# Easy reads for a thirty-something who wants to get started on the classics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2012, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-reads-for-a-thirty-something-who-wants-to-get-started-on-the-classics/611922 "2012-02-06T02:24:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-reads-for-a-thirty-something-who-wants-to-get-started-on-the-classics/611922/81 "2012-02-20T07:50:21Z")
_**Frankenstein The Call of the Wild The Hobbit Of Mice and Men Oliver Twist Animal Farm To Kill a Mockingbird Brave New World The Three Musketeers Candide**_ All fairly easy (and excellent) reads. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-reads-for-a-thirty-something-who-wants-to-get-started-on-the-classics/611922/82 "2012-02-20T07:52:23Z")
**Joey P** there are a ton of really awesome books on here that can’t lead you astray, but I’m curious if you’ve tried any popular literature in order to help you get into the swing of reading? There is a reason that Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and books of that ilk are popular. They are straightforward with some good story behind them which lead to everyone being able to read and enjoy them. I fell in love with reading one summer in 5th grade when I read all of the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, but most especially The Babysitters Club books. Reading such pulpy books just made my reading speed skyrocket which made my reading enjoyment much better for other “real” books. Without complex character development and nuanced situational writing, I think you could get reading into your blood and move on to the more complex “classics” as a second step. And honestly, maybe you’d enjoy going back to some of the Newberry award winners. There are some fantastic books in there that you would enjoy and help you get on your reading horse. Our library has a fantastic used book sale that we buy these for our personal library but absolutely love re-reading: The Phantom Tollbooth To Kill a Mockingbird Hatchet The Westing Game (very fun to actually solve it as an adult) Caddie Woodlawn This is to appeal to you to train your reading skills rather than diving in too deep (I know that is what you are trying to do with shorter less intense books.) Good luck! **standingwave** ’s list is spot on with several other great suggestions with the Jack London and J.R.R. Tolkien ---
**Author:** ![Bamboo\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@Bamboo\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bamboo_Boy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-reads-for-a-thirty-something-who-wants-to-get-started-on-the-classics/611922/83 "2012-02-20T08:24:57Z")
I respectfully submit: The Sirens of Titan (Kurt Vonnegut Jr) The Island of the Blue Dolphins (Scott O’Dell) ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-reads-for-a-thirty-something-who-wants-to-get-started-on-the-classics/611922/84 "2012-02-20T17:33:07Z")
In my OCD way, I must come here and advise you to avoid Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Assigned high school reading, and it was so impenatrible and un-fun and un-interesting, the entire class got a collective ‘F’ for their efforts. Kurt Vonnegut, if his works are considered classics, is wonderful, we all of us here ate up his books like peanuts (with a couple of rancid ones in the mix). ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-reads-for-a-thirty-something-who-wants-to-get-started-on-the-classics/611922/85 "2012-02-20T18:22:14Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > In my OCD way, I must come here and advise you to avoid Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Yeah, I read about 98% of it and decided to spare myself the rest. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-reads-for-a-thirty-something-who-wants-to-get-started-on-the-classics/611922/86 "2012-03-18T03:57:55Z")
Just wanted to let you guys know that your all a bunch of jerks for ruining movies for me. I read Dracula and then watched the movie…which sucked. I read The Hound of the Baskervilles and then watched the movie (2002) which sucked, I read Murder on the Orient Express and then watched the movie which didn’t suck but it wasn’t as good as the book. I think I’m going to stop watching movies based on books right after reading the book. Dracula was a particularly good example of this. The book spent the first, what, 30 or 40 some pages building up how terrifying the castle was supposed to be. I say ‘supposed to be’, but in the time of True Blood and countless other vampire movies it doesn’t really hold up anymore. Anyways, in the (Bela Legosi) movie they only spent the first 5 minutes there trying to do the same thing. I really didn’t get what’s supposed to be so great about the movie. I can only assume the people who loved that movie love it more because it’s the ‘original’ vampire movie and they probably didn’t read the book. As for the other movies, they would probably have been fine movies if I didn’t read the books first. In that case they just suffered from ‘this is really different from the book’ syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-reads-for-a-thirty-something-who-wants-to-get-started-on-the-classics/611922/87 "2012-03-18T04:11:18Z")
I pretty much take it as a given if I watch a movie and then read the book, I can like both a lot. But if I read a book and then watch a movie, I usually hate the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-reads-for-a-thirty-something-who-wants-to-get-started-on-the-classics/611922/88 "2012-04-03T03:19:07Z")
Just because I feel like tracking my progress (and I get a handful of recommendations every time I post something here) I just finished The Marvelous Land Of Oz. I really didn’t expect the twist at the end. Anyways, Ozma of Oz is next, but I’ve got to pick something else to read in between the Oz books. I really enjoy them, but it’s like doing a puzzle with 9 pieces. I’ve got some Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes still on the Kindle from before but I want to branch out a bit before I come back to those ones having already read some of both. I’m going to go through this list and pick something else out. If anyone else is going to throw things at me, remember, easy on the symbolism. I typically won’t pick up on it. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-reads-for-a-thirty-something-who-wants-to-get-started-on-the-classics/611922/89 "2012-04-03T04:19:22Z")
I’m glad I noticed this thread, as I’ve been looking for similar suggestions myself. Perhaps not a classic, but free in Gutenberg and brilliantly hilarious: _Right Ho, Jeeves_ by P. G. Wodehouse. (There’s also My Man Jeeves but I wouldn’t recommend starting with it) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-reads-for-a-thirty-something-who-wants-to-get-started-on-the-classics/611922/90 "2012-04-03T13:28:44Z")
> [@PeskiPiksi](#): > > Another vote for _To Kill a Mockingbird_. It’s wonderful. And just to warn, the first few pages are a bit dense to get through. But once you get past that history of the family/county part, it’s a page-turner. So don’t give up on it until you’re at least a couple of chapters in. Warning: unless I just can’t find it, there is no ebook version of To Kill a Mockingbird. I know people on Amazon complain about it. Oh, and I found _The Great Gatsby_ incredibly dull until we got into the symbolism in class. Yes, even with the “exciting” stuff at the end. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-reads-for-a-thirty-something-who-wants-to-get-started-on-the-classics/611922/91 "2012-04-03T13:36:34Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Warning: unless I just can’t find it, there is no ebook version of To Kill a Mockingbird. I know people on Amazon complain about it. > > Oh, and I found _The Great Gatsby_ incredibly dull until we got into the symbolism in class. Yes, even with the “exciting” stuff at the end. I faked my way through \*Gatsby \*and \*My Antonia \*back in school–bored me to tears. Then I picked them up again in my mid-30s. Much more rewarding. They’re probably my favorite novels, truth be told. ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-reads-for-a-thirty-something-who-wants-to-get-started-on-the-classics/611922/92 "2012-04-03T13:56:33Z")
I don’t think anyone’s mentioned the _Horatio Hornblower_ series. I’d heard of it when I was a kid (partially because Roddenberry described Capt. Kirk as a Hornblower-type character), but never read any of the books until a year ago. I’m now on the last (I’ve been borrowing most from my local library, and they don’t have the final volume in the storyline, _Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies_, so I’m waiting for it on an inter-library loan basis). These books are among the best I’ve ever read. Lots of adventure, thrills, and they keep you wondering what’s going to happen next, will Hornblower survive this battle, etc. I can’t recommend them enough. What about people like Bradbury and Asimov? _The Martian Chronicles_ and _I, Robot_ are well worth reading, for example. Then there’s atmospheric fiction like Lovecraft, and even some Robert Bloch. I enjoy all those, although I tend to enjoy more anthologies than anything else, because I’m something like the OP in that I read 20-30 pages a night, and can’t keep meganovels straight in my head. Although, I can read 50-80 pages of Hornblower at a time, which for me, is pretty astounding. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-reads-for-a-thirty-something-who-wants-to-get-started-on-the-classics/611922.md?page=4)