10 CLASSIC BOOKS FOR SUMMER

Looking for the perfect summer reading list? 🌞📚 In this video, we dive into "10 Classic Books to Read in Summer," offering you the best literature to enjoy during the sunny days. Whether you’re lounging by the pool, relaxing at the beach, or simply soaking up the sun in your backyard, these timeless classics will keep you entertained and inspired.
Discover literary gems from renowned authors that are perfect for summer reading. From adventure-filled novels to heartwarming stories, this list has something for everyone. Get ready to add these must-read classics to your summer reading list and embark on unforgettable literary journeys.
Books Featured:
"Far From the Madding Crowd" by Thomas Hardy
"Testament of Youth" by Vera Brittain
"A Month in the Country" by J L Carr
"Tender is the Night" by F Scott Fitzgerald
"Our Man in Havana" by Grahame Greene
"A Room With A View" by E M Forster
"The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas
"A Murder in Mesapotamia" by Agatha Christie
"Silas Marner" by George Eliot
"The Warden" by Anthony Trollope
If you would like to support my channel and get access to exclusive content, consider joining my PATREON where we read one specific classic per month, which I review in depth, and where you can join a Zoom discussion if you so wish.
Why Watch?
Get recommendations for classic summer reads
Explore timeless literature for sunny days
Find the best books to read this summer
Enhance your reading list with essential classics
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Tags: #SummerReading #ClassicBooks #MustReadBooks #BestSummerReads #TimelessClassics #BeachReads #LiteratureLovers #ReadingList #BookRecommendations #SummerBookList

[@airbourne2]

Read Count of Monte Cristo this year thanks to you. This 63yo male loved it and couldn't put it down.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

It's superb.

[@suzannebousquet2710]

Last year, I too read and loved The Count of Monte Cristo at 63.

[@Kev_Cos]

Read it in the latter half of last year and flew through the book in no time. Instantly one of my all-time favourite reads.

[@daviddafflon4392]

Same here. I read it a few months ago and it immediately made it into my top 3. It is a tad long inbetween, but the first and last 400 pages are mind blowing!

[@Tuesdaymayhew]

Read that one too thanks to Tristan!

[@ReadingIDEAS.-uz9xk]

The only problem with watching other KZbinrs channels is that it only increases the tbr. So many books and so little time! Happy reading to you!

[@Cramble21]

I would add Jerome K Jerome's: Three Men in a Boat to this summer reading list! Keep returning to the timeless adventure on the river Thames!

[@melanieswensen5756]

Love this seasonal list! Please do a must-read classic book list for the Autumn season!

[@gommine]

I second that

[@nedludd7622]

Graham Greene had actually been a secret agent for the British. Also his autobiography is my favorite of the genre, "A Sort of Life" is the first part. Another good autobiography is by Robert Graves "Goodbye to all That". Both of these writers wrote a whole lot that deserves to be read.

[@user-dj7lx9ec8j]

Love Graham Green

[@faithharbour]

I’ve just finished Tender is The Night. Absolutely sublime writing, I fell in love with Fitzgerald’s writing. His description of Rosemary sunbathing, the feel of dog’s breath on her, Dick tilting the umbrella to “clip” the sun off her shoulder. Just magical writing.

[@janeylfoster6197]

I’m just about to start it and so looking forward to it.

[@faithharbour]

@@janeylfoster6197 Enjoy! Hope you love it :)

[@CherylH_6322]

Tristan, you are a delight and your enthusiasm is contagious. Thank you for all you do. A Month in the Country is definitely my pick. I need time for The Count of Monte Cristo. That may be a winter read for me.

[@caewing85]

Of these 10, I’ve read 3- 1. Far from the madding crowd-it was ok. I found Bathsheba(I think that’s her name) to be frustrating. 2. The Count of Monte Christo-loved this book so much. One of the best classics imo 3. Silas Marner-I read this in January and it has stuck with me. The characters drawn in such a short novel-wow! I’ve read Dr. Thorne by Trollope, but not the Warden. I will pick it up!

[@tam876]

A Month in the Country is a jewel.

[@LissysLittleLibrary]

Such a great list! 👏🏻 I have read Far from the Madding Crowd, Silas Marner and A Room with a View and thoroughly enjoyed each of them! A Month in the Country is on my summer tbr. Thanks for all the wonderful recommendations! 📚

[@lynn8062]

What a fun video and great summer reading suggestions! I’ve read all but 2 of the books. I had to comment because I’ve read Our Man in Havana several times but I’ve never heard anyone mention that book. I was so surprised to hear you recommend it. You made me want to read it again. lol I loved Silas Marner and The Warden is a favourite of mine. I had The Warden at the top of my list to re-read but you had mentioned that you were doing the audiobook so I’m anxiously awaiting that. 🤞 😉 Thanks for your very enjoyable videos….packed with interesting content.

[@greenquiltsgalore1326]

I read "Silas Marner" in grade school but had poor memories of it. I found a Geoge Eliot collection with over 5,ooo pages which I downloaded from the Play Store. It was a treasure, and of course, included "Silas Marner"! It is a wonderful story ... and has a great ending!

[@elizabethlehman3336]

I wish summer was longer!! I am particularly looking forward to experiencing A Room with a View and Our Man in Havana. Thank you, Tristan.

[@tonihammes33]

I read A Month in the Country per your rec. loved it! Have put several of these on my TBR. Always enjoy your passion for the classics.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

It's so good!

[@Mateja93]

Never heard of it, it's not translated to my language but I've just ordered it from Blackwells 😊

[@MichaSloman]

Testament of Youth is one of the best books I have ever read. Perhaps I loved it because I am a registered nurse of more than 50 years experience, much of which time I served as a nurse in the Australian Army.

[@lorriemerson5274]

Interesting list. When I was about 14, I read an abridged version of CMC and not only loved it but also considered it one of my all-time favorite books ever since. So I had to read an unabridged and better-translated version to see what I think now. Having just finished the Penguin classics Robin Buss translation, I can say it is better than I remembered and just a fantastic tale. Currently, I'm reading the Pulitzer-winning biography of Dumas' father: The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss. Fascinating. Doctor Thorne is on my TBR and I'm moving Silas Marner up my lists. Happy summer reading, Tristan.

[@pattube]

A few other books that I really like that suit the summer season: * The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain). Not "serious literature" like Huckleberry Finn is, much lighter in theme and tone, but still makes for an enjoyable summer read. * Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson). If comics can count. * Dandelion Wine (Ray Bradbury). Just as his book Something Wicked This Way Comes fits the Autumn or Fall. * The Sword in the Stone (T.H. White). It's the first part of The Once and Future King, which is one of my favorite books of all time and which I'd highly recommend reading in its entirety, but the first book best fits summer unlike the rest of the book. * Three Men in a Boat (Jerome K. Jerome). Hilarious, just hilarious. Maybe I should throw a P.G. Wodehouse novel in here like The Code of the Woosters or any number of others. * To Say Nothing of the Dog (Connie Willis). A sci-fi "follow up" of sorts and homage to the previous Jerome book that's likewise hilarious.

[@joannek85]

I read A Month in the Country because of you. It truly is a gem.

[@poncedeleon759]

I read Silas Marner a couple of years back (no one ever mentions it) - without giving anything away I would recommend reading. It is not a long book and is a lovely story. I'm halfway through the Barchester Chronicles and love Far From the Madding Crowd. The one that stands out for me from your list is Testament of Youth. Thank you for another great video

[@pattube]

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite books of all time! 😀 1. One of the best available translations in English today is the Robin Buss translation with Penguin Classics. Also, I forget if Lawrence Ellsworth has a translation as well. If he does, I'm certain his translation would also be excellent. Ellsworth is working on The Three Musketeers series of books and he's considered a gold standard for many if not most of Dumas's novels now. In any case, it might be worth trying to read The Count of Monte Cristo in the Buss translation or the Ellsworth translation if Ellsworth has also done a translation of The Count of Monte Cristo. 2. Beware of translations of the novel that are abridged. Abridged doesn't only mean incomplete, but it also refers to other issues like bowdlerizations. That is, watering down or entirely removing passages of the novel that the translator(s) deemed too racy, offensive, or otherwise inappropriate for their audiences. Perhaps the most well-known abridged edition is a translation from 1846 known as the Chapman-Hall translation. Chapman-Hall are the names of the publishers back then, not the names of the translator(s) who remain anonymous (and translations of The Count of Monte Cristo on the market that say they're from "anonymous" or similar are most likely referring to the Chapman-Hall translation). However the Chapman-Hall translation is known to have bowdlerizations, omissions, and other issues. 3. In fairness, Chapman-Hall does of course use Victorian English if one likes the older language for Dumas. In that case, it might be best to get a modern revision of the Chapman-Hall that largely leaves the language in tact but fixes its issues. Such as Peter Washington's slight revision of the Chapman-Hall translation for Everyman's Library. Or David Coward's which in fact turns the abridged Chapman-Hall into an unabridged Chapman-Hall and fixes the other issues. 4. By the way, there's both a Count of Monte Cristo film as well as a mini series coming out this year - or is it already out? In any case, it's a good year to visit or revisit the book!

[@gaildoughty6799]

The Warden is one of the most delightful books I’ve ever read. Your description of its ideal reader fits me to a T

[@h.calvert3165]

Can highly recommend its sequel, Barchester Towers. Love Trollope! 📚

[@nur-e-diphamuttaqi]

Tristan, could kindly do videos on BOOKS WHICH SHAPED say a certain discipline: BOOKS WHICH SHAPED PSYCHOLOGY BOOKS WHICH SHAPED PHILOSOPHY BOOKS WHICH SHAPED ARCHITECTURE BOOKS WHICH SHAPED POLITICAL SCIENCE AND GOVERNANCE, etc etc etc... (Sorry I am repeating myself, but I hope you see my comments) You are amazing by the way... truly life changing.

[@tracygregory8448]

Thanks Tristan you’ve a great channel and I love your enthusiasm for the classics.

[@ba-gg6jo]

Great to see "Silas Marner" and "Our Man in Havana" on your list, wonderful books who have been on my list of favourites for over 50 years. Great vlog. I hope everyone enjoys their summer reading.

[@joelcowan8950]

It is heartening to see that Vera Brittain is membered today.

[@manuelahrasky8472]

Fabulous video, as always! There is a wonderful 1959 film of ‘Our Man in Havana’ starring Alec Guinness as Wormold and, of all people, Noel Coward, as the MI6 agent, Hawthorne. It was directed by Carol Reed of ‘The Third Man’ fame.

[@Yesica1993]

I look forward to watching this when I'm done with work stuff!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

I hope you enjoy it, Yesica.

[@laribex110]

Thanks to your inspiring recommendations, I have already read this year Far From the Madding Crowd, a new favorite, and The Count of Monte Cristo, another new favorite! And lo and behold, I just realized I had Testament of Youth on my bookshelf! Adding it to my summer stack. 😀

[@duffyjones4476]

The ‘love rhombus’ that’s gold 😅

[@IbnTufayl1]

Murder in Mesopotamia is a teenagehood favourite of mine and I'm adding A Month In The Country to my summer reading list! I've also read Far from the Madding Crowd and Silas Marner, but ages ago. Must re-read! Thanks for all the great choices 😊

[@kimberly5411]

Great list. I share your appreciation of “Our Man in Havana “. I hope that others will be encouraged to enjoy it. “A Testament to Youth” has been on my TBR for about 6 months. I can’t believe I didn’t realize it was a memoir. 🤦‍♀️ I will be reaching for it soon.

[@tmtb80]

I am encouraged to read it!

[@janeylfoster6197]

Thanks for this Tristan. Just started Far From The Madding Crowd, ordered A Month in the Country which sounds just perfect for where my head is at the moment and so looking forward to Tender is the Night. I started Testament of Youth in November but your comments have prompted me to go back to it. Found this such an inspiring video and delighted to be jumping into these fantastic worlds.❤

[@karengustafson7666]

It’s such a treat to see that you have posted a new video! The Count of Monte Christo is next on my tbr list as soon as I finish The Mysteries of Paris. ❤

[@calebgodard4554]

Great video! I added many of these to my list. Thank you!

[@Dawnsbookreviews]

Lovely list!!❤ I loved Far from the Madding Crowd and I have A month in the country on my tbr!!!❤

[@HannahsBooks]

An amazing list, filled with many of my favorites! I love to hear you read aloud.

[@DefaultName-nt7tk]

I followed your suggestion earlier read and loved the Month in the Country. 😊

[@peterhelton7395]

I'm right in the middle of the Count of MC, known in this house as The Fat Count because the postman had to redeliver it since it didn't fit through the oletter box..

[@Yesica1993]

Ha ha! A problem only book lovers can understand!

[@janebaily3758]

That's wonderful!!

[@pipstrem5401]

Thank you for suggesting a month in the country a while ago - I‘m pretty sure I would have missed it. What a lovely book, what a lovely feel reading it. 🙃

[@kellysober9352]

Love this video Tristan! I purchased Tender is the Night based on some of your earlier videos. The writing is just gorgeous! And A Room With A View is one of my all time favorites!

[@l.c.6282]

I love “A Room with a View”. I’ve read it often and always find something new. It’s deeper and more complicated than I grasped on my first read some thirty years ago.

[@pattorelli3451]

Agreed. One of my all-time favorites. I also love the film with Helena Bonham-Carter, Julian Sands, and Daniel Day-Lewis. Amazing cinematography!

[@rjrastapopoulos1595]

Where I live, summer starts around mid-April and ends around mid-June, gradually morphing into the monsoon season. So I've already finished my summer reads and they were: 1. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien 2. Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell 3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. 4. A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles 5. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 6. East of Eden by John Steinbeck Thanks for the recommendations, by the way.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Oh that's a pity😅 don't worry, I have a video on winter reads somewhere. Hope that'll be useful.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Strong list. I very much enjoyed Gentleman in Moscow. I've not read Hamnet.

[@jmsl_910]

how was a gentleman in moscow? i like your list and have read all ...

[@jennyaldridge4186]

Love your list. I’ve read all but Hamnet which is one of my book clubs autumn reads and In Cold Blood which I’d not heard of so I’ll be checking that out.

[@lindanorris7141]

I think To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel everyone should read. It is my recommendation to everyone. One of my favorite novels of all time. Along with A Gentleman in Moscow. I loved it! My brother just returned my copy of East of Eden. I’m going to reread it. From your list I’m going to try the Capote book.

[@geemeyers2559]

My TBR grows every time I watch you, thank you.

[@geex2]

Ok you've finally worn me down and convinced me to buy A Month in the Country, but it's winter here!

[@tdh213]

This is wonderful. Thank you so much!❤

[@gladouhills9039]

I've just bought the count of Monte Cristo and I'm looking forwards to read it 😁 ! You and other booktubers made me feel very curious about this novel 😀

[@PoiemaLee]

I love your lists!

[@WaterBearReads]

I read The Great Gatsby recently and it was such an experience reading it again as an adult when it is not a school assignment! 'Tender is the Night' was in my sights next but after your chat I'm even more tantalized! Far from the Madding Crowd is one I really want to get to this summer too. I just read 'Room With a View'! I completely agree with you on E.M. Forster's writing. Its exquisite. I read 'The Count of Monte Christo' in my early twenties and thought it was good but I hear about it so much that I feel I need to give it a reread now that I'm a true grownup😄. It is amazing how the enjoyment of books, especially classics, change as one gets older. Do you have a list of classics that changed for you that way?

[@margaretinsydney3856]

Had the same experience with GG. I couldn't believe how wonderful and insightful it was when I brought my adult mind and life experience to it. I think it's wasted on most teenagers.

[@WaterBearReads]

@@margaretinsydney3856 ha ha! agreed!

[@susanfisher4344]

I want to read The Count of Monte Cristo and reread Far From the Madding Crowd, which I read decades ago and am sure that I will experience very differently now.

[@coisafofa420]

I’m flying tomorrow for a one week beach vacation. I’ve purchased A Month in the Country and A Room With a View. I can’t wait to get started!

[@usddcm]

A Room With a View is a great summer reading suggestion. I read and enjoyed Silas Marner recently and it reinforced a life lesson for me. Amazing how people's experience doesn't change. I'm pretty sure The Warden will make my list this summer. I've been threatening to read Anthony Trollope for a while and The Warden is a short entry. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@elizabethbrink3761]

Such great recommendations! The Barsetshire series would be such a great summer read! I'll have to remember that for when I re-read the series. Our Man in Havana intrigues me the most!

[@CeliaAWhite]

I loved this video! Thank you so much.

[@terrysbookandbiblereviews]

The Count of Monty Cristo and The Warden both sound interesting. Great video.

[@breaghboo-gc7ub]

I've read Silas Marner but it was many moons ago. I've re-read The Mill on the Floss twice at least because I love it best of Eliot's novels but maybe I need to revisit SM too.

[@patsmith9192]

So many recommendations here. Love your videos-but it just makes my tbr list get longer and longer. Love how The Count of Monte Cristo appears on so many of your videos. One of my absolute favourites ever.

[@lyramidsummer5508]

All sound great. I have a copy of TCOMC to read as my next big book after War & Peace, but Room with a View and Silas Marner will be added to my TBR list.

[@adadevries8461]

Thank you for another interesting video, Tristan! I enjoy your book talks a lot, your humour and enthusiasm. I am a great fan of Anthony Trollope and the Barchester series especially. The characters are so well drawn. So I reread the books all the time. And possibly I'll reread The Warden this summer. By the way have you read "Fathers and Sons " by Ivan Turgenev. That is one of my summer classics!😊

[@Thestashdowndiaries]

Count of Monte Cristo is my first pick for Big Book Summer. I’m not even 100 pages in and I’m hooked. I’m enjoying the pace and the narrator. I’m wondering why I haven’t picked up this book before!

[@user-rq8gl6uc5w]

Testament of Youth is such a wonderful book on so many levels. She followed this with Testament of Freindship, about her relationship with fellow author Winifred Holtby (South Riding), and Testament of Experience. As well as the excellent novel, A Month in the Country, there is also LP Hartley's novel,The Go-Between. The novel spans a summer in the early part of the 20th century in England. It opens with the well-known lines: ' The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there. Thanks again,Tristan, another great video.

[@gommine]

You have just added to my ever-growing reading list. This is what I'd like to read or re-read: "Far From the Madding Crowd" by Thomas Hardy I have never read any Thomas Hardy, other than a few extract in high school. I know, I know... "Testament of Youth" by Vera Brittain I had not heard of this book. I might read it at alongside some Wartime poetry, so personally I might move it to the autumn schedule. "Tender is the Night" by F Scott Fitzgerald I'm giving my age away now but I was in my early teens when I watched a miniseries based on this novel. It was summer, in the mediterranean country I grew up. Perfect timing. The miniseries totally captivated me so I immediately went to buy the book and devoured it. It was in translation, as English is not my first language but I loved it so much. I then went on to read all of FS Fitzgerald novels, one after the other. I was a precoscious teen. Years later I re-read Tender is the Night in English, but maybe it was the timing, the phase in my life - I didn't enjoy it as much. However, it has stayed with me and I have always felt that I would come back to it, and even purchased a beautiful Folio Society edition a few years ago. It's there on my shelf, waiting. Time to give it a second spin. "A Room With A View" by E M Forster - I watched the film with Helena Bonham Carter and the late Julian Sands years ago, and if I am not mistaken, an incredible Maggie Smith. I never read the book (I read another couple of Forster's novels). On my list it goes. "A Murder in Mesapotamia" by Agatha Christie I devoured all of Christie's novels, in translation, over a couple of summers when I was maybe 10 years old. I have such fond memories of those reads, which in some ways changed my life because they triggered an intense interest in the anglo world. On the list it goes too. "Silas Marner" by George Eliot - This will go on the list but first I need to tackle 'Middlemarch'. My experience with Eliot is limited to 'Daniel Deronda', which I had to read at University and which I not only did not enjoy, but which I am sure I did not understand from a language point of view. I was a first year student, in the UK at that point and my English was probably not up to it yet. "The Warden" by Anthony Trollope. I volunteer at a charity bookshop and Trollope is one of those authors that really doesn't sell. We have TONS of Trollope sitting there, collecting dust. I have always assumed that he's a borefest, but your description of his novels in this and other videos has piqued my interest. I'll pick up a copy of The Warden from the shop asap. Sorry for the looooong comment, I got a bit overexcited! Thank you for making this list!

[@deirdre108]

Modern classics The Sheltering Sky-Bowles and The Magus-Fowles have summer (or at least hot weather) written all over them.

[@pattorelli3451]

I’m on the fifth novel of The Barchester Chronicles and am enjoying the series very much. Can’t believe I’ve never read Silas Marner and will have to remedy that soon!

[@jmsl_910]

i ordered 2: tender is the night & silas mariner

[@Roderic07]

i used to spend summers reading ghost stories i don' t know why hahaha...but this is a great list

[@Summalogicae]

Summer is as good a time for ghost stories as any-the dead exist even when it’s hot & sunny. 😎

[@jules6473]

That's a great idea, do you have some recommendations? 😊

[@Roderic07]

@@Summalogicae maybe its a way for me to get the chills when its very hot hahah

[@Roderic07]

@@jules6473 either non fiction books about ghost sightings (i love those hahaha);;;or any Victorian Ghost stories...like those from M.R.James or the penguin book of ghost stories

[@58angieb]

Trollope's Barsetshire Chronicles, & The Pallisers: both series are of a high quality Literature, & a cracking read every one!

[@karenlowes7802]

Must read A Month in the Country😊 Really enjoyed Far from the Madding Crowd.

[@jimlivengood3962]

Great, as always, Tristan. My favorite summer reading place is on the front porch of my Kansas farm, looking out across the fields and woods and pastures. "Tender is the Night" is superb. Currently, I'm reading "Scottie, the Daughter of . . ."--bio of Scottie Fitzgerald, written by Eleanor Lanahan, granddaughter of Scott and Zelda. Not too far in, but enjoying it immensely. I want to read "Our Man in Havana" soon. Sounds fun. Cheers and God bless.

[@michelechambers4494]

The only one i've is The Warden which i enjoyed. I own A Month in the Country and this motivates me to pick it up this summer. A Man in Havana sounds intriguing.

[@Praire22]

Silas Marner was a 5 star read for me. It touched me so deeply. The Count Of Monte Cristo is (so far) my favorite book of all time. The Warden by Anthony Trollope was wonderful. The Barsetshire Chronicles as a whole made me absolutely fall in love with Trollope and has remained my favorite male Victorian author. 😊

[@grvhppr]

I read CoMC by Dumas a couple summers back and loved it for a summer read. This year I think I’ll give the beloved Carr a read.

[@margaretinsydney3856]

That's a wonderful list, as usual. I absolutely love Far from the Madding Crowd. I don't think I've read Our Man in Havana but the movie is wonderful and I think it's quite faithful to the story. I must put Tender in the Night on my TBR; I have it on my shelves so there's no excuse. As for which book I would choose, well, we're having a particularly chilly winter down here this year, so I think I should read something Russian, with people travelling through snow drifts in troikas. 😊

[@marjoriedybec3450]

I've read: "Far From the Madding Crowd" (I love all of Hardy's novels, altho' Jude is difficult to love. Tess feels more summery to me, and much more Hardyesque) "Tender is the Night" (I read it a while back; but all you said about it was true;) "A Room With A View" (gorgeous summer escape;) "The Count of Monte Cristo" (which I read in the summer of 2023!) and "Silas Marner" (twice. I love Eliot. Its a great story.) I like the sounds of "Testament of Youth" by Vera Brittain and "A Month in the Country" by J L Carr. I'm unfamiliar with both of those. I already have "Our Man in Havana" on my long-term TBR. I read "End of the Affair" last year and adored Graham Greene's writing style. I attempted the "The Warden" and just didn't connect with it. I'm probably not going to get to these this summer bc I'm about to begin Thomas Wolfe's "Look Homeward, Angel." If there is any summer left after that, I hope to start Marjorie Morningstar, by Houk. Some other books I think are good summer classics? "Summer, by Edith Wharton. Also Age of Innocence. The Shakespeare Sonnets, two per day. Anne of Green Gables, A Light in August if you can bear Faulkner (this is a difficult one-read triggers,) The Three Musketeers, The Stories of John Cheever (G & T required,) Vanity Fair (oh, I how I love that novel), Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Great Expectations (is it the most summery Dickens?), Dharma Bums, and Cheri. marjorieapple.substack.com

[@jennyaldridge4186]

My wish list has just increased yet again!! Thankfully I’ve read probably the 2 biggest books The Count of MC and Far from the MC (MC being coincidental abbreviations) and also the Agatha Christie. I’m particularly interested in A Testament of Youth being a biography and also Our Man in Havana as I appreciate a bit of humour between the more somewhat depressing books I’m reading. Anthony Trollope is an author I have never read and I do love a saga so The Warden is going on my list too. I have wanted to read Tender is the night since reading about Fitzgerald in Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast so in conclusion, I need to go shopping and book a nice long holiday!!! 😊

[@BernieVanHuyssteen]

Am currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo and loving every page.

[@suzannes8017]

I have read all but three of this list. One of your best, IMHO! Want to read the others as well. So many standouts: Count of Monte Cristo, Silas Marner and Testament of Youth are favorites. Need to get to A Month in the Country, Tender is the Night and Murder in Mesopotamia.

[@sandraelder1101]

My Bookclub breaks for the summer, so that’s my time to read whatever I want. Currently rereading Jane Eyre & loving every minute. Might continue the reread theme with Watership Down. It’s been too long. Or maybe something from your list. Happy reading, everyone! 😊📚

[@jaynefederici9140]

I have ordered Our man in Havana. Sounds a good read and I have read his Brighton Rock which I liked (although I didn't think I would). At the moment I am reading another book that I didn't expect to like but am enjoying, Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children. I'm nearly at the end. I will read Our man in Havana next. Thanks

[@tmtb80]

Fun list. I take it as a challenge.

[@alidabaxter5849]

I loved this selection, because it contains so many books I have loved and which have meant an incredible amount to me. First, "Testament of Youth" is heart breaking, but I always feel like screaming "You MUST read this", because we know a great deal about the absolute carnage of the First World War, but this is written by a girl raised in an incredibly cloistered manner, who's always been chaperoned, never allowed to be alone with a man, and who not only loses every man she loves, but who volunteers as a nurse and has every shred of protection torn away from her, so that she cannot comfort herself that death is ever swift or easy, or glorious. I read "Tender Is The Night" when I was perhaps too young for it, and walked around in a fog of worry about the characters for days after. It is exquisitely written. As is "A Month in the Country". "Our Man in Havana" is Grahame Greene making fun of the British Secret Service, and wonderfully enjoyable. And "A Room With A View" is my favourite E.M. Forster. Of all Agatha Christie's books, I'm fascinated that you chose "Murder in Mesopotamia"; the setting is indeed very well described, and although you may not be reading the most perfect prose ever written, you are in a situation where the murderer is impossible to guess, and you'll have no idea how the murder was really committed. And while you're still wondering about the first murder, there's another. It's really fascinating. Which finally brings me to "Silas Marner", the first of George Eliot's books I read, long ago, and which I loved, and still love, dearly. I adore this whole selection.

[@Sueellenmschke]

I just finished A Month in the Country. It was so wonderful! I was surprised it was written in 1980 because it reads like a modern classic.

[@agathayo7344]

I love Silas Marner!

[@Elizabeth-uy9uw]

I read Testament of Youth when I was a teenager as I was studying Scars Upon My Heart (collection of poems by WWI women poets) as one of my A Level set texts. The 1970s BBC series of Testament of Youth was on at the same time. Such a beautiful book but utterly heartbreaking. Her poem, Perhaps, has always been one of my favourite poems. You can feel her grief bleeding through every line.

[@jorgem71962]

Silas Marner is my favorite Eliot.

[@captainnolan5062]

The Warden appeals to me as one to read in the local Herb Garden. A Month in the Country also appeals as a profound read in 100 pages. I am interested to see what the author can do in such a short space. Out Man in Havana is already on my list, but I haven't been able to find a copy yet.

[@kimeckstrom2282]

My first choice is A Room with A View. Silas Marnar was my next consideration.

[@brigittebeche4117]

A month in the country is a gem of a novel, there is a deep analysis of the power of art and religion, we also have to face the afte war traumas which are different according to the characters. The film released from the book is also extremely good. I read it last summer, bought the film ...and will read it again for sure😊 A room with a view is wonderful too! It’s romantic, sometimes funny, there is a wonderful insighg into a certain english society..and I will never forget ”lucy look away😅!” when lucy and her mother come upon Mr Beeb and her brother and george fighting in the pond stark naked!!😂

[@ChrisHunt4497]

I would love to read Silas Marner from your description. ❤

[@emmareads734]

The only one that I have read is Murder in Mesopotamia. Thanks for all of the great recommendations!

[@nur-e-diphamuttaqi]

Tristan, could kindly do videos on BOOKS WHICH SHAPED say a certain discipline: BOOKS WHICH SHAPED PSYCHOLOGY BOOKS WHICH SHAPED PHILOSOPHY BOOKS WHICH SHAPED ARCHITECTURE BOOKS WHICH SHAPED POLITICAL SCIENCE AND GOVERNANCE, etc etc etc...

[@Graceandres3]

I think I now must read A Month in the Country.

[@alisonalcock5218]

This year I have re-read Far From The Madding Crowd, Silas Marner, A Month In The Country and have just finished The Warden (and Barchester Towers), I love them all, real favourites, so which of your recommendations, dear Tristan, shall I choose to follow them? Perhaps Our Man in Havana, sounds fun and something completely different

[@tiffanymay526]

Love this list Tristan! Have you ever read/reviewed Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee? I think you would really enjoy it.

[@breaghboo-gc7ub]

I do love your laugh, Tristan😂

[@tommonk7651]

You description of Greene's "Our Man in Havana" sounds a lot like Le Carre's "Tailor in Panama". You can't go wrong with the Count!

[@Zzevation]

Dearest tristan have you ever made a video topic about your favorite writers and if not can you make a video about it. And i wil be waiting to see it

[@gommine]

Tristan, have you considered posting Amazon affiliate links? It's a nice way for us to support your content if we decide to buy the books!

[@Smurf-fo2xf]

Love Rhombus, that could be the name of a synth pop act 😂

[@xneenz]

Hi Tristan! Can you do a video on different translations of classic novels (particularly French and Russian, eg Hugo, Dumas, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky)? I’d be very interested in your opinion and the translations you use. Love your videos!

[@gabrielacanova4625]

I'll start with Agatha. The Count is stll patiently waiting on my nightstand.