Hi, I'll be majoring in English and I was wondering which books are most frequently used in college literature courses? I'd like to start reading some now to get a jump start before I head off to school.
Depending on your specific course and professor, the list of books can greatly vary. However, some of the most commonly studied books in American and British Literature courses at the college level are:
- "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
- "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
- "1984" by George Orwell
- "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville
- "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad
- "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger
- "Beloved" by Toni Morrison
- "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer
- "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot
- "Hamlet" and other plays by William Shakespeare
These are pretty standard texts that offer rich thematic and stylistic elements to dissect and are frequently featured in introductory Literature courses. It's a good idea to get a head start on these readings, but remember, part of the value of the course will be in the analysis and discussions you'll have in class. So, keep an open mind and be prepared to reconsider your perspectives when you start your course.
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