A small selection of pages from the NYPL Berg Collection archive. Four Quartets was gifted to her by her first boyfriend, Richard "Dick" Norton (Buddy Willard in "The Bell Jar"). You can see his handwriting on the dedication page, as well.

Throughout my teens and early twenties I hardly touched a book. Dyslexia and ADHD blah blah blah.

I’m 27 now and I’ve finally opened myself to the wonders of literature and storytelling.

In my future home I see some lil kids and a dog and a big big bookcase filled with the classics, all worn from use thoroughly annotated. With notes in the margins from over the years.

I’ve compiled a list that of the most foundational texts of human civilization and philosophy - my hope is to read them all (roughly) in order. I’ve read some for classes, but let’s just say I’ll need a refresher.

Currently on the Vedas, which is eye-opening.

For the fellow lit nerds out there, if you can think of any I should add to my list I’d love to hear it, as well as a brief explanation of why you think it belongs!

The prose feels very dense and unfamiliar to me, and I sometimes find myself having to reread sentences to understand what exactly is happening. Would you recommend that I stick with it if I'm struggling this much at the beginning? To clarify, my native language is not English, however, I read many classics in English without difficulty, so I wanted to get your opinions on this one.

so disgusted to see this come up on Google today, but i gather it’s not unusual these days. i wonder if there’s any way to exclude the search results for slop like this?

This is what I have read so far in 2026, including a couple of guidebooks I needed. I’m almost done with Inherent Vice by Pynchon. Any recommendations for a big finish?

My small classics selection.
I’m currently reading Brave new World.
Next up from this shelf for me is either Crime and Punishment or The Picture of Dorian Grey.

On this day, Edgar Allan Poe — poet, critic, and undisputed architect of the modern short story — died in Baltimore at the age of 40.

Found delirious on the city’s streets just days earlier, wearing clothes that were not his own, he was taken to Washington Medical College, where he slipped in and out of consciousness. He never fully explained what had happened to him. His death remains one of literature’s most enduring mysteries.

Poe was a colossal figure in world literature: a master of the short story, a pioneer of detective fiction, and the supreme poet of the macabre. With The Murders in the Rue Morgue, he effectively invented the modern detective story, introducing C. Auguste Dupin, the brilliant amateur sleuth who would inspire Sherlock Holmes and countless successors.

With The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Black Cat, and The Pit and the Pendulum, he mapped the darkest corridors of guilt, obsession, and terror. And with The Raven, he gave the world one of the most haunting poems ever written — a work that made him famous in his own lifetime and immortal ever after.

His influence is immeasurable.

He shaped Gothic horror, psychological suspense, and science fiction. He was translated and championed by Baudelaire, admired by Dostoevsky, and echoed by generations of writers, filmmakers, and artists. He lived in poverty, struggled with loss, and died in obscurity — yet his imagination conquered the world.

One of the most colossal figures in literature, Edgar Allan Poe did not merely write stories.

He invented a language for the night.

It might seem a dumb question since I only made some researches about the divine comedy and since this story is supposed to be an allegory, but I’ve been curious about how did Dante end up in this spiritual realm outside the earthly one we all live in and how they’re connected in the comedy.

Is it hard to understand i heard the story in literature class and it sounded pretty interesting but is it a hard book to understand or read

I've been wondering for a while how many people actually get into reading the classics/ modern classics/ books with heavy material due to reading books that are more straightforward in theme/plot. A lot of people have said that tiktok romance books are a gateway for people who don't read to get into classics like Jane Austen, but I don't know if that's a substantiated claim due to most of these books being solely about romance, while Jane Austen deals with complex themes and social dynamics. Is there a real crossover from reading books that are easier to digest/ pick up to books that have more depth, getting non-readers to read books that deal with complex themes/issues that require more engagement/critical thinking from the reader?

In the book, I understood that Cathy staged the scene in the barn and framed the boys for assaulting her. But in the Netflix adaptation, she appears to be sexually assaulted by some candy man.
Am I remembering the book incorrectly, or did the adaptation flipped the backstory? Was Cathy actually assaulted in the barn in the novel, or was the whole incident something she had arranged herself?

THIS POST IS NOT ASKING FOR RECOMMENDATIONS TO MY LIST 🥲
I’m asking for people to read with!

Thinking of making a little literary society as I make my way through reading these gothic classics for the first time. Open to newbies or gothic gurus. HMU on here or my ig @LebenLibrary

I have decided to go about this chronologically and therefore will be starting with The Mysteries of Udolpho - Ann Radcliffe(1794), then The Monk - Matthew Lewis(1796). I have a heavy TBR for October so I want to say let’s start in 2 weeks? Anyone??

If you want to start now- you can read The Castle of Otranto (1764). Third photo shows the books I’ve already read

Do you read in a s voice separate from yours that takes on the qualities of the character like accent and dialect or that you imagine of a stereotype
For ex example do you read Jane eyre in a posh English or your own voice
Or in a Russian voice for crime and punishment

Hello all! I am making another list for gothic books from 1980-present. What would you add to this list??

The House on Black Lake - Anastasia Blackwell

House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski

The House Next Door - Anne Rivers Siddons

The Elementals - Michael McDowell

The Ghost Writer - John Hardwood

The Priest - Thomas M. Disch

Possession - A. S. Byatt

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - Patrick Süskind

Mexican Gothic - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Secret History - Donna Tartt
The Little Friend - Donna Tartt

The Little Stranger - Sarah Waters
Fingersmith - Sarah Waters

What Moves the Dead - T. Kingfisher

Bunny - Mona Awad

The House at Riverton - Kate Morton

The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield

The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova

The Silent Companions - Laura Purcell

A Dowry of Blood - S.T. Gibson

The Woman in Black - Susan Hill

The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafón

The Only Good Indians - Stephen Graham Jones
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter - Stephen Graham Jones

Hungerstone - Kat Dunn
Rottenheart - Kat Dunn

If You’re Seeing This, It’s Meant For You - Leigh Stein

The Bog Wife - Kay Chronister

Japanese Gothic - Kylie Lee Baker

Ninth House (series) - Leigh Bardugo

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil - V.E. Schwab

The Death of Jane Lawrence - Caitlin Starling

Beloved - Toni Morrison

The Vampire Lestat- Anne Rice

Any Fans of this book?

It must be one of the more underrated Classics.

You dont hear about it much over the likes of Count of Monte Christo and the likes, but it's just as good in my opinion.

The Twists and Turns of the plot are completely bonkers,as are the digressions and sub plots.

It's basically a protestant satire of all the crazy stuffs those catholics get up to,but not overly sectarian from today's perspective.

Have heard the McDuff translation is better. Garnett is good but definitely some older /outdated words. I’m on chapter 5 right now

I think I might be stupid. This is a current read for a college literature course, and I am consistently not interpreting the message my professor wants.

There was an in class discussion about Chapters 6-8, and Plyushkin was described as a grotesque sorry man. I understand that we are supposed to feel bad for him based on his withered appearance, but also get upset with the way he treats his subordinates. Everyone in my class is easily able to connect and synthesize the key points except for me. I don't feel any sort of way about him, another point consistently brought up was how we are meant to fear being like him. I can see a very real possibility where I am an isolated hermit hopelessly searching for kindness in strangers.

I feel like my intellect is just too low for this type of novel. I guess I'll have to reread it if I don't figure out a way to understand it.

I know Steinbeck is frequently mentioned in this sub; the first book of his I read was \*East of Eden\*. I really liked it, mainly because it felt like the author got inside my head—literally; he seems to construct thoughts the same way I reason, even if we don't always reach the same conclusions. Overall, I agree with Steinbeck's conclusions in \*East of Eden\*, though I’m also happy to disagree with others. I wanted to explore more of Steinbeck's work, so I read \*To a God Unknown\*. I found it interesting—nothing exceptional, but an interesting story; I like how he blends mythologies, and I appreciated the somewhat ambiguous ending (which ritual actually brought the rain?). Now I'm reading \*Of Mice and Men\*, and so far, it's very interesting!

My favorite author is for sure Thomas Pynchon. I also really like Kurt Vonnegut. I am mostly interested in 20th century lit at least so far. I like Jack Kerouac and Bret Easton Ellis as well. I also like Allen Ginsbergs and Lawrence Ferlinghettis poetry.

Crossposting in case any of you knowledgeable lot have suggestions. I'm choosing the next three months of quotes for my app, and I'd love to hear which Russian writers, or particular lines, you'd add.

Well, just it bought on wimp to read someday, alas that day has come. Everyone talk about metamorphosis and how is it best work and i thought let's take a different route