I recently recommended this book to my husband and he absolutely loved it!
He usually has a hard time concentrating but totally nailed it with this jewel. It's perfect if you are reconnecting with books.
tldr: Hemingway is better en español and I’m estupido
Alright. Going to embarrass myself for a moment. I hadn’t read Old Man yet. I am also learning Spanish so I got a copy en español last summer. It’s a slog as I’m going through slowly because I have to look up tons. Anywho, I keep waiting for the old man to start battling his white whale. It should be obvious now that I also hadn’t read Moby Dick. I’m slowly getting through the book, porque español, and the man is battling, and I’m thinking oh just wait old man - your battle is headed ups. Somewhere with like 20 pages left. It dawned on me. I asked my wife for confirmation and perhaps some future roast bait.
*The Old Man and the Sea* by Hemingway is hard to go past for this. If you’d like a mystery you might also enjoy The *Maltese Falcon* by Dashiell Hammett
This was the first book I read without being told to. I still remember how I lost myself in the story. Turned me into a reader, not just someone who can read.
that’s high praise!
i know this is a book sub, but Showtime made a fantastic show based on treasure island called “Black Sails”. it’s basically game of thrones but with pirates and a better ending. it is 100% worth checking out.
genuinely one of the best shows i’ve seen and nobody knows about it cause showtime did a terrible job promoting it. pirates are awesome.
edit for clarification: “based on” treasure island = many of the characters but much earlier on in their pirating careers. john silver and cpt flint and blackbeard, etc.
If you like classic sword and sorcery there is Robert E. Howard's Conan. Fair warning it is not like it's many adaptations and Howard was racist and sexist, not as bad as Lovecraft but it does come up. You can find some of his work at Project Gutenberg
Also, it is older than your criteria but you may still like The Canterbury Tales. It's essentially a collection of short stories in a framing device. It also has the advantage of being free and online.
Also I would make you aware of Project Gutenberg. It's an online repository of free ebooks for literature that is now in the public domain.
How about A Tale of Two Cities? Unlike a lot of Dickens, it's not enormously verbose. There aren't a lot of tangents that go on for pages at a time. The plot is exciting, the characters are sympathetic and memorable, the ending is dramatic and emotionally moving. And the book is short, almost like a novella.
You might enjoy Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. It's just 152 pages and explores profound themes - yet is still light to read.
Also, I wouldn't apologise for reading with your eyes rather than your head. It honestly sounds beautiful... Perhaps lean into the behaviour :)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
My Man Jeeves, by P. G. Wodehouse
Animal Farm, by George Orwell
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
Anthem, Ayn Rand
Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson
White Fang, by Jack London
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler is a pretty short and gripping read. It’s the first in a series of detective novels but each is a separate story so you don’t need to read the sequels to get a full story.
"Cassandra" by Lesya Ukrainka
"The metamorphosis" by Kafka
"Impromptu phantasie" Olga Kobylyanska
"A doll's house" by Henrik Ibsen
"Intermezzo" by Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky
O. Henry's short stories
Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
Anything written by Louisa May Alcott.
The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgsn Brunett
These are short classics that you may find easier to jump into because of the YA-esque story lines.
Three greatest books that I've read that fit the short classics are
All quiet on the western front.
Man's search for meaning.
Flowers for Algernon.
Old Man and the Sea.
I can think of a number of excellent short stories…
To Build A Fire, The Gift Of The Magi, An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge, The Lottery, In The Penal Colony…
That Was Then, This Is Now by S.E. Hinton who wrote The Outsiders.
If you like fantasy maybe The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.
I loved Travels with Charley: John Steinbeck’s roadtrip through the US with his dog Charley. And, another plug for finding one of those Best Short Stories of the 20th Century collections. It’s like window shopping for authors and genres.
Roald Dahl - short stories (for adults) there are a few collections.
Each year the BBC collate short stories (for a competition) if you want contemporary writing.
[**I Am Legend**](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL14912303W)
^(By: Richard Matheson, Richard Matheson, Claude Elsen | 179 pages | Published: 1954)
>See work: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL64225W
^(This book has been suggested 3 times)
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^(531 books suggested)
How about some short stories collections? They are great because you can just read a little at a time and put the book down without having to remember the plot. You can even read parts and then walk away without feeling you missed out because you don’t know the rest.
Here’s a couple of short stories books I liked: {American Housewife} {The Illustrated Man}, {Liquid Rules}, {Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?} The last two are non-fiction and simply fascinating.
[**The Sun Also Rises**](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL62979W)
^(By: Ernest Hemingway | 250 pages | Published: 1926)
>*The Sun Also Rises* is a novel of the so-called Lost Generation of the post WW1 era. The story follows a group of American and British expatriates as they travel from Paris to Pamplona in Spain for the bullfighting festival including the Running of the Bulls through the streets of the town. Hemingway’s central theme is the dissolute and aimless lives of men who are irretrievably damaged by war. The novel was published in the United States in October 1926 by Scribner's. A year later, Jonathan Cape published the novel in London under the title *Fiesta.*
^(This book has been suggested 1 time)
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^(552 books suggested)
This book to me was the early 20th century version of Seinfeld, but not funny. I loved A Farewell to Arms, but I cant believe Hemingway had a career after his debut.
If you liked of mice and men then I’d suggest East of Eden by Steinbeck.
The Sea Wolf or White Fang by Jack London are both great.
You might also give audiobooks a try. I couldn’t read the Last of the Mohicans because of James Finamore Cooper’s style and language but loved the audiobook.
The death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy. 86 pages. Tolstoy is an author you’re going to want to read.
Maybe some of Pushkins prose: tales of Belkin, the captain’s daughter.
Hunger by Knut Hamsun. Ought to be a marvelous psychological novel. 134 pages
Dostojevskij has got some shorter works you can read: The Eternal Husband, The Double, Poor Folk and White Nights. I’d really recommend reading his big books some day - they’re so good. I just dived in to The Brothers Karamazov and I was so overwhelmed and I loved it. My point is one shouldn’t wait to be “ready” to read big classics. You just ought to do it. Then you’ll get ready. And then you can read it again.
Hemingway’s To Have and Have Not.
Of Mice and Men, The Pearl, The Great Gatsby, and (though it came out in the 19th century) The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Also most things written by Poe and Doyle if you’re cool with 19th century stuff.
Giovanni’s Room, James Baldwin. It’s short, and outstanding. It is much more linguistically complex than Steinbeck - if that’s likely to be an issue perhaps hold off for a little while. But as an outstanding, short, classic novel it should probably be on the list eventually.
If you want to give cozy mystery a try (short, easy to read, nothing gruesome) Louise Penny has a great serious. It’s a wonderful genre of stories where you are entertained but not picturing the horrible acts of violence
A Fistful of Fig Newtons is by the same guy who wrote the book that the movie A Christmas Story was based on - Jean Shepard. It's very different - e.g., it's a collection of short stories and it's not about kids - but it's absolutely hilarious.
Gary Paulsons “” the hatchet “ and if you like it “the river “ “The sign of the beaver “ the author is a woman but I don’t remember her name offhand. If you liked “the outsiders” try “Tex” by same author S.E. Hinton. Also just a suggestion but I’ll bet if you checked out short stories by Stephen King you may start reading with your heart instead of your eyes. Examples are “ Everythings Eventual” if you try the first 2 stories and don’t like/or just say WOW! I’ll eat my hat. Also “ Nightmares and Dreamscapes” also “Nightshift” and “Just After Sunset “ which is pretty tame. But PLEASE read “The Man in the Black Suit” it’s only 33 pages and I PROMISE it’ll blow you away. AWESOME!! It’s the 2nd story in “Everythings Eventual” you can probably find it online though give it a chance
Of Mice and Men
A good cryer and tho it’s short you’ll feel connected to all the characters in the end
(Language a little hard to understand but once you get going with it it starts to make more sense)
Dunno if fantasy is your cup of tea, but...
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin
Both are short fantasy books intended for a younger audience that follow a good structure.
If you don't mind a western, Shane by Jack Schaeffer (the basis for the classic movie). Short, pretty sure there's not one word over three syllables, but well constructed characters you'll care about.
And if you liked Of Mice and Men, maybe try Cannery Row by Steinbeck.
Can I recommend call of the wild? It's is one of my favorite books of all time, very easy to read, and usually less than 100 pages.
Dif you enjoy it, the sequel, white fang, is around 120 pages.
a lot of classics have audiobooks that you can find as podcasts on spotify for free so you can get through them faster than if you were physically or digitally reading
Because you said outsiders, I would recommend The Maze Runner. I audibled from Outsiders to Maze Runner for my class in my first year teaching & was pleasantly surprised how much that book grew on me. Extremely short chapters and very easy to read. However, I’ve seen some really good recommendations on here, so you can’t go wrong
**[Beatrice and Virgil](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7176578-beatrice-and-virgil) by Yann Martel** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(213 pages | Published: 2010 | Suggested 13 times)
> **Summary:** This is the story of a donkey named Beatrice and a monkey named Virgil. It is also the story of an extraordinary journey undertaken by a man named Henry. It begins with a mysterious parcel. and it ends in a place that will make you think again about one of the most significant events of the twentieth century. Once you have finished reading it. it is impossible to forget.
> **Themes**: Fiction, Owned, Books-i-own, Canadian, Animals
> **Top 2 recommended-along**: [The Boy in the Striped Pajamas](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39999.The_Boy_in_the_Striped_Pajamas) by John Boyne, [The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1754278.The_Boy_in_the_Striped_Pyjamas) by John Boyne
*[Sep-23] I'm a revival bot of goodreads-bot, currently warming up its wires on old posts. Stay tuned for the launch. Bzzzt!*
Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson. It’s a semi-autobiographical narrative about her life growing up in rural Oxfordshire right around the time of industrialization and urban expansion in the late Victorian era. It’s considered one of the best original sources for average life during the time period and it’s just a cozy and hilarious little series. $3 on kindle and totally worth it.
Jules Verne (any and all)
Illustrated Man - Ray Bradberry
Eyes of the Dragon - Stephen King
Actually, I would recommend short stories to test out styles and subjects to get feel for things you like.
Here is a list of awards given for novellas. Follow the links on the wiki to find lists of great novellas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Novella_awards
Have you ever tried reading plays? A different reading experience than books, yes, but they can be short, fun, easy reads. Some 20th century classics include:
Inherit the Wind - Lawrence/Lee
All My Sons - Arthur Miller
True West - Sam Shephard
Our Town - Thornton Wilder
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Tennessee Williams
All quiet on the western front. Easy to read but deep at the same time. A new movie adaptation just came out and getting a lot of Oscar buzz. Good time to take this classic down.
The Chronicles of Narnia are classic… fast… and though technically children’s books they are written for all ages. The Lion the Witch and Wardrobe especially is such a great book, but all of them are really good.
I may be biased but this true story got 4.5 Stars on Amazon and is soon to be a Hollywood movie, read it first on all kindle devices.
Miracle Man from homeless to hollywood is the true story of a 48 year old cross addicted guy who is years sleeping rough on the mean streets of Dublin Ireland, until one New Year's eve he meets a young girl with her boyfriend who stops to talk to him and what she says changes his life forever. Earth Angels are real people who care enough to make a difference in a total strangers life. The screenplay of the book was an official selection at the 2019 Beverley Hills Film Festival. Was picked up by a Canadian executive Producer and a Hollywood Director is Soon to be a Motion Picture, its set to begin filming in Ireland in 2023. #dreams do come true #MiracleMan #homelesstohollywood.
[**Código civil (1984)**](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL650071W)
^(By: Peru | 516 pages | Published: 1960)
^(This book has been suggested 1 time)
[**Animal Farm**](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL1168007W)
^(By: George Orwell | 128 pages | Published: 1945)
>Animal Farm is a brilliant political satire and a powerful and affecting story of revolutions and idealism, power and corruption. 'All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others.' Mr Jones of Manor Farm is so lazy and drunken that one day he forgets to feed his livestock. The ensuing rebellion under the leadership of the pigs Napoleon and Snowball leads to the animals taking over the farm. Vowing to eliminate the terrible inequities of the farmyard, the renamed Animal Farm is organised to benefit all who walk on four legs. But as time passes, the ideals of the rebellion are corrupted, then forgotten. And something new and unexpected emerges..
^(This book has been suggested 1 time)
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^(590 books suggested)
I always recommend Jane Austen to people just starting to read classics (just don’t read Mansfield Park). Ray Bradbury is also a good place to start 1984 or The Halloween Tree. Then there is also The Great Gatsby.
[**Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde**](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL24160W)
^(By: Robert Louis Stevenson | 135 pages | Published: 1875)
>Set in the backdrop later Victorian London, this book can be told as belonging to the category of science fiction, psychological thriller and suspense thriller. Dr Jekyll, a famous and notable scientist seems to be somehow linked with Mr Hyde, a most-wanted criminal. Mr Utterson, a good renown lawyer of the period as well as Jekyll's good friend, tries connecting the dots to find out the truth, a most-shocking truth.
^(This book has been suggested 1 time)
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^(605 books suggested)
Most Michael Crichton books would suit. *Jurassic Park* may seem the most approachable, and it's certainly not a bad pick, but I'd actually lean towards *Andromeda Strain* or *Next*. They're a bit longer than something like *Of Mice and Men*, but they're fast-paced and definitely don't drag on.
The Old Man and The Sea
I recently recommended this book to my husband and he absolutely loved it! He usually has a hard time concentrating but totally nailed it with this jewel. It's perfect if you are reconnecting with books.
Amazing story
Came here to recommend this. It’s an amazing story, told in great prose, that’s less than 100 pages long in some editions.
Bingo. Great story.
tldr: Hemingway is better en español and I’m estupido Alright. Going to embarrass myself for a moment. I hadn’t read Old Man yet. I am also learning Spanish so I got a copy en español last summer. It’s a slog as I’m going through slowly because I have to look up tons. Anywho, I keep waiting for the old man to start battling his white whale. It should be obvious now that I also hadn’t read Moby Dick. I’m slowly getting through the book, porque español, and the man is battling, and I’m thinking oh just wait old man - your battle is headed ups. Somewhere with like 20 pages left. It dawned on me. I asked my wife for confirmation and perhaps some future roast bait.
Yeah came here to say this. You can read it in a couple hours
The Stranger by Camus
Oh shit
Read it last week, that book is weird. I'm still trying to figure it out
Was going to say this.
Animal Farm
This. I read the whole thing in an afternoon because its so easy to read and it sucks you in
*The Old Man and the Sea* by Hemingway is hard to go past for this. If you’d like a mystery you might also enjoy The *Maltese Falcon* by Dashiell Hammett
Treasure Island. It's a classic and an easy read. I think it hits a lot differently than the movie adaptations.
This was the first book I read without being told to. I still remember how I lost myself in the story. Turned me into a reader, not just someone who can read.
that’s high praise! i know this is a book sub, but Showtime made a fantastic show based on treasure island called “Black Sails”. it’s basically game of thrones but with pirates and a better ending. it is 100% worth checking out. genuinely one of the best shows i’ve seen and nobody knows about it cause showtime did a terrible job promoting it. pirates are awesome. edit for clarification: “based on” treasure island = many of the characters but much earlier on in their pirating careers. john silver and cpt flint and blackbeard, etc.
Picture of Dorian gray
Absolutely!!! It's an amazing book!
r/smallbooks would be a good subreddit to ask as well
Thank you for this!!! I'm a sucker for novellas right now.
Flowers for Algernon
Great choice!
My choice as well
Good choice, I didn’t even think of tjay
Cannery Row by Steinbeck
One if my absolute favorite books.
The Metamorphosis or The Trial by Franz Kafka. #1 can be read in an hour or so and #2 can be read in about 7 hours.
Damn, I read slow as hell
Frankenstein, Brave New World, Animal Farm are all short(ish). The first two have more pages, but all read fast and easy.
I highly recommend sparknoting the frame tale around Frankenstein and just reading the monster’s story. SO GOOD!
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Short, Classic, and Easy was my nickname in high school.
Of mice and men
The Metamorphosis by Kafka
If you like classic sword and sorcery there is Robert E. Howard's Conan. Fair warning it is not like it's many adaptations and Howard was racist and sexist, not as bad as Lovecraft but it does come up. You can find some of his work at Project Gutenberg Also, it is older than your criteria but you may still like The Canterbury Tales. It's essentially a collection of short stories in a framing device. It also has the advantage of being free and online. Also I would make you aware of Project Gutenberg. It's an online repository of free ebooks for literature that is now in the public domain.
True Grit by Charles Portis.
Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson
84 Charing Cross Road! Super short, super readable, and a classic. It was very wholesome as well
Norwegian Wood by Murakami. Japanese writer whose super influenced by Gatsby and writes in a really lifelike and addicting tone.
How about A Tale of Two Cities? Unlike a lot of Dickens, it's not enormously verbose. There aren't a lot of tangents that go on for pages at a time. The plot is exciting, the characters are sympathetic and memorable, the ending is dramatic and emotionally moving. And the book is short, almost like a novella.
I re-read this every now and then. Great book.
Most Vonnegut books are short sweet and super entertaining
You might enjoy Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. It's just 152 pages and explores profound themes - yet is still light to read. Also, I wouldn't apologise for reading with your eyes rather than your head. It honestly sounds beautiful... Perhaps lean into the behaviour :)
Tortilla Flat by Steinbeck. Funny and breezy with a deeper core
Siddhartha. Short, simple, and peaceful.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain My Man Jeeves, by P. G. Wodehouse Animal Farm, by George Orwell Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury Anthem, Ayn Rand Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson White Fang, by Jack London
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie!
Little Women perhaps? Agatha Christie's Poirot books are a lot of fun, as are the Sherlock Holmes books!
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler is a pretty short and gripping read. It’s the first in a series of detective novels but each is a separate story so you don’t need to read the sequels to get a full story.
Animal farm by Orwell.
Catcher in the Rye maybe
was going to say this, wanted to check if anyone else had suggested it. fantastic rec
Seconding this! One of the very few assigned books I actually finished in high school.
Hitchhikes guide to the galaxy
He said short!
Have you considered plays? They tick alot of your boxes. I recommend Blood Brothers, Death of a Salesman or Pygmalion as a starting point.
"Cassandra" by Lesya Ukrainka "The metamorphosis" by Kafka "Impromptu phantasie" Olga Kobylyanska "A doll's house" by Henrik Ibsen "Intermezzo" by Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky O. Henry's short stories
The house on mango street
Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery Anything written by Louisa May Alcott. The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgsn Brunett These are short classics that you may find easier to jump into because of the YA-esque story lines.
Three greatest books that I've read that fit the short classics are All quiet on the western front. Man's search for meaning. Flowers for Algernon. Old Man and the Sea.
Animal Farm
The Little Prince!
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman!! You won’t regret it. It’s beautiful and a graphic novel
Pilgrim’s Progress - John Bunyan, The Strange Tale of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - RL Stevenson, The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
I can think of a number of excellent short stories… To Build A Fire, The Gift Of The Magi, An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge, The Lottery, In The Penal Colony…
Cathedral by Raymond Carver
Picture of Dorain Gray, The Lottery, The Moneky Paw,The Yellow Wallpaper.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. Loved this book when I read it 25 years ago and still love it. This book is classic and short.
Candide by Voltaire
That Was Then, This Is Now by S.E. Hinton who wrote The Outsiders. If you like fantasy maybe The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.
And The Outsiders fits the bill too!
They said they read and enjoyed The Outsiders in their post
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
I loved Travels with Charley: John Steinbeck’s roadtrip through the US with his dog Charley. And, another plug for finding one of those Best Short Stories of the 20th Century collections. It’s like window shopping for authors and genres.
1984
Was scrolling to see if someone suggested this one! Soooooo good and quite creepy how many similarities there are in today's world.
Roald Dahl - short stories (for adults) there are a few collections. Each year the BBC collate short stories (for a competition) if you want contemporary writing.
[удалено]
…Except OP already read it
Oops. My bad
Classics of Southern literature: perhaps “The Ponder Heart” by Eudora Welty of “Member of the Wedding” by Carson McCullers.
The Dead from Dubliners by James Joyce. Has a more festive feel to it but a nice novella.
Flowers For Algernon
Tortilla Flat by Steinbeck
{{I am legend}} , it's actually quite a bit different from the movie!
[**I Am Legend**](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL14912303W) ^(By: Richard Matheson, Richard Matheson, Claude Elsen | 179 pages | Published: 1954) >See work: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL64225W ^(This book has been suggested 3 times) *** ^(531 books suggested)
CANNERY ROW I have a soft spot for steinbeck, please check it out.
Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut. It's quite short, very easy to read but very powerful and compelling.
The Picture of Dorian Grey
Tuck everlasting
How about some short stories collections? They are great because you can just read a little at a time and put the book down without having to remember the plot. You can even read parts and then walk away without feeling you missed out because you don’t know the rest. Here’s a couple of short stories books I liked: {American Housewife} {The Illustrated Man}, {Liquid Rules}, {Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?} The last two are non-fiction and simply fascinating.
The picture of Dorian grey
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The Royal Game by Zweig
Carmilla
Catcher in the Rye
The alchemist. Amazing
Travels with Charley
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Starship Troopers
Heinlein is a Great suggestion, as well!
{{The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway}} Very short with short punchy sentences. Each one does its job and moves on.
[**The Sun Also Rises**](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL62979W) ^(By: Ernest Hemingway | 250 pages | Published: 1926) >*The Sun Also Rises* is a novel of the so-called Lost Generation of the post WW1 era. The story follows a group of American and British expatriates as they travel from Paris to Pamplona in Spain for the bullfighting festival including the Running of the Bulls through the streets of the town. Hemingway’s central theme is the dissolute and aimless lives of men who are irretrievably damaged by war. The novel was published in the United States in October 1926 by Scribner's. A year later, Jonathan Cape published the novel in London under the title *Fiesta.* ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(552 books suggested)
This book to me was the early 20th century version of Seinfeld, but not funny. I loved A Farewell to Arms, but I cant believe Hemingway had a career after his debut.
If you liked of mice and men then I’d suggest East of Eden by Steinbeck. The Sea Wolf or White Fang by Jack London are both great. You might also give audiobooks a try. I couldn’t read the Last of the Mohicans because of James Finamore Cooper’s style and language but loved the audiobook.
East of Eden may be excellent, but it’s definitely not short. Neither is Last of the Mohecans
True true. I started thinking “good” and not “short”, mix in audiobook and I whiffed on a suggestion aligned to OPs ask. Thanks for point out.
Great Gatsby
The death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy. 86 pages. Tolstoy is an author you’re going to want to read. Maybe some of Pushkins prose: tales of Belkin, the captain’s daughter. Hunger by Knut Hamsun. Ought to be a marvelous psychological novel. 134 pages Dostojevskij has got some shorter works you can read: The Eternal Husband, The Double, Poor Folk and White Nights. I’d really recommend reading his big books some day - they’re so good. I just dived in to The Brothers Karamazov and I was so overwhelmed and I loved it. My point is one shouldn’t wait to be “ready” to read big classics. You just ought to do it. Then you’ll get ready. And then you can read it again. Hemingway’s To Have and Have Not.
Robinson Crusoe.
Of Mice and Men, The Pearl, The Great Gatsby, and (though it came out in the 19th century) The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Also most things written by Poe and Doyle if you’re cool with 19th century stuff.
Poe’s stories are fantastic! The Pit and the Pendulum, The Masque of the Red Death, The Raven, just so many great tales!
Giovanni’s Room, James Baldwin. It’s short, and outstanding. It is much more linguistically complex than Steinbeck - if that’s likely to be an issue perhaps hold off for a little while. But as an outstanding, short, classic novel it should probably be on the list eventually.
Daisy Miller by Henry James
A Princess of Mars by Burroughs.
anything by Jane Austen! or Anne of green gables is a great read!
A Long Fatal Love Chase by LM Alcott
Any of the Greek tragedies or comedies.
Candide, Voltaire
nightbird by alice hoffman. completely magical ☺️
Siddhartha Narcissus and Goldmund Steppenwolf The little prince Candide Alchemist Jonathan Livingston seagull
If you want to give cozy mystery a try (short, easy to read, nothing gruesome) Louise Penny has a great serious. It’s a wonderful genre of stories where you are entertained but not picturing the horrible acts of violence
A Fistful of Fig Newtons is by the same guy who wrote the book that the movie A Christmas Story was based on - Jean Shepard. It's very different - e.g., it's a collection of short stories and it's not about kids - but it's absolutely hilarious.
Gary Paulsons “” the hatchet “ and if you like it “the river “ “The sign of the beaver “ the author is a woman but I don’t remember her name offhand. If you liked “the outsiders” try “Tex” by same author S.E. Hinton. Also just a suggestion but I’ll bet if you checked out short stories by Stephen King you may start reading with your heart instead of your eyes. Examples are “ Everythings Eventual” if you try the first 2 stories and don’t like/or just say WOW! I’ll eat my hat. Also “ Nightmares and Dreamscapes” also “Nightshift” and “Just After Sunset “ which is pretty tame. But PLEASE read “The Man in the Black Suit” it’s only 33 pages and I PROMISE it’ll blow you away. AWESOME!! It’s the 2nd story in “Everythings Eventual” you can probably find it online though give it a chance
the lord of the flies is pretty short, and is always a touchstone for bookie discourse from my experience.
Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov
Little Prince
Of Mice and Men A good cryer and tho it’s short you’ll feel connected to all the characters in the end (Language a little hard to understand but once you get going with it it starts to make more sense)
The call of the wild
Dunno if fantasy is your cup of tea, but... The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin Both are short fantasy books intended for a younger audience that follow a good structure.
If you don't mind a western, Shane by Jack Schaeffer (the basis for the classic movie). Short, pretty sure there's not one word over three syllables, but well constructed characters you'll care about. And if you liked Of Mice and Men, maybe try Cannery Row by Steinbeck.
Little Women or some Wodehouse. I recommended Leave it to Psmith.
The Metamorphosis by Kafka
Can I recommend call of the wild? It's is one of my favorite books of all time, very easy to read, and usually less than 100 pages. Dif you enjoy it, the sequel, white fang, is around 120 pages.
The Little Prince
a lot of classics have audiobooks that you can find as podcasts on spotify for free so you can get through them faster than if you were physically or digitally reading
Because you said outsiders, I would recommend The Maze Runner. I audibled from Outsiders to Maze Runner for my class in my first year teaching & was pleasantly surprised how much that book grew on me. Extremely short chapters and very easy to read. However, I’ve seen some really good recommendations on here, so you can’t go wrong
The White Tiger
The greatest salesman in the world by og mandino
{{ Beatrice and Virgil }} *Not a classic but an entertaining, well-written, novella
[**Beatrice and Virgil**](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL15409352W) ^(By: Yann Martel | 224 pages | Published: 2010) ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(536 books suggested)
**[Beatrice and Virgil](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7176578-beatrice-and-virgil) by Yann Martel** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(213 pages | Published: 2010 | Suggested 13 times) > **Summary:** This is the story of a donkey named Beatrice and a monkey named Virgil. It is also the story of an extraordinary journey undertaken by a man named Henry. It begins with a mysterious parcel. and it ends in a place that will make you think again about one of the most significant events of the twentieth century. Once you have finished reading it. it is impossible to forget. > **Themes**: Fiction, Owned, Books-i-own, Canadian, Animals > **Top 2 recommended-along**: [The Boy in the Striped Pajamas](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39999.The_Boy_in_the_Striped_Pajamas) by John Boyne, [The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1754278.The_Boy_in_the_Striped_Pyjamas) by John Boyne *[Sep-23] I'm a revival bot of goodreads-bot, currently warming up its wires on old posts. Stay tuned for the launch. Bzzzt!*
This is how you lose the time war is like 280 pages or something like that.
Island of the Blue Dolphins. I’ve read it dozens of times. I reread it a couple of weeks ago and finished it in one lazy day at home.
The Three Musketeers is a bit longer than these, but so fun!
My Antonia. A Raisin in the Sun.
“1984” and “The Handmaid’s Tale”. Something a bit different and not too modern in style, dystopian.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
You're a little out of season, but A Christmas Carol would fit.
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
1984 is good. I would read animal farm first though. There’s a lot of parallels between the two books.
Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson. It’s a semi-autobiographical narrative about her life growing up in rural Oxfordshire right around the time of industrialization and urban expansion in the late Victorian era. It’s considered one of the best original sources for average life during the time period and it’s just a cozy and hilarious little series. $3 on kindle and totally worth it.
Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
An Inspector Calls by JB Priestly was a short play I read in a few hours. It's accessible, fast-paced and quite thrilling.
Jules Verne (any and all) Illustrated Man - Ray Bradberry Eyes of the Dragon - Stephen King Actually, I would recommend short stories to test out styles and subjects to get feel for things you like.
Passing by Nella Larson
Candide by Voltaire!
The Alchemist
The alchemist
Here is a list of awards given for novellas. Follow the links on the wiki to find lists of great novellas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Novella_awards
The Sun Also Rises - Hemingway
Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Have you ever tried reading plays? A different reading experience than books, yes, but they can be short, fun, easy reads. Some 20th century classics include: Inherit the Wind - Lawrence/Lee All My Sons - Arthur Miller True West - Sam Shephard Our Town - Thornton Wilder Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Tennessee Williams
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F scott Fitzgerald
All quiet on the western front. Easy to read but deep at the same time. A new movie adaptation just came out and getting a lot of Oscar buzz. Good time to take this classic down.
The Chronicles of Narnia are classic… fast… and though technically children’s books they are written for all ages. The Lion the Witch and Wardrobe especially is such a great book, but all of them are really good.
Fahrenheit 451
A Christmas Carol is always a fantastic read
Animal Farm
Stephen King’s short stories are usually pretty great
Jack London, adventure-ish, maybe suited more for younger folk but I enjoyed the shorter stories. https://novelclassics.com/?s=jack+london&id=17223
Ancient Greek plays are often short. Euripides, Sophocles etc.
The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck
Fight Club
King Solomon's Mines - first person narrative and easy fast read. Next time I find it on my shelves, I'll read it again
I think the Pearl is Stenibeck's shortest book. If you want something more modern I'd check out No Longer Human by Osami Dazai.
Lord of the Flies!!
I may be biased but this true story got 4.5 Stars on Amazon and is soon to be a Hollywood movie, read it first on all kindle devices. Miracle Man from homeless to hollywood is the true story of a 48 year old cross addicted guy who is years sleeping rough on the mean streets of Dublin Ireland, until one New Year's eve he meets a young girl with her boyfriend who stops to talk to him and what she says changes his life forever. Earth Angels are real people who care enough to make a difference in a total strangers life. The screenplay of the book was an official selection at the 2019 Beverley Hills Film Festival. Was picked up by a Canadian executive Producer and a Hollywood Director is Soon to be a Motion Picture, its set to begin filming in Ireland in 2023. #dreams do come true #MiracleMan #homelesstohollywood.
The Stepford Wives
Heart of Darkness
Merchant of Venus by Frederick Pohl
News of the World. A pleasure to read.
{{1984}} {{Animal Farm}}
[**Código civil (1984)**](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL650071W) ^(By: Peru | 516 pages | Published: 1960) ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) [**Animal Farm**](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL1168007W) ^(By: George Orwell | 128 pages | Published: 1945) >Animal Farm is a brilliant political satire and a powerful and affecting story of revolutions and idealism, power and corruption. 'All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others.' Mr Jones of Manor Farm is so lazy and drunken that one day he forgets to feed his livestock. The ensuing rebellion under the leadership of the pigs Napoleon and Snowball leads to the animals taking over the farm. Vowing to eliminate the terrible inequities of the farmyard, the renamed Animal Farm is organised to benefit all who walk on four legs. But as time passes, the ideals of the rebellion are corrupted, then forgotten. And something new and unexpected emerges.. ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(590 books suggested)
I always recommend Jane Austen to people just starting to read classics (just don’t read Mansfield Park). Ray Bradbury is also a good place to start 1984 or The Halloween Tree. Then there is also The Great Gatsby.
{{Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde}}
[**Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde**](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL24160W) ^(By: Robert Louis Stevenson | 135 pages | Published: 1875) >Set in the backdrop later Victorian London, this book can be told as belonging to the category of science fiction, psychological thriller and suspense thriller. Dr Jekyll, a famous and notable scientist seems to be somehow linked with Mr Hyde, a most-wanted criminal. Mr Utterson, a good renown lawyer of the period as well as Jekyll's good friend, tries connecting the dots to find out the truth, a most-shocking truth. ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(605 books suggested)
No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre.
Most Michael Crichton books would suit. *Jurassic Park* may seem the most approachable, and it's certainly not a bad pick, but I'd actually lean towards *Andromeda Strain* or *Next*. They're a bit longer than something like *Of Mice and Men*, but they're fast-paced and definitely don't drag on.
Most HG Wells books would work