Continue to love serendipitous experiences. I was looking for something else this morning and found this wonderful article in the Meridian by Marilyn Green Faulkner, the author of Back to the Best Books on December 15, 2010.
Christmas is coming, but don't worry - I've got you covered.
If you are like me, you are just now getting around to Christmas shopping, and cussing at yourself for leaving it so late. But not to worry – this year I have your gift giving all wrapped up and ready to go: simply give classic books to your classic friends. What’s a classic? It’s something that has been proven with the test of time. Whether it’s a friend or a great book, a classic just gets better with age. It doesn’t fluctuate with swings in popular opinion or the economy – it’s a constant. Just as some books are classics, so are some of the special people in our lives.
So here’s the plan: Start with my guide to the classics, Back to the Best Books. It features 36 great works of literature and there is something for everyone in there! Now, choose one of the selections from the book that fits the personality of the recipient. For example, your brother might love The Count of Monte Cristo or Master and Commander. Your favorite veteran may enjoy All Quiet on the Western Front or Les Miserables. The fantasy lover on your list may not yet have discovered Watership Down or The Once and Future King, and the mystery reader will love curling up with The Moonstone. Bundle the classic with the book guide and you’ll give a gift that will keep on giving through the year! Add a note letting your loved one know why they are a “classic” in your life and you’ll be a hero. Want to get even fancier? Add some gourmet hot chocolate and a mug, or a little booklight and some slippers, and you’ve got a gift basket worthy of Santa himself!
A book is the perfect gift: one size fits all, you don’t have to feed it, and it’s easy to wrap and ship. As a special treat, consider buying a beautiful, hardback copy of a classic work of literature rather than the paperback. (It’s nice to pass a book along to one’s children with the cover still attached!) I was delighted to see my nephew receive a beautiful leather-bound copy of his favorite novel (The Count of Monte Cristo) from his new bride for his birthday. I thought that a very nice tradition for a new family.
One book that is both new and one hundred years old is the Autobiography of Mark Twain. As you may have heard by now, Twain left instructions that his autobiography remain unpublished for a hundred years after his death. So this year it’s finally available! I downloaded it from Audible.com and I am looking forward to over 24 hours of listening pleasure with our nation’s “Lincoln of literature.”
Just to get you thinking, here are a few more great books that most people would love to own, and that you might want to put on your personal wish list:
Books for Men:
Einstein, and Benjamin Franklin, by Walter Isaacson. Both excellent biographies of fascinating men.
Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson. A beautiful last letter from an aging father to a young son. Trust me, it’s just wonderful.
The Old Man and the Boy, by Robert Ruark: A sweet tale about a boy raised by his grandfather in rural North Carolina.
We Were Soldiers Once, and Young, by Harold G. Moore: The true account of the first major battle of Vietnam, by the man who led it. You’ll believe in heroes again.
All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque: Wrenching saga of WWI, and one of the greatest war novels ever written.
The Three Musketeers, Alexander Dumas: Don’t be fooled by its vintage; Dumas has today’s bestsellers beat for action and intrigue. Any man who likes to read will love it.
A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson: Perfect for an outdoorsman with a sense of humor.
Books for Women:
A Gift from the Sea, Anne Morrow Lindbergh: A classic, always inspiring. For a thoughtful reader you might pair it with No More Words, by Reeve Lindbergh. The account of the last two years of Anne’s life. Anyone who has experienced caring for an elderly, ailing parent will relate to her honest, moving memoir.
Delta Wedding, Eudora Welty: Welty is my new favorite Southerner. A gorgeous book for someone who loves great writing.
A Room With a View, E.M. Forster: A beautiful tribute to true love, and funny besides. Forster captures an England that now exists only in fiction.
How Green Was My Valley, Richard Llwellyn: A story to savor, a family you want to know, and a part of the world that supplied many of the early pioneers.
O, Pioneer! Willa Cather: Any book of Cather’s is a joy to read; this is one of her best.
Books for Both:
The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy: The “saga” is actually three novels about a prosperous English family, and a big, wonderful read.
Keys of the Kingdom, A.J. Cronin: This book drew the most responses of any book we read in the Best Books Club. Cronin’s story of a humble priest is life-changing. Another like it: Death Comes for the Archbishop, by Willa Cather
The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck: A book just doesn’t get any better than this. If you haven’t read this as an adult it will speak to you in a new way.
Books for Smart Kids:
If you have a child who loved Harry Potter and the Ring Trilogy as much as mine did, I recommend some classic tales of adventure and fantasy:
Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson: Still great, and a nice book to give in hardback.
King Solomon’s Mines, H. Rider Haggard: We could not put this book down. A kid who likes Indiana Jones will go nuts over this, and get a little smarter while reading it.
The Neverending Story, Michael Ende: A beautiful fantasy with a wonderful message, great characters and thrilling action sequences. We love this book at our house.
A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens: A teenager can read this book, and should. Dickens (like tomatoes or cottage cheese) is delicious, but requires a certain maturity of taste. This book is historical fiction and is about half the length of the bigger novels, so it is a good place to start.
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