Hi! I’m taking AP English Lit. next year, and I have to choose one of the following as a summer reading book:
The Turn of the Screw (Henry James)
Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad)
Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston)
The Dante Club (Matthew Pearl)
The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
I was wondering if anyone could provide any insight From the goodreads summaries, I’ve narrowed it down to The Turn of the Screw, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and The Dante Club, but opinions on any book would be appreciated
I would replace The Dante Club with The Poisonwood Bible. Kingsolver’s take on how Africans were viewed in the past is so insightful. The story is told from each character’s perspective and you slowly see how the situation they have been forced into has changed them for better/worse. My favorite character is definitely Adah! From what I’ve heard, The Dante Club is a terrible book.
Edit: I wish Things Fall Apart was on your list too! It would have complemented The Poisonwood Bible nicely. Both books represent a chapter into the story of European influence in Africa.
@Hamlon Ok! I just looked at the reviews and they seem pretty good We’re actually going to read Things Fall Apart this year after Julius Caesar, and it’s on the summer reading list for the seniors going into regular English. I’ll definitely consider The Poisonwood Bible if I enjoy Things Fall Apart
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston was such a great book, it was the first novel we read in AP Lang. The colloquial diction takes some time getting used to, but besides that, the storyline and themes of the novel were very compelling. I would recommend that book to anyone!
Heart of Darkness has to be one of the most overrated works of all time. I hated it. I’ve never read The Dante Club. The Poisonwood Bible and Their Eyes Were Watching God are both good choices, since neither is the typical “Dead White Men” work that overpowers many HS and college lit and history classes. FWIW, I liked Their Eyes Were Watching God better.
Their Eyes Were Watching God is a great introductory novel to AP Lit! It isn’t too easy or too hard to read (though the colloquial is confusing at first), the protagonist grows on you, and the plot is pretty interesting. It’s also a classic bildungsroman, which you may find applicable as you read it.
I read Their Eyes Were Watching God in honors, and it was very interesting and easy to write about/find themes. I personally didn’t have a problem with the dialect so you’ll probably be fine if you’re doing AP lang.
From the goodreads summaries, I’ve narrowed it down to The Turn of the Screw, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and The Dante Club, but opinions on any book would be appreciated