David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

one sentence summary:
follow David Copperfield as he lives out the dream of every impoverished writer.

review:
Dickens was one of the greatest writers in the English language, this novel is no exception (in fact he said it was his favourite). The characters are all brilliant and the prose, as always are gripping. The plot is well designed and the setting is perfectly flawed. Copperfield is the every-man of those who think of themselves as artists. I recommend this to anyone who wants to read a poignant story of a man raising himself up by the bootstraps and making something of his life.

6/10

A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

one sentence summary:
there is a revolution going on in France.

review:
Again Dickens hits it out of the park with his descriptive ability. This is a beautiful work about the flaws of man and the hideousness of humanity. Every thing is connected but as you are reading it you do not necessarily see that it is even possible for the characters to be connected, but in the end they are.  The writing is beautiful and unforgettable. So much description that often it is called "wordy", that, however, is the beauty of Dickens, each of the plethora of words has a purpose. I recommend this for people who call themselves readers.

8/10

The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens

one sentence summary:
an exclusive club report the details of their personal adventures and the people they meet to each other.

review:
This is one of those books that you can keep around and read over and over. You can pick it up on a shitty day, open it randomly and read a few pages of genius. I may be too much of a fan of this but I honestly think it is the best character study ever written. It is hilarious in its attention to detail, the details of the people and the things they do. It is all so perfectly written that even a few pages of it is sure to wash even the worst story telling off your brain. It is like a palette cleanse for the readers soul. I recommend this to people who consider themselves readers.

8/10

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë

One sentence summary:
Another story where a poor girl finds herself in love with a wealthy man.

review:
This is often called one of the most beautiful love stories ever written, I agree. The writing is superb and the characters are both (there are only two that matter) unforgettable. It is the story of finding the bravery to follow your heart. There is a lesson in it for everyone and I think almost every one should read it (or see one of the movies if books aren't your thing).

7/10

Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë

one sentence summary:
A self involved man meets a self involved women...

review:
All of the characters in this novel are assholes, every single one of them, all terrible people. The writing is beautiful, the characters are well written but everyone is a total ass. This may be done ironically, or as a statement on society in general, however that does not make the characters into good people. The writing is brilliant though so is worth reading even though you will possibly hate everything about reading it. I recommend this to anyone who is on a "must read all the classics" kick.

6/10

Emma - Jane Austen

one sentence summary:
A young woman feels that she knows best about not only her love life but her friends as well, she does not.

review:
The funniest read of the Summer of Jane Austen, Emma was remarkably similar to me, trying to make everything perfect for everyone without even knowing what would make me happy. The wit in the writing is brilliantly entertaining, and, as always the characters and plot development are top shelve. I recommend this to any awkward teenage girl who has no friends and is wondering why.

6/10

Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

one sentence summary:
Two sisters find love, and all complications that come with it.

review:
I rather enjoyed this work during my Jane Austen summer, the female characters are relatable to my modern mindset more than most of her other characters. The characters (particularly when viewed as couples) are really quite flawed and the way they react to each other is brilliantly portrayed. The two sister characters play off each other so well that when reading I often felt that I was a scullery maid listening from behind the door and witnessing this all happen. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in either the era or the workings of relationships.

6/10

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

one sentence summary:
a pair of sisters fulfill their societal obligations.

review:
I read this in my summer of Jane Austen, I started out completely hating the Bennet sisters, but once I looked at it from a humorous angle it was highly entertaining. Don't take it seriously because, as a modern reader, you will probably hate all of the characters but if your read it as a statement on the ridiculousness of societal conventions you will enjoy it. The writing is brilliant, the vocabulary makes me wish that writers still wrote for the educated masses instead of high school drop outs.

6/10

The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand

one sentence summary:
there once were two architects, they both were misunderstood, in the most pretentious ways possible.

review:
This is really well written but I totally hated it. I liked the writing style, I loved the prose, but I HATED all of the characters and the plot too. It was just so pretentious, it is one of those books which all the yuppies read or pretend to have read because they think it gives them some sort of "greater-than-thou-ness". I understand why "misunderstood" teenagers  would love it, but never ever ever let them read it as they will use it as justification for being total shits for as long as they possibly can. That said the writing itself is beautiful.

4/10