7 Best Books To Read Before You Turn 18: Our Updated 2024 Reading List
Recommendations by Sarah, English Language and Literature, University of Oxford
Recommendations for 18-year-olds
The books you read before becoming an adult are often those which will stay with you the longest. They become a point of reference as you encounter new experiences and are so important in your formative years, as a love of reading developed at this age will endure through adulthood. Reading at any point in life enables you to continue to learn; develop the habit now and you will set yourself up for a lifetime of learning.
Besides this, having strong writing skills becomes more and more crucial as you approach the age of eighteen, since you’ll be preparing a personal statement and honing your essay writing skills in your A-Level courses. For this reason, no matter what you’re planning on studying at university, make sure to make reading a part of your routine. Reading, especially more challenging texts, will allow your written expression to develop in exciting ways. Fluency in constructing your own arguments stems from reading others’ work. Look no further for some examples of exemplary written expression.
George Eliot, Middlemarch
Plot
Eliot interweaves the narratives of the various individuals who inhabit the town of Middlemarch to create a portrait of parochial existence in the nineteenth century. It is a realist novel in which the realities of marriage, religious struggle and following one’s vocation are depicted. The two major protagonists are Dorothea Brooke and Dr Lydgate, two intensely ambitious figures who nonetheless make unwise choices. Eliot maps out the consequences of their actions and the ways in which the lives of Middlemarch’s inhabitants overlap. The narrative is complex and detailed, making for a challenging read, but it is an immensely rewarding novel; Eliot leaves no stone unturned in her forensic examination of private lives, and her novel is therefore richly satisfying. It is also an early example of a feminist narrative: Eliot uncovers the frustration of women faced with limited opportunities and refuses to conform to the conventional romance narratives which were expected from a female writer at the time.
Who should read it?
The age of 17 or 18 is the ideal time to read this book: the narrative explores the challenges of choosing a direction in terms of career and beliefs and is therefore a timely read if you’re deciding what to do or where to go after finishing school. As a landmark in the development of the novel form, Middlemarch is a text of major importance; Eliot experiments with style, form and narrative structure to develop what the novel can do, and the book is therefore an important point of reference when reading twentieth century texts. Anyone who considers themselves a feminist should read this book: Eliot was championing the intellectual and social power of women before feminism even existed, and her contribution to womens’ rights must be recognised.
What will it teach you?
This novel has many lessons to teach about decision-making and the importance of prioritising your own ambitions. In addition, its stylistic sophistication, with its sustained metaphors and descriptions of minutiae, creates a model of written fluency. This book is a challenge for a reader of any age; the plot is at times difficult to follow and the language is complex, but for this reason it is the mental equivalent of a workout at the gym. Read this book carefully and it will hugely strengthen your comprehension skills. The exercise of connecting the different narrative threads will develop your ability to connect ideas in any context. The novel is a challenge, but it promises many rewards.
Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse
Plot
Woolf’s novel is set in the Hebrides and follows the Ramsay family as they spend the summer in their summer home which overlooks a distant lighthouse. The narrative adopts the perspective of the different protagonists successively, moving between them as the lighthouse continues to loom in the background. The structure of the novel falls into three distinct parts, the first over the course of two days, the second over ten years, and the third over a few days. These shifting narratorial and temporal perspectives allow for a subtle exploration of relationships, the passing of time and the relationship between thought and reality.
Who should read it?
To the Lighthouse deals with what it is to be a thinking person; it therefore speaks to anyone of any age. Woolf’s descriptions of the private thought processes which occur in solitary moments are distinctive and relevant across time, and her style of writing is of interest as an example of literary experimentation. Her work is of particular relevance to anyone looking to develop an appreciation of art; a central concern of the novel is what constitutes ‘aesthetic’ appreciation of visual experience, and this is fundamental to understanding what art is and how it comes into being.
What will it teach you?
In describing how people think, this novel will prompt you to examine how you think, and how your memories and relationships inform your reactions to experiences and information. This is not only relevant in personal situations; examining your assumptions in an academic context is an important tool when analysing information. As you read this novel, pay attention to Woolf’s figurative language and the techniques she uses to connect sensory experience to abstract thought; noticing how effects are achieved is a skill which can be applied to analysing any text.
5 extra reading suggestions
The above novels are merely a starting point, and you should feel confident in developing your own particular areas of interest when deciding what to read. For example, if you particularly enjoy To the Lighthouse, don’t stop there! Explore Woolf’s other novels, such as Orlando and Mrs Dalloway, or delve into her non-fiction work. Reading is an act of exploration. Below are some further suggestions of books selected from different genres and time periods which you may find particularly relevant as you approach the age of eighteen, but feel free to take your reading in your own direction.
Novels
Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart
Jack Kerouac, On the Road
James Baldwin, Giovanni’s Room
Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
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