Introduction

As an English major, I read a (sometimes) ridiculous number of books for my major. To be truthful, I don’t mind it that much. It means that I get to read, learn, and write about novels I would have never picked up on my own. From books about akephaloi (aka headless people) to a river of boiling blood and fire in hell, I have read some really strange stuff for my major over the past two years. Most of the time, I am required to read certain books (no matter how strange) because it is deemed to be a part of the literary canon. The literary canon is a list that includes the most important, influential, and significant texts. Some examples include The Odyssey by Homer, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and 1984 by George Orwell. If you read it in a standard high school English class, it is probably in the literary canon. During my time reading novels from the literary canon, there is at least one book every semester that makes it all worth it. Today, I want to share with you my favorite book from each semester at WashU in hopes that it gives you some book recommendations that will take you beyond the surface of the literary canon. 

Much Ado About Nothing

Would it really be a blog post by me if I did not mention Shakespeare? As a dedicated Shakespeare reader, I do not say lightly that Much Ado About Nothing is my favorite Shakespeare play! Much Ado About Nothing follows the story of Benedick and Beatrice, who strongly dislike each other, as their friends attempt to set them up. Shakespeare wrote it sometime in 1598 or 1599 since it debuted on the newly built Globe in 1599. Much Ado About Nothing is based on two pre-existing literatures, although Shakespeare adapts his play to focus on a more nuanced depiction of love and marriage. It is a comedy, which does not stop the play from presenting some powerful themes. Growing up, I was always searching for novels that included strong female characters who also found love. This play delivers exactly what I was looking for in its characterization of Beatrice. Beatrice is a strong and feisty character who is a master of wordplay. She is not afraid to speak her mind and says one of my favorite lines, which reads, “O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the marketplace!” I love how Beatrice keeps much of her lively spirit and confidence even as she falls in love. Now, you might be asking yourself why the play is called Much Ado About Nothing. There are a couple of theories about the title. It might refer to the fact that most of the plot is trivial in the grand scheme of things (aka that the characters are making a big deal out of nothing). In the Elizabethan dialect, “nothing” was pronounced “noting” which might play into the gossip that brings Benedick and Beatrice together. There are a couple of other theories out there, but you will just have to read the play to make your own decision! 

P.S. If you want to read more about Shakespeare, you should check out my blog post from last week! 

The Blazing World

If you are an English major like me, you probably were forced to read Utopia by Thomas More. If you ever thought to yourself, “I wonder what this would be like if a woman wrote it?”, you should read The Blazing World! The Blazing World describes a young woman who is kidnapped and taken to another world in the North Pole (aka The Blazing World). She is made queen and eventually becomes friends with the Duchess of Newcastle because of their shared love of knowledge. Can you guess who wrote this? Margaret Cavendish, the Duchess of Newcastle. Yes, she literally wrote herself into her book! Cavendish herself was a very interesting person, which comes as no surprise since she wrote a very interesting novel. Cavendish was a philosopher, scientist, and writer. She utilized her title to educate herself, publish 12 original works, and become the first woman to attend a meeting of the Royal Society (which did not accept female members until 1945). Cavendish had a passion for fashion, and she frequently used her fashion to stand out and break gender norms. Her marriage to her husband, William, was a true love story, and they were a powerful creative duo. The Blazing World even includes a sonnet written by William Cavendish about his wife’s imaginative powers that he wrote; I cannot think of anything more romantic! The Blazing World is full of philosophy, morals, legal arguments, and spiritual questions. You will feel challenged while you read this because Cavendish is pushing you to think for yourself and form your own opinions about important topics. The Blazing World is a fascinating book and is sometimes called a forerunner to the science fiction genre. I promise that you will not be able to put this novel down! 

Frankenstein

One of my favorite classes at WashU so far was my Gothic Literature class. Honestly, I could recommend any of the books we read in this class because they were all amazing (which does not happen very often). Since I am forcing myself to pick the best of the best, I am picking Frankenstein by Mary Shelley because it is the book that has stuck with me the most. Frankenstein tells the story of a gifted scientist who gives life to his creation, named in the novel as the Creature. After he rejects the Creature, the Creature dedicates his life to getting revenge on his creator. The original idea for Frankenstein came to Shelley in a nightmare during a holiday trip. With encouragement from her husband, Shelley expanded her nightmare into a full novel and published it in 1818. I recommend reading the 1831 edition because it includes an amazing introduction by Shelley. In it, she discusses how she is routinely asked, “How could a woman write such a disgusting horror story?” since most men believed that her husband wrote it. Shelley was not going to stand for men discounting her work, so she wrote this introduction defending her work. The strange thing about Frankenstein is that Shelley did not set out to write about playing God. At its core, Frankenstein is about familial relationships, especially between parent and child. It touches on how difficult parenthood can be, misunderstandings between the ones you love, and acting out because you don’t know where to put your anger. It is an intimate novel that reflects Shelley’s relationships with her parents and her children. It truly is a beautiful story of human connection. If you need anymore encouragement, Frankenstein is coined as the first science fiction book (is it not cool that the science fiction genre was really started by women)!

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre consumes a large portion of my brain at any given moment. Seriously, I think about this novel all the time! Jane Eyre is a bildungsroman (a fancy way of saying a coming-of-age story) that tells the story of Jane as she grows up, becomes a governess, and falls in love with her rich employer, Mr. Rochester. Jane Eyre was Charlotte Brontë’s second manuscript. Her first manuscript (The Professor) was turned down. However, she responded to the dismissal by writing Jane Eyre, which met instant commercial success. Part of this might have been due to the fact that Brontë originally published under the pen name of Currer Bell (same initials – something her sisters will mimic as well!). Although there were mostly raving reviews, there were some accusations of Brontë’s writing being “coarse” and an “improper” book. As someone who has read this book twice now, you would not find this book coarse or improper as a modern reader. Now, I am going to try my best to talk about the reasons why I love this book without spoiling it because I think this book is best enjoyed with no spoilers! I love the focus on growth throughout the novel. Jane reflects my own desire to be a life-long learner. She is also extremely firm in her beliefs and morals. Jane allows her faith and her values to guide her through life. Even when she is faced with hardship, she would rather stay true to her desires than stray, even for the man she loves. Jane is a beautiful example of a woman who does not change for love (she and Beatrice would have the most interesting conversations!). While it is a long and somewhat intimidating book, the language is easy to understand, and I promise that the twist is worth it!

Conclusion

As I was writing this blog post, I was hit with a sudden realization. All of my favorite books include a strong female character, each in a different way. Beatrice can hold her own in a debate against any character and continues to even after she has fallen in love. Cavendish writes herself into her novel to introduce themes of female empowerment and the importance of female education. Shelley fought for her writing to be taken seriously as a woman and discusses the hardships of motherhood in a beautiful way. Jane stands on her principles and her faith, even in the face of hardship and suffering. In the academic world, there are a lot of conversations about updating the literary canon to include a more diverse pool of authors and pieces of literature. I believe that this is vital work that will keep literature alive in the future. As a woman studying English Literature at university, it is refreshing that so many professors go out of their way to pick novels that embrace female characters and female authors. I hope that my favorite novels from my studies show you that there is more to the literary canon than just literature by old, white guys. 

Bibliography

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

The Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë