Five Great Books for the “C” Student

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm is a short allegory that displays the conflicts of a communist, totalitarian government. Although considered a classic by the literary circles of America, Animal Farm reads like a children’s book. Taking into account the talking, literate animals, this book touches on the borders of fantasy. George Orwell wrote this book about communist Russia, but now it has become a subtle rebellion agaisnt totalitarianism in general.

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

Siddhartha covers the basics of Buddhism, enligthenment, and Nirvana in about 190 pages of easy reading. This adventure follows a man through life, while he tries different paths in an attempt to reach enlightenment. The writing is not difficult or long winded, but is written to be understood. The concepts of this book are some-what hidden, but they are not difficult to understand. The reader just has to look for the ideas as they appear in the text.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 is a great book that criticizes and condemns censorship. Although Fahrenheit 451 is considered a classic, the writing of the book is simple, with a descriptive nature that entertains the reader as he reads. Many great books lack the lyrical quality of a book like Fahrenheit 451. The concepts presented in this book are also easy to grasp, as the book does not posess any extended metaphors or allegory. This book contains a plethora of information, making it one of the easiest classics to write about.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men is a concise book that tells the story of two farmers in about 110 pages. Steinbeck is a highly regarded writer, considered one of the greatest American authors. This book is commonplace on high school curriculum and yet another easy read. If you’re reading this book for a high school class, be prepared to write a paper about the importance of language in the book.

The Stranger by Albert Camus

This book is realistically for the “B” and above students. The Stranger is short novel filled with existenialist ideas and morals, which are subtlely showed with no obvious clues. One must be prepared to study and think about this book intently before any hopes of writing a decent paper amount. However, any paper that impresses a teacher about this book will get an “A” for sure. This book is on this list because it is an easy read, but the concepts are deep below the surface, and therefore the reader must be prepared to dive into this book headfirst.