Introduction

I would describe my relationship with classic novels as complicated. Summer reading was always difficult to finish on time since I would much rather pick up a romance novel than A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (sorry Mrs. Wilson). My bookshelf includes retellings like The Song of Achilles, but not a single copy of the original myths. When other English majors talk about how obsessed they are with authors like Charles Dickens, I just smile and nod. That is not to say that I do not love (some) classic novels. I have a copy of Emily Dickinson’s poems next to my bed that I re-read every week or so. I am fighting for my life to get into a Jane Austen class at WashU (seriously, I have tried multiple times to get in). I am absolutely obsessed with William Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets, so much so that I joined a year-long class about Shakespeare. It was in this class that I met my friend Meris (seen in the picture attached to this post) and I consider myself very lucky to have met him. It is one of those kinds of friendships that you search for in college. We bonded over our loud personalities, our ability to get lost in Forest Park (especially late at night), and our shared love of reading. We have had countless conversations about books, especially about the books we must read for our English classes. It was in our usual booth in Bear’s Den – a dining hall on campus – that I admitted to him that I had never read Frankenstein, a book on the syllabus for my Gothic Literature class. We laughed over the classic books that we never read in high school. As English majors, we both felt like we were missing out on books that all our peers had already read. It was here that The Classics Book Club was born. We decided to take matters into our own hands. It is a way for us to support each other while reading these challenging books. It is a way for us to grow as readers and writers together. It is a way for me to tackle my fear of classics.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

If I remember correctly, Meris chose the first novel. Meris and I have traded book recommendations for our entire friendship and I trust his judgment when it comes to picking out books that I would like. His choice was The Picture of Dorian Gray. Overnight, my library hold requests were for classic novels instead of romance or fantasy novels. The University City Public Library must have thought I was hacked when I requested a copy that night. I convinced myself that I was going to start the book as soon as I picked it up from the library. Instead, I dragged my feet about starting The Picture of Dorian Gray. My past horrible experiences with classic novels flashed before my eyes and it destroyed my desire to read this novel. However, I did not want to let Meris down and kill our book club so I put my battle armor on. I faced the dragon that is Oscar Wilde. This battle was quickly fought and I am strong enough to admit that it ended in a truce. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a small yet mighty book. In such a short time, Wilde’s writing style captured my heart and sucked me into Dorian Gray’s descent into evil. Much like the painting haunted Dorian Gray, I was haunted by the ending of the novel for days after I returned it to the library. I read it so quickly that I finished it before Meris. The Picture of Dorian Gray taught me that classics do not have to be boring or hard to understand. It was the perfect way to start our little book club.

The Great Gatsby

I am ashamed to admit that until December 4, 2023, I had never read The Great Gatsby. It was not required reading in any of my high school English classes although it was for my brother Gabe. Gabe loved The Great Gatsby which is why I suggested that we read it for our book club after Meris and I had finished Mother Night (another great book by the way). After finishing it, I realized that I should trust Gabe’s book recommendations more often because it was such a compelling and beautifully written story. I felt the pull of Gatsby’s parties as if I moved in next door alongside Nick Carraway. You can feel the high of New York City during the 1920s radiating off the page. My completion of the novel lined up with one of our biweekly sibling dinners. Most of my conversations with Gabe are about Star Wars or Marvel and we rarely talk about books with each other since we tend to have different tastes. So, our conversation about The Great Gatsby was a total departure from our typical topics. It was a lively and loud conversation in one of the dining halls at WashU (sorry to the people sitting next to us). It is a conversation that we continue to revisit now and again when one of us finds a funny TikTok about the novel (specifically about vehicular manslaughter) or when I went and saw the Broadway musical adaptation in May 2024. The Great Gatsby taught me that classics can strengthen relationships with the people that matter the most in your life. It was the perfect way to continue to strengthen my relationship with Gabe now that we were both college students.

Little Women

When I was younger, my mom got me the Sterling Classics box set as a Christmas gift. My parents have always been extremely supportive of my reading habits, and they never told me no when I asked for new books. In the box set, the book I liked the most was Little Women (which also included Good Wives). I read it once and then put it down in my basement for seven years. Meris and I wanted to read a book that had a Christmas scene in it over Winter Break 2023 which is what caused me to bring my copy back to the land of the living. There was something so nostalgic about reading the same copy I had read when I was in middle school. When I read Little Women for the first time, I was Amy’s age at the beginning of the book (which is about twelve years old). During my first read, I did not truly see myself in Amy. She burned Jo’s manuscript and I could never discern why she did that. I struggled to understand Amy and I think a part of that was because I was struggling to understand myself. When I read it in 2023, I was Amy’s age towards the end of Good Wives (about twenty years old) and I saw Amy in a completely different light. I felt for Amy as she struggled to find her place in the world. She is creative and ambitious and passionate. She burned Jo’s book because she is a person who feels her emotions to the highest extremes. It felt a little strange to see so much of myself in a character, especially one that I had dismissed upon first reading. Little Women taught me that re-reading classics can be beneficial, and we can learn more about ourselves on a second reading. It was the perfect way to go into my 20th birthday.

Pride and Prejudice

After surviving finals season, Meris and I needed a light and fun book for the summer break which led us to choose Pride and Prejudice. As a seasoned romance reader, I had been recommended this book for years. Everyone swears up and down that I will love this book although I had my doubts. I thought that there was no way that this classic novel could hold this epic romance that I am always looking for. I am so happy to say that I was completely blown away by the beautiful love story in Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen wrote a stunning novel that truly makes one believe in the power of love (in all forms). I know that it might sound cliche but what is a romance novel without a little bit of the cliche? I adored the way that Austen did not portray love as easy or simple. Instead, she depicts the reality that so often we want to escape from. The fact is that love takes time, patience, and dedication to succeed. While we all wish for a fairy tale romance, Austen encourages us to see love as a journey, not a destination. I was enchanted by Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s dedication to growing separately and together. This novel also opened my eyes to the romance that is hidden in all kinds of books, even classics. Pride and Prejudice taught me that romance and classics can come together and create something beautiful and truthful. It was a perfect way to start the summer.

Conclusion

The first anniversary of The Classics Book Club is coming up in August 2024. August 2024 will also be the third anniversary of my friendship with Meris. I can say that I am both a better English major and a better person because of Meris and The Classics Book Club. I have had an interesting journey to becoming an English major. For a while, I thought that I would go to medical school (crazy, I know). During my senior year, I realized that my passion for helping others does not mean that I have become a doctor. There are countless ways that I can utilize my English degree to help people and part of the exciting part of college is figuring out my future career. When I did arrive at university, I felt like I was not a “true” English major because I had not read all of these classics that everyone else had read. Through Meris and The Classics Book Club, I learned that reading classics (while it is helpful for my degree) does not make me a “true” English major. It just makes me a classics reader. Being an English major is more than just classics. It is about exploring and embracing all genres, even those that scare you. It is about fostering a love of reading in other people, especially those younger than you. It is about continuing to find time to write and read for fun. It is about sharing book recommendations with friends. And sometimes, it is about creating a book club. Reading classics is just a bonus. So, thank you Meris for helping me finally read all of these classics and for helping me find the confidence to call myself a true English major. I cannot wait for another fantastic year of our Classics Book Club!

Bibliography

The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen