Kira Drury
Throughout high school English classes, Haldane students are assigned to read almost 40 books. But, if we’re being honest, not every one of those pages gets thoroughly read. For one reason or another—busy extracurricular schedule, AP exams, or simple procrastination—some books might not receive the love they deserve from every student. So, to help straighten out priorities for future students, we’ve compiled a list of books which a surveyed group of this year’s AP Literature and Honors English seniors feel are most important to read closely.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding questions human nature through themes such as the corruption of power. Told through the lens of a society crafted by young schoolboys, surveyed senior Marc Firpo found this story to be a “good representation of society”.
Night by Elie Wiesel is an incredibly heavy Holocaust memoir mainly dealing with the theme of religion and identity. Wiesel’s struggle with his faith in religion through the cruelty of the Holocaust brings light to a dark part of history through the eyes of a teenager, allowing students to connect with his story. Senior Frederick Hohenberger says that the book resonated with him “because it’s real”. Night’s impact on Haldane students even in years after is clear, as he remarks, “It was a while ago… [but] I remember it getting to me.”
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams touches on important topics from the real world, such as gender roles and the destructive potential of desire. Senior Sophie Koch stated that she also enjoyed reading it in class because of its unique format as a play, making it easier to digest and more engaging. Some AP Literature seniors even studied and wrote about the play on their final exam; its distinctive motifs and themes make for a clear essay relevant to infinite prompts.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens had not only an enjoyable and relevant plot about the road to the French Revolution, but also proved incredibly useful in studying for the AP English Literature exam. The novel was published in 1859 in serialized installments targeted at the British public, creating an accessible and suspenseful storyline for modern Haldane students to follow. Seniors Scotia Hartford, Caroline Sniffen, and many others found A Tale of Two Cities helpful at the end of the year, as its wide array of themes, characters, and subplots covered most of the possible essay topics on the AP Lit exam.