8 Books You Read In High School That You Should Absolutely Read Again

1. Lord of the Flies by William Golding


Lord of the Flies follows the tale of a group of school-age children stuck on an island. The children do their best to govern themselves but things get out of hand, as they tend to do on deserted islands. While the story itself is riveting, the books also sends an important message about the infectious nature of power and the importance of communication and camaraderie that can be applied to adults as well as Piggy, Ralph, and the vicious Jack Merridew.

"Maybe there is a beast... maybe it's only us." 

-Simon, Lord of the Flies

2. 1984 by George Orwell

1984 is eerie. In a day and age where leaked NSA documents prove without a doubt that the United States government is collecting massive amounts of data about its citizens, this dystopian novel proves more relevant than ever. In high school, you may have brushed this novel off as science fiction. Read it again and you may just see it as more of a warning.

"Big Brother is Watching You." 

-1984

3. The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Dramatic and passionate, The Crucible tells the story of the Salem Witch Trials and the power of fear and deception to ruin lives. Read again as an adult, one can understand the story as an illustration of the dangers of McCarthyism and people with power's exploitation of the fear of communism during the 1950s. Ah, and we certainly feel for poor John Proctor, the classic example of the good guy that made a mistake he has to pay for much more than he deserves.

"Until an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in heaven." 

-Reverend Hale, The Crucible

 

4. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

"Romeo and Juliet" by Frank Dicksee

Shakespeare isn't light reading. Dictionary in one hand and SparkNotes in the other, you probably went more for the big picture than trying to understand the old English that Willy used line for line. Going back and reading it again, however, you may be able to pick up more on the dirty jokes Shakespeare slipped in there (hint: the Nurse and Mercutio are rather adept at this) and realize the story is more about impulsive behavior than a story of true, undying love. After all, Romeo was hopelessly in love with Rosaline like, a week ago.

"O Romeo, that she were! Oh, that she were

An open arse, and thou a poperin pear."

-Mercutio, Romeo and Juliet

5. The Illiad and The Odyssey by Homer
Number five on the list is two in one. These are some of the most famous works of literature of all time and they are also some of the most interesting. It's like an ancient Greek soap opera mixed with an action-adventure war story. Lyrically beautiful, even in their translated versions, these two are amazing to go back and read to enjoy, instead of for a school assignment. And perhaps the greatest part of these stories is that the Greeks of their time believed them to be historically accurate! The Trojan War is still a mystery and who doesn't love a good mystery?

“Give me a place to stand and I will move the earth.” 

-Homer, The Iliad

 

6. A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway

This one recounts the tale of an Italian soldier during World War I. Disguised as a love story, the book uses Hemingway's own experiences to paint a vivid picture of war and its effect on people and relationships. With Ernest's characteristically succinct diction and powerful yet straightforward imagery, the book is impossible to put down. Warning: no happy endings here.

"The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” 

-Henry, A Farewell To Arms

7. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Steinbeck loved writing about the Great Depression and Dust Bowl farmers. A short read, Of Mice and Men gives a surprisingly human point of view of the troubled times and is extremely important for its historical context. Perhaps not his most famous novel, but my personal favorite, Of Mice and Men deals with the jaded American dream of the 1930s and a great bit with loneliness. Going back and re-reading it will provide a bit more insight into the companionship of George and Lennie, the tumultuous relationship between Curley, his wife, and the rest of the world, and the events that occur between them.

"Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.” 

- Slim, Of Mice and Men

8. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut may just be my favorite writer of all time. Slaughterhouse-Five is his semi-autobiographical anti-war tale of the bombing of Dresden during the second World War through the eyes of the bleary and awkward Billy Pilgrim. Vonnegut uses hyperbole and humor to wittily weave a story about the dangers of war and its lack of humanity. Many of the themes, when re-encountered, will leave a lasting effect on the reader, mainly the concept of death and dying. Darkly humorous, Slaughterhouse-Five is completely filled with brilliant quotes, but this quote represents the most important theme of the book.

"So it goes." 

-Billy Pilgrim, Slaughterhouse-Five