The reading world has an interesting relationship with “the classics”, doesn’t it? Mark Twain once succinctly summed this up by saying: “…classic — something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read”. No doubt there are books that you’ve always meant to read. Somehow, even for those of us keenest on older literature, something tends to stop us from getting to all of them. They often have to contend with a reputation that portrays them as convoluted or difficult to get into, snobbish or too outdated to care about, and for some of us the mere mention of those familiar titles takes us right back to school days and enforced book reports. Let’s be clear: none of this is fairly warranted.

The truth of it is that classic fiction is invaluable — not just because they continue to touch audiences many years after their first publication, but also because there’s no proper reader out there who is not enriched by being part of the evolution of written fiction. There’s another major bonus too: they’re almost always more affordable than new publications. And in this case, at Bargain Books, they’re available at terrifically low prices. If you think about it, it makes a great deal of sense to pick up 3 or 4 classics for the price of one new novel. There has never been a better time to tick off those titles on your list for once and for all… it’s something you’ll feel the better for, trust us.

Here are just some of the time-honoured titles that are available from just R60 at Bargain Books. Be sure to drop into your nearest branch and check out the selection.

 

Vintage Classics (from R60 each)

            

Truly, this is as beautiful as literature gets. In fact, I have a shelf specific devoted to Vintage titles. Not only are they stunning and sophisticatedly designed, the series also includes a great many modern classics from all over the world. These are classics in the proper sense — titles distinguished by their quality and the significance of their narrative.  If it’s been published by Vintage, you know that it’s an unmissable read.

Covering anything from classic Italian poetry to American Gothic fiction, from important memoirs to important philosophical works, this series is really the gold standard for publishing and every single one of the featured titles would make a valuable addition to your collection.

 

Baker Street Readers (R99 each)

       

These are simple, 64-page retellings of immortal works of literature, complete with illustrations. The series represents the work of huge and important authors such as Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, Arthur Conan Doyle and many more. With their bold designs and accessible content they are ideal for younger readers looking to work their way into weightier material and make an excellent aid for language students and unconfident English readers. There’s a heap of titles available, so you’ll have plenty to choose from.

 

Collins Classics (R60 each)

Who can resist these simple, attractive designs? They practically scream “here’s how you make your bookshelves look bona fide!”

The Collins Classics series covers an incredible range of essential and beloved titles from history-making adventures like The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Treasure Island to genre and period defining classics like Dracula and The Great Gatsby. Chances are, if the world reckons it’s worth a read, it’ll be in this series. With prices like this, it’s super-easy to have a go at all at the books you’ve never managed to get to. They’re all worth it.

 

And There’s More

Obviously, the titles in stock will vary from store to store so it’s really essential that go and browse the selection in person. It’s also worth remembering that the umbrella “classics” isn’t all about fussy clothing, overly refined manners and heavy tragedy, and our extensive selection of on sale titles probably includes plenty of books that you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see… so, again, you’d best just and have a look.

 

Which Ones Should You Read?

Now that it’s been made clear that there are masses of titles from which to choose, how are you ever going to pick? Well, why not check out these quick, fun quizzes:

https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2017/find-your-classic-quiz/

https://www.allthetests.com/quiz32/quiz/1443419512/Which-Classic-Novel-Should-You-Read

And these helpful articles:

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/books-best-greatest-read-before-you-die-classic-novels-literature-austen-orwell-dickens-mantel-a9255191.html

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/30-books-that-everyone-should-read-least-once-their-lives.html

Happy Reading!