* Barnes & Noble now offering classic books for just $5
* Perfect for your summer reading list
* Catch up on all the books you didn’t read in high school
We all have a list — a list of classic books we’ve been meaning to read, but just haven’t, well, gotten around to. Barnes & Noble is now making it easier (and cheaper) than ever to conquer that list. Both in stores and online, they’re offering a wide-range of classic works of literature for only $5, and Spy has scoured the list to bring you our top five picks.
1. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
In this classic, originally published in 1890, Dorian Gray is the subject of a full-length portrait, before becoming caught up in an aristocrat’s hedonistic lifestyle. Dorian then sells his soul on the promise that the picture, not him, will age and fade. A fascinating philosophical study on the dangers of excess, it’s been adapted countless times, most recently for the Showtime series, Penny Dreadful.
2. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading Jane Austen’s timeless classic, now is the perfect opportunity. Most of us are familiar with the thrilling romance of feisty commoner Elizabeth Bennett and the wealthy and brooding Mr. Darcy, but you haven’t truly heard the story until you’ve read Austen’s fantastic prose.
3. This Side Of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
While most of us are familiar with Fitzgerald’s classic “The Great Gatsby,” his debut novel is what launched him into the literary world and helped him make a name for himself. The semi-autobiographical novel follows Amory Blaine, a Princeton graduate (Fitzgerald’s alma mater) on his journey through love and life in post-WWI America. Capturing the glamour and excess of the 20s, it’s the perfect summer read.
Related Stories
4. The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson
A brilliant female poet who has inspired modern authors such as Joyce Carol Oates and Adrienne Rich, Dickinson broke the mold of the classic 19th century woman by never marrying. Although she wrote around 1,800 poems over her lifetime, less than a dozen were published while she was alive. If you haven’t had the chance to experience some of her fascinating and deeply influential poetry, now is the time.
5. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Essentially the definition of an American classic, if you haven’t had a chance to read Twain’s work yet, spend $5 getting to know one of the most important works of literature. Following a young man’s journey into adulthood along the Mississippi river, it drew much from Twain’s own life.
If you buy something because we told you about it, we may receive compensation from retail partners.