Recently, my mom and I have noticed that young people aren’t reading as much. One could blame a variety of causes, such as social media shortening young people’s attention spans and inundating them with “brainrot” or the emergence of artificial intelligence, lessening their ability to craft sentences and comprehend information. Perhaps this decline is due to a reduction in the emphasis on reading for pleasure in education.

Regardless of its causes, teens have turned away from reading anything, much less literature. The mention of the word literature in a high-school classroom would probably elicit many a grumble. It would probably conjure the image of something super old, and maybe even irrelevant, or a white man with a comically long beard and garish wig. However, literature isn’t defined by its age, but by its ability to influence people. The emotions that people feel never die.

The guilt that eats away at Raskolnikov in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment is the same guilt that gnaws on anyone who has done something they regret. Winston in Orwell’s 1984 isn’t just a man rebelling against Big Brother in a fictitious dystopia, he’s every person who has ever felt trapped by a system bigger than themself. Pip’s obsession with becoming “good enough” for Estella in Dickens’s Great Expectations is just like how teens struggle with their self-worth and try to change their personality to “fit in” thus losing themselves. Lear’s heartbreak over his daughter’s betrayal may seem distant, but it reflects the timeless tension between parents and their kids in Shakespeare’s King Lear. 

Reading complex stories trains the brain to analyze, interpret, and question ideas, all of which are necessary life skills. Making sense of Shakespearean language or trying to match events in Russian history to scenes in Animal Farm are basically workouts for one’s brain. In order to read texts like these, you need to cut through layers of political allegory, satire, and philosophical tension, and in doing so, it makes your brain more capable. In my AP Government class, we have to read dense primary documents like the Federalist Papers and the Declaration of Independence. Many of my classmates were put off, as it was difficult at first, and turned to using AI to summarize it, but just trying to push through the ten or so pages on your own can build the cognitive muscles that literature does. Teens who read tend to express themselves better in essays, social media posts, and in conversation. Reading improves vocabulary, argumentation, and critical thinking skills.

What makes these books relevant isn’t the fancy vocabulary or the historical setting. It’s the universality of their struggles — fear, ambition, love, betrayal, shame, hope. These are stories that show us how human beings keep repeating the same mistakes and searching for the same meanings, no matter the century.

Good Introductory Novels:

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

Imagine traveling to lands where everything is bizarre: tiny people, giant cities, and absurd politics. As Gulliver travels through the four kingdoms of Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa, and the Houyhnhms’ land, Swift’s satire will make you laugh, think, and question society in ways that still feel surprisingly modern. With short chapters, clear language, and a straightforward, linear plot structure, this book is fairly approachable and easy to follow. 

Animal Farm by George Orwell

On a seemingly peaceful farm, animals rise up to run things themselves. But power can corrupt even the most idealistic revolution. Orwell’s tale is a sharp, bite-sized critique of society and leadership. The novel is very short and the animal-centered story makes it super readable. Also, this novel serves as a wonderful gateway into learning more about allegories, politics, and history.

Emma by Jane Austen

Emma is a perfect introduction to classic literature and to Austen’s world of wit, romance, and social observation. The novel follows Emma Woodhouse, a clever and confident young woman who fancies herself a matchmaker, only to discover that love and human nature are far more complicated than she imagines. Emma invites new readers into Austen’s style and offers a timeless exploration of self-awareness and growth.

The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie

The ABC Murders is an excellent starting point for those new to detective fiction. Featuring the famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, the story follows a chilling series of murders linked by an alphabetical pattern. Combining suspense, clever plotting, and psychological depth, Christie draws readers into the art of deduction and misdirection. This novel captures the essence of good mystery writing, making it an ideal first step into the world of classic crime fiction.