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14 (Easy) Classic Books for When You Need a Little Perspective
After years of decline, I am starting to have hope that reading is experiencing a Renaissance. It’s about time. Although 40% of U.S. adult citizens didn’t read a single book in 2025, I’m squinting for the light at the end of the tunnel. And I think it’s starting to break through.
More people, particularly the younger generation, are turning away from the screen and searching for more ways to live an analog life. Book clubs are on the rise. I myself joined one in Paris, where I’ve discovered new-to-me delights like Waiting for Bojangles and Gigi.
As tech titans insist that automation and digitization are hallmarks of progress we must pursue at all costs, I’m, instead, looking backwards at the voices that came before us. What can they illuminate about the human condition that plagues each of us still today? What guidance can they offer about making it through when heartache, malaise, and other existential crises stifle our psyches? What beauty can they remind us to appreciate?
Even if you haven’t picked up any classic literature since your school days, I promise it will still welcome you with open arms. From my bookshelf to yours, here are 14 easy classic novels (plus a few plays) to give you a little perspective:
The shortlist: classic literature to make life feel more manageable
The Crucible by Arthur Miller — for historical drama fans ready for themes of hysteria
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry — for anyone who wants deep, timeless truths in childlike simplicity
1984 by George Orwell — for dystopian fans who want to explore surveillance, control, and resistance
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams — for theater lovers looking for a gritty Southern drama
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald — for Roaring 20s fans and hopeless romantics
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger — for anyone who’s ever felt alienated and craves a cynical, honest narrator
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller — for serious readers ready for a tragedy about identity, dreams, and family
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare — for anyone in the mood for wordplay, magic, and romantic chaos
Animal Farm by George Orwell — for readers who want a short, sharp political critique
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde — for anyone curious about what happens when you value appearance over soul
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen — for fans of romance and clever dialogue
A Room with a View by E.M. Forster — for anyone dreaming of romance and self-discovery on a European vacation
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens — for history buffs who want lots of drama
Les Misérables (Abridged) by Victor Hugo — for history buffs who want lots of drama in France
Easy-read classic literature to provide comfort
1. The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Best pick for: Historical drama fans ready for themes of hysteria
Compared to a lot of other classic literature, The Crucible is a breeze to read, but that doesn’t mean it’s lighthearted. At 143 pages, this play is packed with tension, betrayal, and a fair share of finger-pointing, throwing-under-the-bus, and other moral shenanigans. Based on the Salem witch trials, it’s an allegory of the “witch hunts” that took place during the anti-communist McCarthy-ism era. When Elizabeth Proctor is accused of being a witch, the town descends into hysteria, with neighbor turning against neighbor and morality going up in the air.
About the author: Arthur Miller (1915-2005) was an American playwright known for tackling personal failures and social injustice.
2. The Little Prince by Antoine Saint-Exupéry
Best pick for: Anyone who wants deep, timeless truths in childlike simplicity
This French novella is so simply written that even a French language learner could read it with little difficulty. In that simplicity, though, lie poignant messages of love, friendship, and what we lose when we grow up. For more perspectives on the French classic, you can explore its translation into 522 languages and dialects. After reading, try one its many film adaptations; I’m particle to the 1974 musical featuring Gene Wilder as the fox and Bob Fosse as the snake.
About the author: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944) was a French aviator and writer whose internationally renowned Little Prince novella blends philosophy, whimsy, and childhood innocence to speak to readers of all ages.
3. 1984 by George Orwell
Best pick for: Dystopian fans who want to explore surveillance, control, and resistance
If you’re still a fan of the dystopian trend that had us all in a chokehold in the 2010s, then 1984 should be your first pick among these easy classic novels. In just over 300 suspenseful pages, Orwell details a futuristic totalitarian society where protagonist Winston Smith struggles to rebel against the machine. For moments when you’re feeling philosophical and want some food for thought on politics, surveillance, and censorship, this is one of literature’s best works to turn to.
About the author: George Orwell (1903-1950) was a British writer, journalist, and critic known for his hot political insights and clear, powerful prose.
4. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
Best pick for: Theater lovers looking for a gritty Southern drama
At only 107 pages, you can easily thumb through A Streetcar Named Desire in an afternoon. You’ll follow the story of “the faded and promiscuous Blanche DuBois” (as described by Goodreads) and “her sexy and brutal brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski.” Like many impactful works of art, this play can be difficult to read at times, but if you’re looking to exchange inane short-form videos for content that makes you think, then perhaps that’s all the better.
About the author: Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) was an American playwright most celebrated for his works that explore desire, decay, and delusion in the American South.
5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Best pick for: Roaring 20s fans and hopeless romantics
One of my all-time favorite books, this masterpiece by F. Scott Fitzgerald is also one of literature’s most accessible pieces. Set in the Roaring Twenties, this short novel delivers prose dripping with grandeur, a heaping dose of debauchery, and decadent imagery of Jazz Age-era partying on Long Island, i.e., everything you could want out of a 1920s American story.
About the author: F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) was an American novelist who captured the spirit of the Roaring Twenties. Though he was mostly unrecognized in his time, his works now top the lists of most prized 20th-century literature.
6. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Best pick for: Anyone who’s ever felt alienated and craves a cynical, honest narrator
The Catcher in the Rye was the first book I was assigned to read in my freshman English class. At the time, it honestly didn’t capture my interest. At age thirteen, I don’t think I had yet achieved enough angst to fully appreciate this classic coming-of-age novel. But Holden Caulfield’s voice sticks with you. Whether you can relate to him or he just makes you want to roll your eyes, there’s a reason this famed classic is considered one of the best American novels, period. I didn’t love it in high school, but as I near my thirties, I think it’s time for me to read it with new eyes.
About the author: J.D. Salinger (1919-2010) was a reclusive American writer who famously withdrew from public life to rural New Hampshire after the success of The Catcher in the Rye.
7. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Best pick for: Serious readers ready for a tragedy about identity, dreams, and family
If talk of the American Dream makes you feel disillusioned, bitter, and hung out to dry, then, welcome. You’ll fit right in with Willy Loman, the aging traveling-salesman character whose life is unraveling as he clings to outdated ideas of success, masculinity, and legacy.
About the author: Arthur Miller (1915-2005) was an American playwright known for tackling personal failures and social injustice. For a time, he was married to Marilyn Monroe.
8. A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
Best pick for: Anyone in the mood for wordplay, magic, and romantic chaos
You either love Shakespeare’s writing or you hate it. But if you’re not sure where you stand, this comedy is a pretty good place to start. The play follows the trials and misunderstandings of four young (confused) lovers, with all the fun of magic and mistaken identities thrown into the mix. If some of the vocabulary is throwing you for a loop, I recommend this handy SparkNotes version, which puts Shakespeare’s writing side-by-side with a modern translation for simplified reading.
About the author: William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an English playwright and poet widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language.
9. Animal Farm by George Orwell
Best pick for: Readers who want a short, sharp political critique
Animal Farm is a satirical novella set on a farm where the animals overthrow their human owner, only to realize the new animal leadership is just as oppressive. At around 140 pages, it’s a quick, powerful story that packs a thought-provoking punch about power, corruption, and equality.
Why it’s good for beginners: The language is simple and the story moves fast. If you’ve never read a political allegory before, this small book will put you on the path to think the big thoughts.
About the author: George Orwell (1903-1950) was a British writer, journalist, and critic known for his hot political insights and clear, powerful prose.
10. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Best pick for: Anyone curious about what happens when you value appearance over soul
This is a deliciously written tale about a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and must then watch (and hide) his portrait grow increasingly haggard, aged, and ugly as his own physical form remains perfectly intact. It’s witty, stylish, a little bit dark, and gives you a sinisterly thought-provoking look at what it’s like to live without a moral compass.
About the author: Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was an Irish known for his show-off wit, flamboyant style, and biting critiques of Victorian society. The Picture of Dorian Gray is his only novel.
11. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Best pick for: Fans of romance and clever dialogue
Pretty much anything by Jane Austen is a good pick if you’re searching for easy classics for beginners. Set in 19th century England, Pride and Prejudice follows the romantic entanglements of Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters and what happens when two people who are seemingly completely mismatched are forced to confront each other. With a biting social commentary and a one-of-a-kind love story, it’s no wonder this one is a cult favorite among classic literature fans.
About the author: Jane Austen (1775—1817) was an English novelist known for her witty stories about love, class, and society. Her other works, including
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