Since I learned how to read, books have been
where I’ve turned for consolation, hope,
and a clarifying dose of perspective. Lately,
my solace seems to come from classic literature.
Classics remind me how resilient humans are, how
much beauty exists in the world. They remind me
of the cyclical nature of human history. They
illuminate all that humans have survived—insane
rulers, endless wars of all kinds, devastating
plagues, more devastating plagues … yet
another devastating plague. We have survived it
before, and we can survive it all over again.
1. The Iliad by Homer (maybe)
That this poem, set in the 10th year
of the Trojan War, has survived thousands of
years provides hope in itself. Gruesome battle
scenes play counterpoint to moments of grace,
as when a Greek and a Trojan honor their past
friendship by refusing to strike each other
down. Woven throughout the poem are timeless
snapshots familiar in any time and place –
the pleasure of a cozy sleep, a satisfying meal,
children at play.
2. Antigone by Sophocles
In Sophocles’ tragedy, conflicting
duties between Antigone and Creon lead to, well,
tragedy. As the play progresses, our loyalty
shifts according to who is telling the story
and how. By the end, we understand that the
deepest impediment to reaching consensus isn’t
Antigone and Creon’s incompatible loyalties
but their pride and refusal to engage with each
other.
3. Plutarch’s Lives by Plurtarch
Plutarch’s collection of biographies of
famed Greeks and Romans is quite the tome. But
the biographies don’t demand to be read
cover to cover. Readers can dip into them as
they might a recipe book, in this case, a recipe
for recognizing that our little planet has survived
millennia of turbulence. As a starting point,
I recommend Spartan Lycurgus and Athenian Solon.
4. Beowulf by Unknown
The poem begins with a young Beowulf
presenting himself to Danish king Hrothgar.
A monster called Grendel threatens to destroy
Hrothgar’s kingdom, and Beowulf offers
to fight the beast. He wins, but his labors
are far from over. Until our time has passed
away, the poem seems to suggest, the next beast
forever lies in wait.
5. The Decameron by Boccaccio
This collection of tales dates to the mid-14th
century and features a frame narrative readers
won’t envy: A group of men and women fleeing
the Black Death who hole up together in Florence.
They wile away the hours swapping stories that
run the gamut, from bawdy to funny to moral.
6. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey
Chaucer
Like Boccaccio, Chaucer wraps a frame narrative
around a collection of stories that fall along
a broad continuum. Here, it’s pilgrims
headed to Canterbury and Thomas Beckett’s
shrine. The pilgrims represent a range of classes
and occupations, which creates moments of tension
as well as connection.
7. Macbeth by William Shakespeare
After Macbeth hears a prophecy that, he believes,
predicts he’ll become King of Scotland,
he hastens to bring that prophecy to fruition:
With his wife’s encouragement, he kills
the King of Scotland. His act of murder leads
to a downward spiral of paranoia and violence
until he meets the same end. Apparently, there
is nothing terribly new about power-obsessed
madness…
8. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
by Mary Shelley
When we need help reconciling ourselves with
humanity’s imperfection, with all that
is unknowable, Shelley’s novels makes
excellent company. Budding scientist Victor
Frankenstein becomes obsessed with solving the
riddle of human existence. The thrill of success
lasts approximately 4.7 seconds before things
go horribly wrong, and then go worse from there.
9. A Traveller in Time by Alison Uttley
Uttley’s moving story reminds us that
even when we cannot change outcomes, there is
power in witnessing. Young Penelope travels
from the 1930s back to the late 16th century,
where she becomes embroiled in a plot to save
Mary, Queen of Scots. The plot, however, is
doomed to fail, and Penelope is powerless to
change it. All she can do is listen and provide
comfort.
10. Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert
Frost
When all else fails, I find comfort reading
Frost’s gentle poem. It captures a simple
but painful truth culled from his observations
of the physical world: Nature is cyclical. The
moment of perfect beauty inevitably dies away.
And that is precisely what enables it to be
reborn.