Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone ~ J.K. Rowling (1997)

Of all the books in recent memory, none have been more successful or influential as J.K. Rowling’s debut novel, the first entry of the saga of The Boy Who Lived: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The book which begins the story of Harry Potter is globally recognised as a tale filled with magic, humour and heart and it will be difficult for any author to now make an impact on the literary and non-literary world quite like Philosopher’s Stone and its sequels. It will be surprising to find anyone who has not read this book as it has become so widely iconic whether through its story, its characters or even the cover design. The intrigue which Harry looks upon the Hogwarts Express on my copy is similar to the millions who approached the novel in the first few years of its existence before the story came to the big screen and highly positive response follows a genuinely enjoyable reading experience. The novel allows this through numerous factors: firstly the characters which each have different personalities such as Harry’s bravery, Hermione’s intelligence, Ron’s loyalty and Draco’s deception. The expanse of attributes which these characters reach ensures that readers connect and associate with them immediately and each are so well described and humanised with humour and emotion that they become more than characters in a book but role models in reality. Personally, I am grateful for Hermione who teaches that intelligence and the pursuit of knowledge is rewarding and not to shy from. It is not just the children who quickly gain celebrity status but the adults and teachers of the books where names such as Dumbledore and Snape have achieved fame through their equally well designed characters which project the wise and charismatic headmaster and mysterious potions master from the pages into our minds. The primary location for the novel additionally becomes a character in itself as  Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a setting physically filled with magic from talking portraits to three-headed dogs. Hogwarts is alive and its numerous secrets make it one of the most difficult ‘characters’ to understand yet we want to delve further and explore more, leading to our following the rest of the saga. The real reason why this book and its sequels are such a success is for the escapism as like Harry, we may be bored of the Muggle world yet nothing is more exciting than the chance to live like a witch or wizard in a fun yet dangerous magical setting and it is this joy that the story brings that encourages further re-readings as the effect of this novel, above the rest in the series, is the most genuine without the later plot complications and darker tones. Truly, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a truly magical reading experience and I am glad to have grown up with this book as my Bible for the joy, excitement and role models it has given me.

Hamlet ~ William Shakespeare (1603)

Often called his masterpiece, for William Shakespeare, this is a high claim yet Hamlet remains one of the best theatrical works in history and there are many convincing reasons for this. First are the quotes where so many have been taken from this play to be used out of context such as “To thine own self be true” which is applicable to many situations besides Polonius giving his son a goodbye message. The language is poetic and the effect of the words has communicated globally for over 400 years. It is surprising to find so many quotes in the play which are embedded in our everyday language and where these have often lost their source, reading Hamlet reminds us of the poetic genius and power of Shakespeare. Alongside famous phrases such as “To be, or not to be” stands famous characters including the speaker of the soliloquy, the melancholy Prince Hamlet. As a protagonist, Hamlet is very interesting as he is an outsider and distances himself from the royal court who celebrate the wedding of his mother to his uncle after his father dies. Hamlet, from the outset, is intelligent and perceptive as he does not allow public pressure to cloud his mourning for his dead father. Hamlet is unlike the corrupted court and without any other significant support, we do. We, with Hamlet, are granted information concerning the death of his father and on a determined pursuit of revenge; we hope to see him succeed as he is the remedy to the rotten country. Part of his plan includes feigning madness and this is my most interesting piece of the play as debating his insanity broadens the work as in considering if Hamlet is truly mad and not pretending, his belief of seeing his father’s ghost and receiving an identity of his murderer can be argued. What is initially seen as a heroic pursuit for truth can now be read as a complex misunderstanding triggered by insanity. The play asks us to question the psyche and in doing so, we only find ambiguity which is why scholars have attempted to discover the answers for centuries. The true answer is the audience’s decision which makes this a unique text which invites and rewards excavation into the words and action of the play. Overall, the play teaches us the complexities of revenge as Hamlet’s plan rarely works to his intention and as it stretches further, innocence is tarnished before being destroyed, as represented by the tragic Ophelia, and while it is true that the play is long, it is effective that as it continues, we lose motivation and the as a result the plot plunges further into tragedy. While mostly a cautionary tale teaching of revenge, Hamlet has much more to offer in discussing family, friendship, trust, tragedy, love and what it is to be ourselves and it is for these reasons, and more, that the play stretches beyond the performance as it speaks directly to our hearts, our minds and our souls, making it one of the greatest plays ever written.  

Great Expectations ~ Charles Dickens (1860-61)

In one of his final novels, Charles Dickens sets high standards immediately from his title but it is ambiguous: who has great expectations? Why are they great? In applying the question to the reader, I had great expectations and, luckily, I was not disappointed. The story of Philip Pirrip, or Pip, is a beautifully written and performed story in which the young orphan is given the chance to rise above his disparity in the chance of becoming a gentleman. The tale follows his growth from a blacksmith boy to London nobility and through his journey, Pip encounters some very interesting characters. This is my highlight of the novel, with particular emphasis on the character of Miss Havisham who has become almost as infamous as the work which she originates from. With such an interestingly Gothic character design with an equally dark and mysterious back-story, Miss Havisham has been immortalised as one of Dickens’ most iconic characters. Apart from the image of Havisham in her decaying wedding dress, in the novel she serves an intriguing purpose as her intentions are never clear. Havisham seems to support Pip and also to disappoint him, she is merciless without any loyalties except to herself and manipulates the thoughts and ‘great expectations’ of the protagonist and therefore the reader themselves. Miss Havisham orchestrates the events of the narrative and makes the story more compelling as we must unravel her webs of deception which it is revealed involves more characters and events than we can imagine. It is through Pip that we live through this journey and while we may become disenfranchised with him during his adolescent years in which he forgets his roots and himself, it makes the character far more realistic. The new Pip may not be as likeable but the conflicts within his mind and his decisions to understand who he really is motivate the story and like the rest of the characters, there is no true division of him being good or bad, merely human and this makes his story relatable to our own. It is enjoyable to see him develop and his poor decisions act as a cautionary tale. Regardless, we do not separate from Pip and we experience his heartbreak in its entirety. Great Expectations plays with the feelings of Pip and the reader which makes the novel a true experience and one which will be made again in the near-future, keeping an eye to the overall plot to wonder how I once, foolishly, became spiders to Miss Havisham’s wedding cake.  

Dracula ~ Bram Stoker (1897)

When considering the Gothic, it is difficult to define the criteria of the genre. One common suggestion is ‘the monster’, an archetype which has become associated with Gothic fiction and a key example, which has achieved timeless recognition through this, is Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Following the publication of the novel, the protagonists and side characters have been largely forgotten, the story lost to public consciousness, but the enduring and iconic factor is its monster as “Dracula” has become synonymous with horror, terror and is embedded in our language. This notoriety has in a way damaged the original work as the high quantity of adaptations has reformed the vampire which differs from Stoker’s original intentions. It may be surprising that the first appearance of Dracula is not the slick black haired figure of fear as he is often assumed but as an old man and while he grows younger through his consumption of blood, this contrast was initially confusing. The literary Dracula is also able to turn into a wolf and cannot cross running water. Overall though it is interesting to discover the root of the directorial choices and understand the true story of the famous vampire. Whether it is the genius depiction of this suave villain or the fascination with the vampire and their habits, the antagonist of Stoker’s novel has achieved iconic status and is rightly deserved as one of the most intimidating yet intriguing monsters. While Dracula is the novel’s selling point, hence his name being used for the title, the other characters are also notable features; especially three main protagonists, Johnathan Harker, Mina Harker and Professor Van Helsing. Johnathan, as our first narrator, fulfils the requirement of being the naïve character that the reader slips into alliance with and his innocence is important as we empathise with him during his entrapment in Castle Dracula as we, who are unable to escape this perspective, must also experience the trapped sensation and the horrors of the castle. Mina, like her husband, is also likeable through her human presentation and once she is threatened by the monster, anticipation rises to see her saved. It should also be mentioned that Mina is very independent and this is a refreshing authority from some Victorian women that makes an impression on the men of the novel as well as the reader. Finally, Van Helsing forms an image of comfort as he is the only one able to uncover Dracula’s secrets and like the other character, we feel security with him. Clearly, this is a very character-driven novel and this is achieved especially through the use of the epistolary structure, as the story is written as a series of letters from alternating authors, which invites the reader into the psyche of the characters that enables stronger bonds and investment into the story. This is not a criticism as it is through these characters that the novel has gained its iconic status and the protagonists and their monster are the greatest achievements from Bram Stoker’s work.    

Jane Eyre ~ Charlotte Brontë (1847)

In 1847, the Brontë sisters published their individual works and were each met with positive reception. Perhaps the most critically-acclaimed was the novel Jane Eyre written by Currer Bell, the pseudonym of Charlotte Brontë. Even over 150 years since its publication, Jane Eyre remains a success and core work of English literature and one of the reasons for this is that it, like her sister’s Wuthering Heights, combines the elements of the Gothic and to craft a model example of the genre. The story of the protagonist, Jane, is wrought with romance which borders on the wild and obscure and with a back-drop of grand, dark mansions, the supernatural and insanity. The novel is dark, but hauntingly beautiful and is the sisters’ primary style, giving it iconic status and is reserved for their works. While the adoption of the Gothic is a key element to the novel, it is the protagonist which elevates the story as Jane is humble, hard-working, determined and, importantly, a woman. What is often neglected in media adaptations is that Jane is explicitly described as not being beautiful; she say so herself. Jane however does not regard her aesthetic beauty as her most important quality, instead she uses her practical skills to elevate herself in educational and human ways. What is also important about this realistic representation is that Mr Rochester's infatuation with her is based on these elements of her persona, therefore Brontë is also fair and admirable for representing the true male figure as well as the female and for this, I am thankful. Everyone, not just readers, should be thankful to Jane Eyre for being a truly iconic woman not through her attempts to impress men but her desire to impress herself and it is curious that the world does not have more Jane Eyres as the lessons of gender and human interaction are crucial, numerous and provide a perspective which changes readers’ outlooks. It could therefore be said that this is a life-changing narrative, and is highly recommended to new readers and as a re-read in the near future not purely for its social message but its compelling characters, largely interesting story (I say this as the last quarter of the novel, except for its ending, lacks captivating characters and degraded protagonist persona but does not damage the overall work) and the Gothic elements which add a new dimension to the story that makes it memorable and an addition to the impressive achievements of the Brontë sisters. 

Wuthering Heights ~ Emily Brontë (1847)

Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is globally recognised as a pinnacle of the Gothic novel; a type of story-telling inextricably linking horror, the wild and romance. The component of the novel which encapsulates this is the relationship of Cathy and Heathcliff: wild, unrestricted yet deeply romantic and weathered by tragedy. The story of Wuthering Heights revolves this, one of the most iconic romances of literature, and proves that love is not simple but is certainly worth the trials and heartbreak which inevitably follows. Set over a long space of time, the narrative span also allows readers to witness the development of its characters and in many senses, this is not for the better. A brutally honest allegory of the human condition, no character in Wuthering Heights is entirely righteous or pure. All have elements of darkness within them and this is reflected by the setting: the Yorkshire moors. Dangerous and barren yet beautiful, the Brontë sisters’ fascination with the rural setting strikes a contrast with the city landscapes which were favoured during the period, bringing literature back to its natural foundations present humanity in its true, wild form. The only sanctuary in this desert is the house, Wuthering Heights which forms its own character as like the ensemble, it changes in behaviour frequently. The house acts both as a sanctuary and as a prison and its tone is dependent on the ownership. The principle character which oversees this development in Ellen Dean, who reports the vast majority of the narrative and this is an area which has faced criticism and can also be confusing as it is not in fact Nelly who tells the story as it is framed by another figure. In the beginning of the story, Mr Lockwood arrives at Wuthering Heights and after a series of gothic events, he seeks to understand the history of the house and its inhabitants from its long serving house keeper. The story which is told by Nelly is framed by Lockwood, making him the overall narrator yet although this is an important role, he is lost during the narration and does not serve a significant purpose. Unlike some unreliable narrators which provide a vehicle for readers in the story, Lockwood abandons us and is therefore problematic and often confuses the story as we forget who the overall narrator is. This voice, however, is a minor part of the story and which it is not famed for Lockwood, the wild and fiercely passionate relationships which span beyond life are what identifies Wuthering Heights as a gothic novel and one of the most successful.     

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ~ Lewis Carroll (1865)

Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland remains one of the most bizarre yet oddly complex novels even 150 years after its publication and despite the inevitable confusion and suspension of belief, it is one of the true classics. The children’s book has entertained all ages since its publication and so much of its appeal lies in Wonderland itself where the bizarrely beautiful world captures the imagination with grinning cats, mad tea parties and a host of anthropomorphic animals. This world at the bottom of a rabbit hole provides a direct contrast to our world, the world of Alice and the reader, where cats do not grin, tea parties are civilised and animals are strictly animals. Ultimately, Wonderland is a setting where reason and logic are irrelevant and this is the factor which has captivated me and made this one of my favourite novels as similar to Alice, I approached Wonderland with the perspective imposed by the over world that everything must have a reason and ambiguity is a challenge; something to be conquered. In a particular episode in which a baby metamorphoses into a pig, the logic and reality is removed and Wonderland therefore mocks the world of logic, the world I was trying to impress, and instead praised the imagination. Following this discovery, I was able to more thoroughly enjoy the novel without trying to ‘work it out’. Reading should be for personal enjoyment and Carroll encapsulates this realisation. I suggest to first-time readers and also re-readers to suspend logic and use Wonderland as escapism from our world into one where real story-telling lives. So much of the novel is iconic, namely its characters, but it is the reading and encountering of these characters, including the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts, with such bold and iconic personalities which makes the novel so unique. However, much of the personas of these characters, and certainly their humour, are not as evident in film adaptations and the true characters remain in the book. The true pleasure of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland remains on paper and in the imagination. Carroll’s use of illustrations, simplistic language and episodic chapters make it easy to return to Wonderland and after the first reading, many, if not all, readers will soon find themselves tumbling down the rabbit hole again.