Our Top Five Summer Classic Reads!
Summer has finally arrived! During the depths of the British winter, when the rain seems endless and dark mornings go on forever, the summer months seem almost like a dream. Finally it appears that the sunshine is here to stay (but don’t hold your breath!)
So grab your towel and head to the beach, or find the comfiest spot under the tree in your garden, and enjoy one of these classic summer reads to transport you to sunnier skies even if the rain does return…
1. The Great Gatsby
‘I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer’
Nick Caraway spends one sun-drenched lavish summer in the company of mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby. Full of the rush of possibility that twenty-somethings feel upon a move to the city, this novel explores the exciting promise of summer.
2. A Midsummer Night's Dream
‘An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds...’
One of Shakespeare’s most famous plays centres one single night in the height of summer in balmy Athens. The high temperatures lead to inflamed passions, revealing the way we turn to love and romance during the dreamy summer months.
3. Anne of Green Gables series
‘All in all, it was a never-to-be-forgotten summer’
L.M. Montgomery’s iconic tale of a young girl growing up and maturing through womanhood in late 19th Century Canada celebrates nature in all it's glory. Full of beautiful depictions of the outdoors, summer here is revealed in all its nostalgic beauty.
4. Alice in Wonderland
‘The hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid…’
Who could forget the iconic opening of C.S. Lewis’ Alice in Wonderland, as Alice dozes on the riverbank with a book? The heat causes her to slip into a dreamlike state of mind, kicking off her whole adventure. The twinning of summer and childhood imagination is celebrated in this classic series.
5. Pride and Prejudice
‘Everything wore a happier aspect...summer finery and summer engagements arose.’
Austen’s great romance takes place over the span of a year, but it is during the summer that romance blooms: both between Lydia and Wickham, and Elizabeth and Mr Darcy. The stiff rules of Victorian society are relaxed somewhat in the warmer months, as the cheerful atmosphere of summer is celebrated.
