Keeping up with great books is challenging because exceptional writers have been creating them for generations. Some of them are forgotten. However, people had to revisit some of these books because of the profundity with which they reflected ideas and times.
In the following, we provide examples of five classic books that returned to readers.
Stoner, by John Williams
Stoner by John Williams is a great example of a classic that was rediscovered.
- Stoner was first published in 1965 but did not receive much attention.
- The book enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 2000s after the New York Review Books (NYRB) Classics reissued it in 2003.
- In the novel, William Stoner is a professor who experiences conflicts in his marriage when his wife, Edith, withholds love and tries to separate him from his daughter.
- At the same time, he faces challenges at work, before eventually dying from cancer.
- From obscurity, the novel rose to become an international bestseller.
Readers returned to fall in love with William’s story and the simplicity of the writing.
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I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
Jacqueline Harpman’s I Who Have Never Known Men comes off as another fine example of one of the classics that returned to prominence after being forgotten.
When it was first released in 1995, it was published in French under the title Moi qui n’ai pas connu les hommes. The first English publication of Jacqueline Harpman’s book was by Ros Schwartz in 1997, in the United Kingdom, under the title Mistress of Silence. An independent publishing company in the US, Seven Stories Press, later published the now-popular version under the title I Who Have Never Known Men.
- The book tells the story of a group of women who were formerly in captivity with some men, even though they could not fully comprehend their situation.
- They subsequently escape to find a desolate wasteland and begin to form their own community.
The book reemerged when social media users brought it back into the mainstream, and publishing companies had to adapt, releasing new print runs that helped the English edition sell over 100,000 copies.
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
Readers largely tout Wilkie Collins’ Moonstone as one of the pathfinders of the modern detective novel in the English language.
- Moonstone is a fictitious mystery from 1868 about a stolen gemstone that was bequeathed to a woman.
- Collins solves the crime by bringing in Sergeant Cuff, an archetype for characters like Sherlock Holmes.
- Over the years, people have admired its narrative style, as Collins presents the story from the accounts of multiple people.
- Despite these accolades, his fame waned in the early 20th century.
After reviewing his work, scholars showed appreciation for it as a gripping novel for its time. The Moonstone’s reintroduction to the literary canon was an offshoot of the renewed interest in the “golden age” of detective fiction.
Passing by Nella Larsen
Nella Larsen’s Passing is one of the books to come from the age of the Harlem Renaissance.
- The book explores issues of race, class, obsession, and the impact of hiding one’s identity.
- The plot follows Irene and Clare, who are light-skinned and living in America in the 1920s.
- Clare marries a white man (who is a vehement racist) under the pretense that she is also white.
- The story climaxes when Clare and Irene begin to meet, even though Irene tries to cut off contact with Clare.
The book lost popularity among readers after Larsen left the literary scene. It later found renewed popularity among feminist scholars.
Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks
Maud Martha is the only novel from Gwendolyn Brooks, Pulitzer Prize winner.
- The book tells the coming-of-age story of Maud Martha, who grew up in 1920s Chicago.
- Gwendolyn tackles issues of culture, roots, gender, class disparity, among others.
- The book lost its popularity for years until its restoration, which aimed to bring radical, marginalized voices back to the mainstream.
Readers love the book’s nuanced portrayal of the woman and her sense of beauty.
