Classic Literature from 20th Century

Classic Literature from 20th Century

In this article, we are going to read about 20 classic literature from 20th century. These classical books have explored modern humans and society to their best.

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

This is perhaps one of the most-read coming-of-age stories of all time. It talks about innocence, experience, adulthood, and more.

Animal Farm – George Orwell

Animal Farm – George Orwell

This book by Orwell created a lot of chaos, arguments, to simply put a revolution that let people think about the current society.

The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway

The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway

This is a tragic story of a Cuban fisherman. It is one of the best writings of Hemingway and it covers several issues.

The Catcher in the Rye – J. D. Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye – J. D. Salinger

This book by Salinger is considered a classic of coming-of-age literature as it covers the severity of teenage.

Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

This remarkable tale of the Great Depression records the Dust Bowl Migration during the 1930s and covers one farm family of Oklahoma.

Lord of the Flies – William Golding

Lord of the Flies – William Golding

A plane crashes on an unexplored island, stranding a group of school-going, boys.

Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury

Bradbury covers the story of Guy Montag who transformed from a book-burning fireman to a reading rebel.

Mrs. Dalloway – Virginia Woolf

Mrs. Dalloway – Virginia Woolf

Mrs. Dalloway could never be explained in short sentences as it explores a variety of themes, mental illness, society, self, and whatnot.

The Metamorphosis – Franz Kafka

The Metamorphosis – Franz Kafka

With the help o the character of Gregor, Kafka explains the absurdity of time and the shift change in emotions that can happen within a night.

The Stranger – Albert Camus

The Stranger – Albert Camus

Albert Camus in his every writing explores alienation, absurdity, existential crisis, and more in this book.

A Room With A View – E. M. Forster

A Room With A View – E. M. Forster

This book by Forster covers the struggle Lucy that she faced to belong somewhere between old Victorian rules and new liberal rules.

The Sound and the Fury – William Faulkner

The Sound and the Fury – William Faulkner

The misfortune of the Compson family features some of the most unforgettable characters in literature.

Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

This dystopian novel by Huxley is chiefly set in a revolutionary World Sate, occupied by hereditarily adapted citizens and intellect-based communal hierarchy.

One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

It tells the tale of the Buendia family and records the incompatible fight between the yearning for solitude and the need for love.

The Trial – Franz Kafka

The Trial – Franz Kafka

This story of Kafka released a year after his death is about Joseph K., a reputable bank officer.

The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

Atwood focuses on the life of a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead named Offred. During this time women are no longer allowed to read and learn.

Ulysses – James Joyce

Ulysses – James Joyce

This popular book by Joyce is a loose knot based on Odyssey and it follows the lives of Dubliners during 1904.

Beloved – Toni Morrison

Beloved – Toni Morrison

Sethe was born as a slave but she managed to escape to Ohio. It has been 18 years but she is still not completely free from within.

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

The story focuses on Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd who journeyed from Spain to the deserts of Egypt in search of a treasure.

The Color Purple – Alice Walker

The Color Purple – Alice Walker

This book by Walker received the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. The Color purple covers significant themes and discussions related to women.