# Which of these classic books should I read first?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-classic-books-should-i-read-first/79065>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 31, 2001, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-classic-books-should-i-read-first/79065 "2001-08-31T03:16:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-classic-books-should-i-read-first/79065/41 "2001-09-08T23:21:37Z")

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Faulkner is my second favorite author after Shakespeare, but he does take some getting used to. I would recommend trying either _The Hamlet_ or some of his short stories before you move on to _The Sound and the Fury_. In Faulkner novels, you should read slowly, and after each scene, stop and think about where it fits in the overall narrative.

As for _Ulysses_, it can’t hurt to start it, and you’ll soon find out whether you like Joyce’s style or not. _Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man_ is much shorter and easier to follow.

I only got through about 600 pages of _Atlas Shrugged_, but I did read the entire Cliffs Notes, and that alone is pretty tedious. Too many characters going through the same process of self discovery, too many annoying subplots, too long, too tedious, too repetitive.

I would strongly recommend _Tess of the d’Urbervilles_ and _Jude the Obscure_ by Hardy as well.

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