, and to many it remains her unchallenged masterpiece. No other work of fiction so faithfully conveys both the sharp physical realities and the mythic sweep of the transformation of the American frontier—and the transformation of the people who settled it. Cather’s heroine is Alexandra Bergson, who arrives on the wind-blasted prairie of Hanover, Nebraska, as a girl and grows up to make it a prosperous farm. But this archetypal success story is darkened by loss, and Alexandra’s devotion to the land may come at the cost of love itself.
At once a sophisticated pastoral and a prototype for later feminist novels, O Pioneers! is a work in which triumph is inextricably enmeshed with tragedy, a story of people who do not claim a land so much as they submit to it and, in the process, become greater than they were.
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The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (122 pages)
The Turn of the Screw follows a young governess who cares for peculiar, silent children at a haunted estate, plagued by malevolent entities. As the fiendish creatures draw nearer, the governess is horrified to find that the children desire the lurking evil as much as it seeks them. This short gothic novel is perfect for a single sitting.
The Turn of the Screw is an 1898 horror novella by Henry James that first appeared in serial format in Collier’s Weekly magazine (January 27 – April 16, 1898). In October 1898 it appeared in The Two Magics, a book published by Macmillan in New York City and Heinemann in London.
A very young woman’s first job: governess for two weirdly beautiful, strangely distant, oddly silent children, Miles and Flora, at a forlorn estate… An estate haunted by a beckoning evil. Half-seen figures who glare from dark towers and dusty windows- silent, foul phantoms who, day by day, night by night, come closer, ever closer. With growing horror, the helpless governess realizes the fiendish creatures want the children, seeking to corrupt their bodies, possess their minds, own their souls. But worse-much worse- the governess discovers that Miles and Flora have no terror of the lurking evil. For they want the walking dead as badly as the dead want them.
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The Stranger by Albert Camus(123 pages)
Camus’ The Stranger delves into the existential theme of “the nakedness of man faced with the absurd” through the tale of an ordinary man entangled in a senseless murder on an Algerian beach. Published in 1946 and recently translated by Matthew Ward, this short classic imparts a potent message about human existence.
Published in 1942 by French author Albert Camus, The Stranger has long been considered a classic of twentieth-century literature. Le Monde ranks it as number one on its “100 Books of the Century” list. Through this story of an ordinary man unwittingly drawn into a senseless murder on a sundrenched Algerian beach, Camus explores what he termed “the nakedness of man faced with the absurd.
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Short Classic Booklist PDF : Free Download
Conclusion
There you have the list of 32 short classic novels for book club discussion . Don’t forget to download the printable list of short classic books!
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Stephy George
Hello Angie, creating a Pinterest board is such a wonderful idea and I love borrowing books from my local library as well. I get super excited whenever I can grab a new release from the library. And to answer your question, there are some books that may be not for us. In my case, I couldn’t get into Dickens Oliver Twist. So I just gave myself permission to skip it. Maybe you don’t want to let it go like I did, then how about taking a break from classics and choosing some cozy reads? I have a few posts that are perfect for fall which also includes classics, if you still want to read them- https://www.thecreativemuggle.com/classic-fall-reads/ or. https://www.thecreativemuggle.com/ya-fall-reads/. Let me know whether you love reading them.
I have created a Pinterest board for this list. My goal for 2023 is to read as many books from our wonderful local public library as possible. This should give me a good start! Thanks for the checklist; that is a great bonus! As far as classics, I think I have read my share but one has defeated me year after year: Middlemarch. I have started it 3 times and just can’t seem to finish it. I finally asked my daughter, an MS in Library Science, for permission to skip it. She said OK. Can you give me any reason to try again?
Alice in Wonderland!!!
Awesome. I am glad that you’ve find the list helpful.
Fantastic list! I added some of your suggestions to my lists for my two teenage sons for our upcoming home school year.