Let me first start by expressing to the reader that this is in no way meant to be a list of ‘greatest’ fiction books ever written nor is it meant to be a list of the only books a young man should read. Naturally there have been lots of omissions because I’m not very well going to write the entire Western Canon but that can be found here: Harold Bloom's The Western Canon and because I haven’t read every book ever written. Your favorite authors may not be on this list in fact I know a few off the top of my head that I’d get bitched at about for leaving off. I wanted to create a list that acts as a starting point for young men looking to educate themselves and gave a very broad overview of different writers and types of stories. The books listed here are not meant to be the equivalent of a doctorate in literature but to encourage further exploration of the world’s greatest fiction. With that explained here is my list of fiction books that every young man should read:
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card- One of the more recent books on this list, Ender’s Game is still amongst the most entertaining. I read this book a little over a year ago after hearing people talk about it for so long and finished it in two days. Ender is chosen to save the world as a child because of how remarkably gifted he is and is taken away from his home to undergo years of training. Orson Scott Card does a masterful job exploring what it is to be human and how you can try to be a good person but the world won’t always allow it.
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky- This was the first really long book that I ever read and it was definitely worth it. Some people say that Crime and Punishment (see below) is Dostoevsky’s greatest work but The Brothers Karamazov is a better story in my mind. The book takes a look at faith and religion through the eyes of each of the three brothers and which view represents the happiest way of living. Without a doubt one of the finest books ever written.
The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe- This isn’t the usual straight forward story but it is presented instead in a series of letters from Werther to his friend. Werther falls hopelessly in love with Lotte even though she is engaged and eventually marries. I think this book is a good representative of the first time a young man falls for a girl that he has no hope of landing. Looking back at that period of time in your life can make you laugh at your young self but the pain of unrequited love has occurred in most of our lives. Just don’t take the route that Werther takes to ease the pain.
1984 by George Orwell- What happens when a totalitarian government has complete control over the populace? George Orwell takes a crack at the question in 1984. Independent thought get virtually wiped out and constant fabrication of what is going on in the world has brainwashed the masses into living in a false reality.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley- While this book is similar in many ways to the aforementioned 1984 such as a controlling government and use of technology to do said controlling it is different in the controlling of life from birth and keeping members of society happy idiots. You should read both of them because they are still very different tales and both amazing.
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse- Siddhartha searches for enlightenment by trying his hand at different ways of living such as the purely spiritual and a life of materialism. A wonderful book that makes you think about the meaning of your life.
The Iliad/ Odyssey by Homer (supposedly)- Two Greek epics of equal importance to the development of Western storytelling. How much of it is fiction? Most of it but there may be some historical truth involved as well.
Tom Jones by Henry Fielding- A funny, somewhat dirty (for 18th century standards) book about the life of Tom Jones, a foundling. You get to see English society and class division in an often lighthearted way.
Candide by Voltaire- Sometimes the best way to fight against all of the wrongs you see in the world is to satirize them. That’s exactly what Voltaire does in this short and often hilarious story mocking the church, philosophers, and the aristocracy.
The Red and the Black by Stendhal- The hero of The Red and the Black is Julien Sorel who has a dream to become a very important man in French society. He idolizes Napoleon Bonaparte and debates whether the best path towards his dream is through joining the army. He ultimately decides to become a priest but only ends up having his hypocrisy revealed trying to be a man of the cloth while carrying on affairs and trying to become rich. Not only is it a great story but questions the social masks people wear and their role in society. Also you may want to read The Charterhouse of Parma by Stendhal.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain- A shattering critique of race relations in the post-Civil War South although the story is set in the time when slavery was still legal. Throughout the book Huck learns to further question the values of the society he was brought up in mostly due to the hypocritical nature of those around him but also because of his relationship with the escaped slave Jim. A true American classic Huck Finn holds relevancy to this very day.
Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad- The story is told from the point of view of a man named Marlow and reads like the type of tale someone would tell over a long dinner or in a bar. His story surrounds the life of a young man named Jim who is haunted by an act of cowardice and moves from place to place trying to out run his memories. This is a rather unique turn of the century novel and might not be as widely read as Conrad’s other book Heart of Darkness.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce- James Joyce writes this fictionalized story of his own life by enlisting the character of Stephen Daedalus, who wants to become a writer and live the artistic life. What is interesting is that we as the reader get to experience the different viewpoints and beliefs Stephen holds from the time he is a child to his departure from college and ultimately Ireland. Also, the writing reflects each period of his life in terms of becoming more clear and deeper in thought.
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque- When World War I breaks out a young group of Germans enlists in the army to fight for the ideals of homeland and its glory. They soon find out that war is not what they had anticipated and there is very little glory when you are surrounded by death and the worst humanity has to offer.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald- Greed, class relations, and materialism set against the backdrop of a 1920s love story. Jay Gatsby is a self-made man who nobody can ever seem to pin down beyond rumor and gossip who is trying to recover the relationship he once had with Daisy years before. Nick Carraway is the narrator who befriends his neighbor Gatsby and plays intermediary between him and Daisy who happens to be Nick’s cousin. Fitzgerald captures this time in American history perfectly and tells a damn good story while doing so. Also check out Tender is the Night or This Side of Paradise.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding- A group of schoolmates become stranded without adult supervision on an island where some of them descend into a violent tribe while others try to cooperate and live a peaceful life. Even though the characters are children there is still no escaping the dark side of mankind.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury- In the future books are not allowed and a group of firefighters set them ablaze instead of trying to put them out. Fahrenheit 451 is a very important book about what society would be like with censorship and a citizenry full of ignorance.
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky- The second entry on the list by Dostoevsky and two spots are well deserved. In Crime and Punishment a man named Raskolnikov commits murder and the book concerns itself with the psychological torments he goes through after the crime is committed. A very long book but one that will make you think about society and what actions are right and wrong and dealing with overwhelming guilt.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas- Dumas was a very gifted storyteller and this is amongst his best works. I suggest buying a compilation of three of his novels including this one, The Three Musketeers, and The Man in the Iron Mask and just dive right into them. I bought mine at Barnes and Noble for $13 bucks and got three great stories for the price of a night at the movies.
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner- I wasn’t sure which Faulkner novel to put on the list so I went with this one but don’t skip out on reading Absalom! Absalom! and As I Lay Dying also.
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller- Another book that takes place during war (WWII in this case) and delves into the absurdity of it. Of course someone who is sane would claim to be insane to get out of a bombing mission, therefore you must be sane.
A Clockwork Orange- Alex is the leader of a gang of teenage criminals who eventually get set up by his friends during a crime and is forced to face the consequences. He is eventually part of an experimental program that makes him associate violent acts with becoming nauseous and very sick. This is one of those where people say oh the book is so much better than the movie, whatever the movie is awesome too.
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut- The story of Billy Pilgrim who experiences random jumps in the timeline of his life. He fights in the Battle of the Bulge and later finds himself in Dresden during the bombing of that city. Billy survives and leads a somewhat successful life but has the war taken too much of a toll on his mind?
Neuromancer by William Gibson- Case is a computer hacker that is poisoned and his central nervous system is so damaged he can no longer hack. He becomes a drug addict and can no longer find work until he is offered a cure in exchange for doing a hacking job.
Moby Dick by Herman Melville- Just as a life lesson if a white whale ever takes your leg you don’t need to seek revenge by harpooning it. This is a pretty dense book full of symbolism and natural history about whaling so be forewarned it’s not just a straight Moby Dick fight scene throughout the novel. Read it, absorb it, and then seek out helpful guides on the book.
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison- Yeah the title sounds like the plot of a Kevin Bacon movie but the narrator isn’t actually invisible he just feels that way within society. As a young black man in a racist America he struggles to find his own identity versus the stereotypes of others including he finds members of his own race.
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane- What is it to be a man? How do you develop courage? Follow the life of Henry Fleming as a Union soldier in the Civil War and find out.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac- At times with this book you may think it seems really dated but even so it still captures through these road trips the life led outside the normal confines of society. It is a must read even if only to understand so many of the works that came after it.
