Dickens, Austen, Bronte, Hemingway

Well I believe I have found Roald Dahl’s must read book list. I picked up Roald Dahl’s “Matilda” from the library the other day to reread it. If you are not familiar with the story, Matilda is a brilliant little girl with nasty parents who know nothing of her talent. They don’t understand why she would want to read when there are perfectly good programs on the “telly” every night. I like how Dahl makes nasty parents TV lovers. That cracks me up. He must have really disliked television. I guess he saw life before TV and life after so maybe he’s got the best perspective. Anyway, she’s a child genius who does a few things that make you feel like justice was done.

Matilda is a five year old who can read practically anything. So after she finished reading all of the children’s books in the library she asks the librarian what she should read next. The librarian gives her Great Expectations by Charles Dickens to start then as she completes each book the librarian gives her another. Eventually Dahl lists all of the books Matilda has read. This is what I’m guessing are some of his favorite books. So for anyone else interested here’s the list. I picked up great Expectations and The Secret Garden to start with. I think I’ll try to read through most of this list over the coming months.

I’d love to know of any favorites from the list that I should pick up next.

GL

The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
Nicholas Nickleby – Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
Pride And Prejudice – Jane Austen
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
Gone To Earth – Mary Webb
Kim – Rudyard Kipling
The Invisible Man – H.G. Wells
The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway
The Sound and the Fury – William Faulkner
The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
The Good Companions – JB Priestley
Brighton Rock – Graham Greene
Animal Farm – George Orwell
Red Pony – John Steinbeck