5 Must-Read High School Classics: Timeless Books Worth Revisiting
High school is a time of exploration. Some students throw themselves into sports, hobbies, part-time jobs—or each other. With so many distractions, it’s no surprise that many teenagers don’t finish (or even start) the books assigned in English class. Maybe you were one of them. And that’s okay.
Just because you skipped a few required reads in high school doesn’t mean it’s too late. In fact, reading these books as an adult can be even more meaningful. Of course, not everything you learned in school is actually useful (looking at you, calculus), but the following books offer enduring insight, relevance, and perspective.
So here are five classic books you were probably supposed to read in high school—and why you should definitely consider reading (or rereading) them now.
Death of a Salesman
(by Arthur Miller)
Death of a Salesman is one of the few books that has ever made me cry.
Miller’s most famous work is a brutal critique of the American Dream. The narrative casts a harsh light on a postwar society in the late 1940s with a damming shadow thrown onto the growing consumerist mindset of the time. The story touches on concepts of self-worth, the perils of aging, and the hidden costs of mental health. All are topics that resonate across generations, age-groups, and decades. That being said, rereading Death of a Salesman in my mid-20s was just as powerful as the first time, if not more.
It is easy to admire how Miller tackles American capitalism. The message carries emotional weight and his delivery captures a clarity that, in my opinion, F. Scott Fitzgerald didn’t quite manage in The Great Gatsby. Death of a Salesman explores illusions of grandeur and questions whether success is real or merely imagined.
But the core question Miller asks, and what makes the work timeless, is this: Does success even matter if you aren’t happy?
Fahrenheit 451
(by Ray Bradbury)
Like many classics, Fahrenheit 451 delivers a critique that feels just as timely today as when it was written. Bradbury warns of a society that devalues intellectualism and censors progress. More importantly, he argues that complacency is a kind of self-imposed slavery.
Yes, the metaphor of fire is a bit heavy-handed. And Bradbury’s elitism toward popular media is fair game for criticism. Still, the novel remains essential reading. It reveals how limiting knowledge benefits those in power; a concept still true in many modern societies.
One of the most striking ideas in Fahrenheit 451 is the enforced “equality” of thought. In Bradbury’s future, being called “intellectual” is basically an insult. Independent thinking is dangerous, and authorities ensure people don’t stray from the norm.
Sound familiar?
Brave New World
(by Aldous Huxley)
Brave New World was my first real introduction to dystopian literature. Before reading it, most of what I consumed was young adult sci-fi that flirted with deep ideas without ever committing to them. But Huxley? He went all in. It was probably the first time I realized a novel could be social commentary. I was maybe thirteen or fourteen when I first read it and it absolutely blew my mind.
Like most great dystopian premises, Huxley’s future is deceptively utopian. Society is stable, people are happy, their desires are met, and sex is casual and frequent. What’s not to love? There’s no bootstrapping to make ends meet or pain, just… universal contentment.
And yet the main character is deeply unhappy.
That’s where the brilliance lies. Huxley suggests that struggle might be essential to happiness. It’s a powerful reminder that ease and comfort aren’t always fulfilling. The concept and narrative is echoed in the work of philosophers like Albert Camus. Quick side note: if you have never read The Myth of Sisyphus, then do yourself a favor and read it today. Not tomorrow. Today.
Huxley captured a message that is as ubiquitous today as it was when it was first published. It is also something that most teenagers, steeped in angst, can relate to just as easily as adults worried about what tomorrow holds.
Animal Farm
(by George Orwell)
Unlike 1984, Orwell’s Animal Farm uses talking animals to deliver its critique of totalitarianism. The novella is a sharp, satirical allegory that is easy to read but rich in meaning. The novel encourages political literacy and critical thinking while introducing the power of propaganda in a very accessible way.
Why read Animal Farm today? First, it’s short. So, there is no better bang for your buck if you’re pressed for time. But more importantly, it’s an easy entry point into understanding ideologies like Marxism and the dangers of concentrated power. Furthermore, it encourages questioning authority, which, as someone with medically diagnosed oppositional defiant disorder, is a concept I will champion until the day that I die.
Still, the book’s fable-like narration makes it feel timeless. Despite being published in the 1940s, its commentary on how revolutions can give way to new forms of tyranny is still chillingly relevant. Very few books blend history, satire, and allegory this well, or at least, this succinctly.
Slaughterhouse-Five
(by Kurt Vonnegut)
Kurt Vonnegut was a master of social commentary, and Slaughterhouse-Five is no exception. While it’s not my personal favorite of his work (that honor goes to The Sirens of Titan), it’s undoubtedly his most powerful critique of war. Irreverent, darkly funny, and unflinchingly honest, the novel challenges authority and punctures the myth of American exceptionalism. So, it isn’t hard to understand why the book has been the subject of frequent bans and challenges over the years. Some readers find its portrayal of World War II disrespectful; others recognize it as a brutal but necessary truth.
But that’s what makes it great. The book’s history of being banned or challenged makes it a great conversation starter on freedom of expression.
Since its publication in the 1960s, Slaughterhouse-Five has remained one of Vonnegut’s most influential novels. The book’s nonlinear structure effectively invites discussion about memory and the nature of time. And through a mix of science fiction, satire, and memoir, Vonnegut confronts the trauma of war, the illusion of free will, and the absurdity of modern life. Talk about a heavy-hitting novel.
Vonnegut, like in most of his novels speaks to something deeply human in both a funny and tragic way. In Slaughterhouse-Five, he speaks to a generation raised on hope but devastated by reality. A concept that resonates as well today as it did for generations past.
Final Thoughts
Whether you skipped these books in high school or just don’t remember much beyond the SparkNotes version, revisiting them as an adult is worth your time. They offer insights into society, history, and the human condition—without the pressure of a looming essay or pop quiz.
So grab one. Or all five. You might be surprised how much more they have to say now.