8 Classic Books You Can Read in a Day

A good, old-fashioned list video. If you're searching for short books that are still worth your time, look no further.
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0:00 Beginning
0:26 Virginia Woolf
2:07 Lao Tzu
4:45 Sappho
6:10 Aesop
7:17 Hesiod
8:32 Musonius Rufus
10:00 Lewis Carroll
11:21 Herman Hesse

[@drackaris_]

Another recommendation would be Hemingway The Old Man and the Sea. Love that book.

[@joecarson3379]

I've just read this in the last few months...no wonder it won him the Nobel prize. Amazing.

[@todoroni4life]

Coincidentally I read it in one day/night. Really great book.

[@MH-ql4nh]

Agree. The Old Man and the Sea is just breathtaking.

[@chrisafiskon]

An excellent book.

[@user-sh4ym9wv3n]

Agree. But it's demand from you a deep emotional connection. Maybe you could read it fast but you have to spend some time with it afterwards.

[@johnalderete5328]

Benjamin Hoff’s “The Tao of Pooh” is a fun little read (around 160 pages). Hoff uses Pooh and friends to illustrate and explain the key principles of Taoism. Pooh actually has a lot to say and ask along the way. Again, a fun fast read that I think explains Taoism really well foe those new to it.

[@jackhillman5315]

Omg I've read this as well. It's great

[@user-bv4jz3eh9g]

My friend whose family is from Taiwan recommended this to me as well. Combining that with his discussion of Daoism as the philosophy that Goku most embodies led me to a much deeper appreciation for the philosophy. On a tangent, perhaps my favorite short anime is Trigun, and I would place it in the "westaboo" genre, ie seeing Western tropes from an east asian perspective.

[@s-esq.]

Franz Kafka’s ‘The Metamorophosis’ has been so high on my list [of]* favourite short book[s]* that I read it every time I want to read a short book (😂), my preference being the Norton Critical Edition of it. *: Editor's

[@pauingles5810]

You should read other Kafka works

[@davidbockoven161]

"In the Penal Colony" is always a good mind bender. I'm also very fond of "A Hunger Artist."

[@pauingles5810]

@@davidbockoven161 Amazing selection, I also love The Veredicy

[@botks894]

I would definitely recommend Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, very enjoyable and digestible read with an impactful story for a short book

[@iga279]

agree! the movie was equally good!

[@bernhardhadriga]

Fantastic and helpful as usual! Thanks for speaking on the translation issue

[@sonybluraydisk]

I just discovered your channel and I really enjoy it. I think your thoughts are well thought out, I find your way of speaking to be pleasant and the topics of your videos interesting. I mostly agree with your views on writing or philosophy, your taste in literature and you present it all in a compelling and genuine way. Thanks a lot, greetings from Austria.

[@craiggersify]

On the note of looking for translations - one secret resource that I’ve found truly lovely is the Oxford Guide to Literature in English Translation. They basically get subject matter experts to overview: -what the merits and detractions are of the different translations of major works - especially for non-western areas, books that have good translations but are often overlooked or underknown. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve either discovered something new I’ve loved, or been very grateful I had my eyes open picking a translation. It seems to be out of print, but also it’s still possible to pick up a used copy for under $10. I’ve used it way more than I thought I would- looks niche at first glance but is worth its weight in gold.

[@edwardsanchez4129]

Your content is always fantastic Jared. Thank you!

[@thebluesmurfdude]

I just picked up copies of Introduction to Classic Chinese Philosophy by Bryan W Van Norden along with Tao Te Ching, Lich Tzu, and Chuang Tzu. Working through Introduction to Classic Chinese Philosophy right now, and then diving into Tao Te Ching. Excited to have my tiny brain worked out!

[@barbarawillis5187]

I enjoyed listening to your book recommendations. I have read a few and you inspired me to read a few others.

[@markbogard86]

Wonderful video Jared. I particularly appreciate the Ancient Greek recommendations, just what I was looking for.

[@fabiosobrin6648]

I like this concept of vid quite a lot. I also enjoy when in a video I hear about multitude of genre, keep it up!

[@jlstrick1]

I read that version of Siddartha in high school and I am definitely older than you 😂. I devoured that book when I got it … I am normally a slow reader, but I couldn’t put it down. Started me on a lifelong interest in eastern philosophy. Glad to see you mention the Tao Te Ching. I’ve been meditating on that for over 25 years and I still have a lot to learn. Stephen Mitchell’s translation is a reliable one with helpful commentary. Thank you for your thoughtful and accessible approach!

[@Ademarr32]

What other books would you recommend?

[@davidbcalhoun]

Highly recommend Bryan Van Norden’s introduction to Chinese philosophy for a good perspective on what’s going on with Lao Tzu and other Chinese philosophers. So many translations of TTC as well! I really like Red Pine’s translation. Also worth mentioning that there's definitely a common thread through Daoism (Lao Tzu and Zhangzhi) to Buddhism, and even up into Kierkegaard a bit.

[@andypayne4002]

Great video. And good makeover too! Very cool.

[@logankeseg4985]

Thanks for the great recommendations!

[@k_i_k_ii]

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a fantastic recommendation for anyone to enjoy. I read it for the first time this year and it was a 5 star read for me. I agree with the sentiment that kids should have more interaction with quality works of literature and media in general. My mom started my love of books when she took me to the library often as a young kid, and I'll always be thankful for that.

[@davidbockoven161]

I'm glad you enjoyed this book. I read it out loud to my daughters, but I have to admit it was a bit of a "meh" experience. It just didn't "happen" for us.

[@gibsonraymonda]

I like the Jane English and Gia-Fu Feng translation of Tao Te Ching. Voltaire’s Candide is a quick read too.

[@tinahatch7440]

Great recommendations! I'd also like to add The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzō, it's basically a 160-page essay about Japanese philosophy and culture.

[@user-qg6lj9gi2s]

The Death of Ivan Illych is another masterpiece

[@ericneff9908]

Great list. Others have suggested additions, so I'm going to suggest Notes from Underground by Dostoevsky.

[@HannahsBooks]

Checking out your channel because of Steve Donoghue's recommendation. How thrilling to see someone mostly talking about the ancients when they say classics. I too love the Poochigian Sappho--but I also really love the Anne Carson version. And yay Woolf! Try Mrs. Dalloway too--especially if you lay your hands on a copy with the Merve Emre annotations.

[@_jared]

Thank you for the recommendations! I was impressed by the sheer number of translators who have wrestled with Sappho - the forward to this Penguin edition offers a partial, but formidable, list.

[@HannahsBooks]

@@_jared I had so much fun sitting on the floor at the library comparing a whole bunch of Sappho translations!

[@ralflth]

great video as always! If I can add a book on the list, would be The Death of Ivan Ilyich - Tolstoy

[@timjohns2751]

Thanks for this I'm going to pick up a couple of these. I thought you might include "Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions" by Edwin A Abbot. One of my very favorite short reads.

[@dqan7372]

Great suggestions. I would recommend Edwin Abbott's Flatland.

[@arianna4244]

I loved Jules Verne’s Journey to the center of the Earth. One of the greatest adventure books I’ve ever read: brought back many memories.

[@davidbockoven161]

It's a longer book (about 350 pages), but I remember really tearing through it within a day or two: Matthew Stewart's The Courtier and the Heretic. I loved the interlocking personal histories of Spinoza and Leibniz. Those two guys' philosophies have always been rather impenetrable to me, but Stewart's entertaining romp through their lives I found to be both engaging and instructive. It really kicked off a big Spinoza phase for me (I still can't get through Ethics, but I read a bunch of secondary literature on Spinoza that now puts him in my top 10 philosophers.)

[@MarkLeBay]

Flowers for Algernon is my favorite short story.

[@DaRkPlUm]

I literally came to the comment section to write this. It was heart wrenching and, I don't know about you, but it made me grateful for the intelligence that I do possess. A must read for anyone even remotely interested in Science Fiction or Philosophy.

[@__rishikasingh]

Amazing recommendations I'd love to see you recommending more children's books And also a tour of your bookshelves!!!

[@_jared]

I might do a bookshelf tour once we’ve moved. That way people can see what I decided to keep in my collection.

[@DaRkPlUm]

If you would like Children's book recommendation, I'd recommend The Little Prince. There was also a movie about it and, in the most appropriate way for children, broaches deep issues and themes. A beautiful story though.

[@Cornflake81]

I'll add a few from my shelf. C.S lewis- present concerns, China Achebe- things fall apart, Erlend Loe- doppler, timothy Synder - on tyranny, Julie barnes- the sense of an ending, Joseph conrad- heart of darkness, and very short but moving Khaled Hosseini- the sea prayer.

[@janebarnes4386]

Colette deBeauvoir. Woolf. Kavan.

[@Wadedotdotdot]

Ha! I’m reading Siddhartha right now! I’m a very slow reader and trying to digest it so it’s taken me about a week now.

[@jasonluis8895]

If you take a long walk while reading Siddhartha, by the time you get home, you feel like a different person. You feel this sense of connection and oneness

[@scwinget8528]

I compliment you for setting your camera for a shallow depth-of-field. A slightly blurred background improves focus on the speaker (you.)

[@osoreo3697]

thanks for this-don’t have time to read longer books these days

[@briancollins1296]

Speaking of Le Guin, her novel The Lathe of Heaven is under 200 pages, but pretty dense and "out there."

[@aleksandrshapovalenko4263]

I would add "Pedro Paramo" by Juan Rulfo. It's short and, at least for me, it was mind-blowing.

[@davidbockoven161]

Yes, yes, yes! Great book.

[@insert_moniker]

The partially examined life podcast has a few great episodes on the Tao Te Ching. They bring on a philosopher who has extensively studied the book and they compare translations. It is very helpful, but still a little confusing nonetheless. The Tao is interpreted different ways and old Chinese translates different than modern which complicates things even more. Also, I love the book recommendation videos! I realized I don’t read enough women authors as well, so I want to make an effort to do so too now.

[@patricksherriff488]

A great classic for kids and adults is The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. My grandparents gifted it to me as an 8 year old when I moved countries and it's always accompanied me in some way or another, definitely a book that one comes back to as life progresses. I really recommend it for those who haven't had a chance to read it.

[@davidbockoven161]

Interesting list. I would add four: 1) Kafka's Metamorphosis; 2) The Six Inner Chapters of Zhuangzi (way funnier but still as weird as Dao de jing); 3) Feline Philosophy by John Gray (I think in one of his videos that Jared mentioned he's into cats--I thiink he might like this?); and 4) a collection of Borges's stories. (BTW, speaking of To the Lighthouse, the idea of a "lighthouse experience" has become a sort of metaphor for my immediate family of my wife and two teenaged daughters even though I'm the only one who has read that book--it's actually the only novel of Woolf's I've managed to finish; it seems to mean something that we always want or mean to do, but then always put off and never actually happens.) (I've been binging some of Jared's other videos this evening, and I'm also a HUGE fan of LeGuin. One of her shorter books at just under 250 pages that could probably be read in a day is The Telling. I realize that this is not maybe one of her "best" books (it's a pretty clunky and obvious allegory) unlike the Earthsea series, Always Coming Home, or The Dispossessed, but I don't know what it is about that book that I keep coming back to and thinking about.)

[@havefunbesafe]

I would recommend Labyrinths (Borges), 9 stories (Salinger) or anything from HP Lovecraft.

[@VeraGolosovaArt]

I will be very much looking forward you doing video of philosophical (and just awesome) kids books. My son is 7yo and reading to him, choosing books with him and for him are one of my favourite things to go together.

[@DanKaraJordan]

I recently read 'The Princess and the Goblin' with my kids and I cannot recommend it highly enough. 'A Wizard of Earthsea' is also perfect for that age.

[@VeraGolosovaArt]

@@DanKaraJordan thank you for reminding me, I think I would love to try luring him into Ursula's worlds

[@bruceharrison306]

Leo Tolstoy's Fables for Children Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens The British in Love - Jilly Cooper (If you want to "get into" poetry, this is a really, really, really good introduction.)

[@bruceharrison306]

P.S. "Leaf by Niggle" - J. R. R. Tolkien is a short book on my long list of books to read.

[@laughinjax]

David Hinton’s translations and work re: Asian philosophy works is great

[@iga279]

Have always liked Hesse and read all of his books. Steppenwolf is still my favourite. But there is really a nice gem of a book in Jacques Ranciere's The Ignorant Schoolmaster. Might teach a lesson or two to many a so-called educationist these days.

[@joecarson3379]

Some great recommendations Jared. If I could i would add 'The Fall' by Albert Camus and 'The Pearl ' by John Steinbeck...great great short reads. Maybe even add Rita Hayworth & The Shawshank and Redemption and Breakfast at Tiffany's. Just a few novellas that are great one day reads...but of course it could be a long list.

[@alexiafox8000]

Also Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men'

[@silentclimber]

Stranger was short and amazing too

[@joecarson3379]

@@alexiafox8000 absolutely...a classic!

[@joecarson3379]

@@silentclimber agree 100%...it was my first introduction to philosophy as a teenager. It was such an influence I went on to study philosophy at university!

[@kriskringle5270]

I would also recommend Viktor E. Frankl’s «Man’s Search for Meaning».

[@JadiW-to8in]

Love your videos, Jared. I'd love to know what other books you'd recommend for kids.

[@alanconde214239]

Hey Jared, big fan of the channel. Wondering if you have another reccomendation along the lines of Psychology of Money. That book was so great. Nonfiction is more of my vibe right now. Sruff that can really help me in my personal life right now.

[@MrPodvig]

I was disappointed that you missed Harold and the Purple Crayon.

[@filipjuriga5278]

Read THAT in a day? dont be ridiculous.

[@charlieneil4269]

for the Tao ... check out Wayne Dyer Change your thoughts change your life ... its a translation of the Tao de Ching with a short essay after each verse, makes it super easy to understand the meaning and wisdom within each verse

[@paulrittweger5692]

How about: joseph conrad - Heart of darkness

[@gabriel.omniversal]

I would recommend Alan Watts to get a clear view on Taoism and eastern philosophy in general. He has plenty of books but the way I have learned about taoism and eastern thought is through his lectures (there are a bunch on youtube). I do understand though the feeling of being in a clash between western and eastern philosophy, because eastern philosophy is all about the "no thought state of mind", and western philosophy is all about thinking and using reason. I love both, western and eastern. It's a ying and yang phenomenon and I think they complement each other.

[@jasonarnett5487]

I feel like stoicism and daoism are quite similar. Living and enjoying a simple life. Accepting fate, or giving up control and not being attached to outcomes. I find it fascinating how in the west we were taught, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God". And in the east, at least in daoism in particular, we are taught, "the tao that can be spoken is not the eternal tao."

[@a3roa]

Got some recommendations that I've read: The Stranger by Albert Camus, the Oz books by L. Frank Baum, The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, The Fourth World by Diamela Eltit, The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli, Animal Farm by George Orwell, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louise Stevenson, the Goosebumps books by R. L. Stine, and Bad Boy by Jim Thompson.

[@SchmoeJoe99]

Me with my tiny attention span after seeing this video "Yeah I could definitely get through those in day" knowing damn well I won't

[@aishaa309]

I would add Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying." Sheer brilliance.

[@carycimino7699]

I just dislike Faulkner I love to read but stream of conscience ugh

[@pattube]

Or instead of 8 short classics, 1 long classic that is equal to or less than the 8 classics in total word count! 😊

[@theretiredmonster]

Awesome recommendation Jared! How can I send you a digital or physical copy of a book?

[@Cookie-jh3ie]

The Pearl!

[@vigneshsubramanian2511]

From personal experience, I think Penguin classics is great for if you wanna read western type books or east asian but not so great for Indian works like Ramayana and Mahabharatha. However, their Artha Shastra translation is great as it is meant to be 250 page summary of how statecraft was handled in India.

[@wreetgupta6135]

You can read Tao: the Watercourse Way by Alan Watts for Taoism. It's really good, simple and lucid.

[@EnglishByORCJA]

You're my new book friend. 🤝

[@captainnolan5062]

You can also add Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse.

[@gemusefreund7471]

Bettina von Arnim might be interesting to you. She wrote critical social commentary (this book belongs to the king) a lot of information online is predominantly focused on her social and love relationships (which also interesting but there is much less information on her actual books and ideas lol)

[@micahkitchens2480]

I know they’re not technically books but I’ve been working through Anton Chekhovs short stories and have really been enjoying them

[@genemcn3579]

The Dao and the Bhadavad Gita are wonderful entrees into Eastern philosophy.

[@davidbockoven161]

Another slightly longer book that I tore through in a very brief time (maybe a day or two) was Can Democracy Work? by James Miller. I think that Miller is just a great story teller. Even if I don't completely agree with his conclusions, I found it to be both engaging and instructive.

[@throbb3r]

Bartleby has entered the chat…

[@bjhale]

I'd prefer he didn't.

[@davidbockoven161]

I was thinking "Bartleby" too! I didn't know if it would "count" since it's really just a fairly long short story.

[@cincinnatea8978]

The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Tolstoy.

[@space_cowboy_6]

If you want to read a great woman writer, definitely read Isabell Allende.

[@davidbockoven161]

Yes! (One of my all-time favorite stories is "If You Touched My Heart")

[@PParks6973]

I like to take notes on books you tubers share. In future could you slow down and hold book up so I can see the cover? Gives me a moment to jote it in writing. Thank you so much.😊

[@davidbockoven161]

OK, one last one. (Sorry, I'm kind of obsessing on this topic). Again, a little bit longer, but very readable: A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage. He uses the six types of beverages of beer, wine, distilled spirits like rum, tea, coffee, and cola (with a concluding section on just water) as a way "in" to larger and interesting insights about human history. Something we usually pretty much take for granted (whatever we happen to drink).

[@jcoxmail]

Moving the Mountain by Li Lu. Banned in China. A great read.

[@ChrisHolly]

I am simply unable to get ride of books. Even the silly books I read in middle school. They all have some value but I continually run out of space for keeping books. The Tao and Siddhartha are fantastic and I shall be reading your other suggestions.

[@richardranke3158]

I have saved and even re-bought books that I remember reading when I was in 2nd,3rd and 1st grade...and even kindergarten.

[@rovic2hacking505]

Hi can you create a video about introductory books for love, happiness, evil, morality etc

[@thestoicrealist9804]

Jared, if you are venturing into Indian Philosophy may i suggest a heavy philosophical text ? Read "The Nyaya Theory of Knowledge" by Satish Chandra Chatterjee . It is based on the Nyaya Philosophy of Sage Gautam which is one the 6 foundational systems of Indic Philosophy.

[@deepchakraborty3353]

Hey Jared.... A recommend for you from Indian Author.... Rabindranath Tagore's Short Stories.

[@psikeyhackr6914]

Sidhartha is in the public domain in PG. I read Narcissus and Goldmund many moons ago and that has stuck in my mind more than Sidhartha.

[@AmanCreatesArt]

Thankfully I got into the habit of seeking out women writers due to a Women’s Studies class in high school. A Room of One’s Own is great, but I like To the Lighthouse even more. The middle section of the book just describes the passage of time over many years in an empty house, and it’s brilliant writing!

[@arshsingh1984]

Also Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde

[@willem-janwestland7962]

Some of your books still on sale??

[@EricMcLuen]

I was surprised to see LeGuin quote Chuang Tzu in Lathe of Heaven. I am not the one to ask about the differences between his and Lao Tzu's take on Daoism. Eastern philosophy does take a different state of mind. It deals a lot with symbolism and metaphor to talk about something without talking about it. Western philosophy also seeks to define reality. To vastly oversimplify many Eastern philosophies, reality cannot be denined and can only be experienced.

[@SteveReadswithSeamus]

LeGuin’s Tao te Ching 👍👍👍

[@edmundplamowski8527]

Hero Of Our Time by Lermontov is a fast one.

[@aleksandrshapovalenko4263]

It's great, but probably not so fast for many readers

[@gingerwhale871]

„Swing Time“ by Zadie Smith is a great read if you wanna read more by women.

[@pedroandrade2398]

Better than Woolf is Annie Ernaux. Give her a go. Go!

[@matttt60]

It's interesting because Tao Te Ching(Dao De Jing) in Brazil has 600 pages, because it's full of translation notes. Definitely not to read in one day

[@biffybeans]

Do you happen know where the concept of having a purposeful life come from? Did someone define what it means? I’m curious if it’s philosophical or spiritual or religious…

[@jonfibonacci]

Musonious Rufus was okay. Not the same level of impact on me personally when it comes to Stoic ideas.

[@ssmytheYT]

Ever try reading kids books backwards in reverse sentence order? It's hilarious! Like "The Little Red Hen": "Did she annnnnd...." 😀

[@WhiteBloggerBlackSpecs]

Lord of the Flies

[@perk478]

Great!! Please post more. A bit slower talking would be appreciated. Thumbs up from Norway.

[@mazeman01]

The Metamorphosis by Kafka

[@baptistejanin9615]

The first line of the Tao te ching is roughly "The Tao that can be told is not the Tao" So, I suppose it is a good thing to feel like you cannot really explain the book :)

[@danceofthedragonbydavidlee]

As someone who has spent many years working with Buddhist and Taoist teachers, I can understand your confusion. One of my favorite Buddhist Teachers says that "Buddhist Philosophy" is an oxymoron. One must abandon their intellect in both cases. Lao Tse, paints pictures with metaphors about how life works. My Taoist teacher says that except for Lao Tze and Chang Tze all Taoist books are meaningless, that you need to look beyond. It's an understanding that lies beneath and beyond our intellectual comprehension. Personally, I think Alan Watts does a pretty good job explaining the Tao. Also, Ken Mcleod does the best job of interpreting Buddhism to intellectuals. Hopefully you will find this comment helpful.

[@phantasmagoriac9225]

Hey there, I'd be really glad if you happen to come across this comment. Taoism will seem very alien to a Westerner. It requires you to be in the shoes of eastern mindset. Most of the canonical literature is too set in the eastern ways. The best thing you could need is a westerner's account of his experience who spent some time under Taoist tutelage. I must recommend you checking out Alan Watts's Tao The Watercourse Way. and also his other works on Eastern Philosophies. He writes lucidly and takes you from the foot of the mountain to all the way up.

[@WexfordOnYoutube]

Adding Animal Farm to the list.

[@jackpayne4658]

If you want an unforgettable but deeply disturbing tale of an idyllic family and its destruction, try Doris Lessing's 'The Fifth Child'. Weighing in at 160 pages, it's readable in a few hours. Not recommended for young parents expecting their first child.

[@siamcharm7904]

no short novel compares to joyce's the dead.

[@CaffeineAndMylanta]

Well as it says in the Tao, the more you talk about the Tao the less you understand it.