When I started getting into literature seriously, one of the first ideas I rejected was the idea that all classic literature was good. I’ll say it until it gets old: literature is considered literature because it is in some way significant to the art, and not all pieces that are considered literature are filled with masterful prose and characterization. In fact, a lot of literary classics are important to discuss and analyze, but they’re not something we’d consider interesting in the simplest sense. "Beowulf," for instance, is important because it’s the oldest English epic poem that we have, but I’ve seen more realistically three-dimensional characters in basic fiction. This isn’t to say that all esteemed literature is boring and not worth the effort outside of a literature class because even outside of deep analysis, these pieces are bound to blow your mind.

1. "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

This one is actually a novel that does have really well-crafted characters. The imprint of Cain and Abel on Aron and Cal is classically brilliant, and the character of Cathy is so wild that the reader both craves and detests any mention of her. The ending is perfect, like one of those books that you close after reading the last line and you let out a long, deep breath like a period at the end of a sentence.

2. "The Stranger" by Albert Camus

The detached and infuriatingly indifferent narrator gets to you, until you realize that’s kind of the point. Camus’s theory of the absurd is a strange one no doubt, and reading Meursault’s story is even stranger. But, if you can wrap your head around the fact that the universe simply doesn’t care about our timid existence, it’s an excellent read.

3. "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer

Never did I think I’d recommend something I’d read in my tenth grade literature class, but I think that class didn’t do justice to Chaucer’s characters and commentary. "The Canterbury Tales"are only truly accessible through analysis, but that doesn’t make the Wife of Bath any less bold or iconic of a character. Even if you’re not thinking about the points Chaucer is making about the corruption of the Church, his work has subtle humor and his characters are unforgettable.

4. "Paradise Lost" by John Milton

Milton’s "Paradise Lost" is again a literary classic that you’d have an issue with if you were avoiding reading it through a critical lens. However, Milton’s Satan is such an iconic trope that it’s worth reading even though it’s nearly impossible to read. The novel marks the beginning of an era that has sympathy for the devil with its wholehearted exploration of characterization.

5. “The Raven,” “The Black Cat,” and literally anything else by Edgar Allan Poe

Poe is brilliant – his poetry and his short stories are quietly shocking. His more popular works are popular for a reason, but I remember being surprised at how incredible his older and lesser-known works are. “The Bells” and “The City in the Sea” are every bit as mind-blowing to read as “The Raven” and “Annabel Lee.”

6. "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka

Never in my life did I think I’d be so blown away by a book where the main character is a literal cockroach, but the dynamic of Kafka’s characters is unbelievably powerful. The interactions between the family are so grotesque that you can’t look away and Gregor’s story is so crazy that it turns out insanely good.