Novels For Personal Discovery: Timeless Titles Every Boy Should Read
I was a little perplexed when asked to write a blog post about the top novels all young men must read. English teachers are rarely at a loss for words; however, this task is challenging. To be frank, there are too many novels that are too wonderful for young men. Yet, I will endure and try my best…
Immediately, my thoughts travel back to Shel Silverstein. As a first-grade student, I had trouble learning to read; it was not something that came naturally, which was quite frustrating given the academic success of my older brother, Ross. While it is hard to recall distinct memories from first grade with Mrs. Anderson, I will never forget opening A Light in the Attic. The brevity of Silverstein’s poems was warm and welcoming for a six-year-old boy (times don’t change...many of our students appreciate this economic use of language!). But, what truly fascinated my dormant, literary brain was the use of fun and interesting pictures that correlated with the poems; this allowed me to understand the topic of the poem, which aided my learning to read. Little did I know, Shel Silverstein is a master wordsmith, incorporating countless literary devices such as imagery, alliteration, simile, personification, etc. I was hooked. I started writing poetry by the end of first grade. Shel Silverstein changed my life.
While Shel Silverstein and his books of poetry will not make my top reads for young men, I feel as if it is necessary to pay homage to the writer that undoubtedly influenced a six-year-old boy to be teaching literature at a New England boarding school.
At Avon Old Farms, the English department seeks to cultivate empathy in young men through the literature that we read and discuss. Each year, the department examines specific texts that an all-boys high school can utilize to inspire curiosity and introspective thought. Thus, all books that are covered in the English curriculum can pertain to this blog post; herein rests the beauty of teaching at an all-boys school. Yet, the list below reflects some very personal, even different, types of reading that all young men should experience at some point. All titles continue to impact my life today.
Tuesdays With Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson – Mitch Albom
Albom’s nonfictional story of reconnecting with his college professor, Morrie Schwartz, is a beautiful account of having the opportunity to reestablish a relationship with one’s mentor in his last stage of life; Morrie is dying of ALS. Albom visits with Morrie every Tuesday to discuss life’s biggest questions. The book is insightful. The book is inspiring. The book is heart-wrenching. As a nineteen-year-old boy, I read Tuesdays With Morrie after the death of my best friend, Michael. I cried for a long time, yet Albom, through his story with Morrie, helped me view the world in a real and inspiring way.
“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – J.K. Rowling
The first novel in J.K Rowling’s smashingly successful series was my first foray into a fantastical story that kidnapped me from a bed in Easton, CT and transported me into a world of witchcraft, wizardry, and philosophical questions of family, friends, and power. Good literature allows the reader to crawl through a window and enter into another world. Even better literature provides a mirror upon return where the individual can reflect on his or her life. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone can accomplish all for young men. Harry Potter, a character with a tremendously sad life, finds himself at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; throughout the trials and tribulations of Harry’s first year at Hogwarts, he matures, exemplifying all of the qualities that the world needs in young men. Harry is loyal. Harry is brave. Harry is kind. Harry is empathetic. And, Harry stands up to injustice, fighting an evil that tries to permeate society. Lastly, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone forces the reader to question the concept of Power while in the hands of good or evil.
“Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign…to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever.” J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
The Little Prince – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
In sixth grade, I had a language arts teacher, Mr. Goad, who made us read The Little Prince at the beginning of school. Every single assignment we completed needed to contain our name, the date, and the same quote from Exupéry’s story. It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye. Literally, every homework assignment, every writing, every quiz, and every test needed to display that quote. At the time, I didn’t fully grasp the magnitude of the quote or Exupéry’s story that follows a boy who leaves his planet to learn about the world; he travels around to different planets and ends his journey on Earth. The Little Prince has the feel of a children’s book; however, the deep, philosophical questions that Exupéry explores make this story a must read for young men and adults. Why does mankind become more close-minded the older we get? Why does an individual become so obsessed with numbers? What is truly important to live a fulfilling life? If there were to be a story that encapsulates the mission of Avon Old Farms, The Little Prince would be at the top of the list. Thank you, Mr. Goad.
“Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.” Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
Clearly, all of the titles listed above are quite personal and impactful in the never-ending pursuit to be my best version of a man. The titles are timeless; all have traveled with me as I continue to explore my best self as a son, a brother, a student, a teacher, a coach, and a husband.
Additional titles that I would encourage all young men to read include:
Moby Dick – Herman Melville
“Consider the subtleness of the sea; how its most dreaded creatures glide under water, unapparent for the most part, and treacherously hidden beneath the loveliest tints of azure. Consider also the devilish brilliance and beauty of many of its most remorseless tribes, as the dainty embellished shape of many species of sharks. Consider, once more, the universal cannibalism of the sea; all whose creatures prey upon each other, carrying on eternal war since the world began.
Consider all this; and then turn to the green, gentle, and most docile earth; consider them both, the sea and the land; and do you not find a strange analogy to something in yourself? For as this appalling ocean surrounds the verdant land, so in the soul of man there lies one insular Tahiti, full of peace and joy, but encompassed by all the horrors of the half-known life. G-d keep thee! Push not off from that isle, thou canst never return!” - Herman Melville, Moby Dick
Gates of Fire – Steven Pressfield
“A king does not abide within his tent while his men bleed and die upon the field. A king does not dine while his men go hungry, nor sleep when they stand at watch upon the wall. A king does not command his men's loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake. That which comprises the harshest burden, a king lifts first and sets down last. A king does not require service of those he leads but provides it to them...A king does not expend his substance to enslave men, but by his conduct and example makes them free.” Steven Pressfield, Gates of Fire
About the Author
English Department Chair