Recommended classic books to read
These are classic books that I've read recently. All have strong stories, which I love, and all have something important to say. They are in no particular order, but without meaning to, the Australian classics were added last.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
It was a great movie. Reading this novel will make it greater.
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck’
I would think you'd have to like blokes to love this book as much as I do. There are a lot of blokes with good intentions. There is a carload of frogs. What could possibly go wrong?
My Brother Jack by George Johnston
A great Australian Story about family ties and what it takes to be a tough, honest, Aussie battler.
Gallipoli: The Novel by Jack Bennett
I hope we never expect our children to do this again. This is a classic tale of two mates at the birth of our nation. It should inspire us to remember that our legs are steel springs.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
I've lived in the south of the US of A and like John, I found it a fertile place for both good and evil. It is a fantastic place to read about.
Capricornia
by Xavier Herbert
This book made me want to drink strong black tea, sitting around a campfire. Set in Australia, the novel starts in 1904, and it is about trains, bicycles, Aboriginal stockmen, race relations and the Red Ochre cattle station.