Over the years of my literary life, I’ve been reading a lot about this and that recommended reading list, and I must say that most are repetative garbage. They trot out the same dozen predominetly English languate titles, Pride and Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Catcher in the Rye, as if world literature were just a high school syllabus on repeat. They’re lazy, predictable, and overwhelmingly narrow, pretending that “the canon” begins in London, Paris, or New York and ends there too. Whole continents are missing, experimental works are ignored, and great writers who wrestled with the deepest human questions get tossed aside in favor of the safest possible picks. So, my list, this recommended reading list for 12th grade students, is different. I don’t care about middlebrow comfort reading or what looks good on a shelf. I’ve built this list to challenge the 12th graders, to have them expand their horizons, and to showcase voices from every corner of the world; European, North American, Latin American, Asian, and African, whose works still burn with urgency. If you’re tired of the same recycled lists and actually want to read the books that shaped how humanity thinks and feels, start here.

The books recommended here, written by authors whose lives and legacies now belong to history, yup, they are all deads (which goes with my mantra that high-schoolers should not read the books by living writers) these books reflect the breadth of human experience: love and betrayal, war and peace, faith and doubt, oppression and freedom, exile and belonging. From Dostoevsky’s psychological explorations of guilt and redemption to Kawabata’s meditations on fleeting beauty, from Cortazar’s experimental realism to Achebe’s confrontation with colonialism, each work stands as both a product of its culture and a universal story that speaks across time. Together, they chart the evolution of modern thought, the struggles of the human spirit, and the artistic search for meaning. This collection is not only a literary journey but also an invitation to engage with voices that continue to shape the way we understand ourselves and the world.

With time, I could add more books to this list, but this is a good start for a serious 12th grader ready to embrace the world of curious and serious literature.

Recommended reading for grade 12 students

Beckett, Samuel – Waiting for Godot (Ireland/France)
Waiting for Godot is a seminal absurdist play where two men, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly for someone named Godot who never arrives. The dialogue is repetitive, circular, and often humorous, emphasizing the futility and monotony of human existence. Beckett explores existential themes such as the search for meaning, the passage of time, and the human desire for companionship. The barren setting and minimal plot focus attention on the characters’ internal states rather than external events. The play challenges traditional narrative and dramatic structure, reshaping modern theatre. It remains a cornerstone of 20th-century literature for its innovation and philosophical depth.

Borges, Jorge Luis – Ficciones (Argentina)
Ficciones is a celebrated collection of short stories blending metaphysics, philosophy, and fantastical imagination. Borges experiments with narrative structure, creating labyrinthine plots and paradoxical realities. Themes include infinity, identity, authorship, and the nature of reality itself. The stories often blur boundaries between fiction and scholarly discourse, creating a dense, intellectually challenging text. Borges’s precise, elegant prose and inventive concepts have influenced generations of writers and thinkers worldwide. This collection remains essential for understanding 20th-century literary modernism and magical realism precursors.

Brecht, Bertolt – Mother Courage and Her Children (Germany)
Set during the Thirty Years’ War, this play tells the story of Mother Courage, who tries to profit from the conflict while losing her children to it. Brecht’s work combines political critique with theatrical experimentation, including his concept of “epic theatre,” which encourages audiences to reflect critically rather than become emotionally absorbed. Themes of war, capitalism, and moral compromise are central, exploring how individuals survive in morally complex societies. The play balances dark humor, tragedy, and social commentary. Its episodic structure, songs, and direct audience address challenge conventional theatre. The work is considered a masterpiece of 20th-century drama.

Bulgakov, Mikhail – The Master and Margarita (Russia)
This novel is a layered, fantastical satire set in Soviet Moscow, where the Devil visits and exposes hypocrisy and corruption. Intertwined with a love story between the Master and Margarita, it explores the tension between artistic freedom and state oppression. Bulgakov blends humor, supernatural elements, and philosophical reflection, creating a rich tapestry of allegory. The novel contrasts Moscow’s materialism with a biblical narrative set in Jerusalem, deepening its exploration of good, evil, and justice. Its inventive structure and imaginative style have made it a cult classic, symbolizing artistic resilience under censorship. Themes of love, morality, and power resonate universally.

Camus, Albert – The Myth of Sisyphus (France/Algeria)
This philosophical essay examines the absurdity of human existence and the tension between the human desire for meaning and a meaningless universe. Camus uses the Greek myth of Sisyphus, condemned to roll a boulder up a hill endlessly, as a metaphor for life’s repetitive struggles. He argues that embracing the absurd, rather than escaping it through religion or ideology, is the path to authentic living. The work is both reflective and argumentative, combining literary elegance with philosophical rigor. Camus’s ideas influenced existentialism and modern literature. It challenges readers to confront mortality, freedom, and personal responsibility.

Camus, Albert – The Stranger (France/Algeria)
This novel tells the story of Meursault, an emotionally detached man who commits a murder and faces society’s moral judgment. Camus explores existential themes, alienation, and the absurdity of human conventions. The prose is spare, precise, and deceptively simple, emphasizing the protagonist’s disconnection from social norms. The novel questions morality, justice, and the meaning of life in a universe indifferent to human concerns. It remains a cornerstone of existentialist literature. The work’s philosophical depth is matched by its narrative clarity and impact.

Julio Cortázar – Hopscotch (Argentina)
Published in 1963, Hopscotch is one of the landmark novels of Latin American literature and a defining work of the “Boom” generation. The book can be read in multiple sequences, with Cortázar offering the reader alternative chapter orders, turning the act of reading itself into a game. It follows Horacio Oliveira, an Argentine intellectual drifting through Paris and later Buenos Aires, as he struggles with love, art, exile, and meaning. The narrative style shifts constantly — from stream-of-consciousness to philosophical musings to playful word experiments — reflecting the instability of reality. Cortázar challenges conventional storytelling and forces readers to participate in constructing the text. At once witty, melancholy, and revolutionary, Hopscotch stands as a bold experiment in form and a meditation on modern existence.

Dostoevsky, Fyodor Mikhailovich – Crime and Punishment (Russia)
A psychological exploration of morality, guilt, and redemption, the novel follows Raskolnikov, a young man who murders a pawnbroker to test his own moral theories. Dostoevsky examines the tension between rationalism, conscience, and social context. The narrative delves deeply into the human psyche, portraying inner conflict, despair, and ethical dilemmas. Themes of punishment, atonement, and the possibility of spiritual rebirth permeate the novel. Richly drawn secondary characters and vivid St. Petersburg settings enhance the narrative’s realism and philosophical impact. It is widely regarded as a masterpiece of world literature.

Dostoevsky, Fyodor Mikhailovich – The Brothers Karamazov (Russia)
This sprawling family saga examines faith, doubt, morality, and human nature through the story of the Karamazov family. Dostoevsky explores philosophical and theological questions, including the existence of God, free will, and the problem of evil. The novel interweaves multiple narrative threads, featuring complex characters, courtroom drama, and psychological depth. Themes of love, jealousy, guilt, and redemption are central to the plot. Richly detailed St. Petersburg settings and nuanced dialogues bring the characters and their struggles vividly to life. Widely considered one of the greatest novels ever written, it reflects Dostoevsky’s profound insight into human consciousness.

Faulkner, William – The Sound and the Fury (USA)
Faulkner’s modernist masterpiece explores the decline of the Compson family in the American South. The novel employs stream-of-consciousness narration, shifting perspectives, and fragmented timelines. Themes of time, memory, racial tension, and familial decay permeate the story. Characters are psychologically complex, with inner turmoil and tragic flaws central to the narrative. Faulkner’s experimental prose challenges traditional storytelling, immersing readers in the subjective experiences of his characters. This work remains a benchmark of 20th-century literature for its formal innovation and emotional depth.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott – The Great Gatsby (USA)
Set in the 1920s, this novel explores the American Dream, wealth, love, and moral decay through the life of Jay Gatsby. Fitzgerald contrasts the idealism of Gatsby’s love with the superficiality of high society. Themes of obsession, illusion, and social stratification pervade the narrative. The prose is elegant, poetic, and sharply observant, capturing the mood of the Jazz Age. Symbolism, including the green light and the valley of ashes, deepens the novel’s thematic resonance. It is widely regarded as a quintessential critique of American culture and ambition.

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von – Faust (Germany)
Faust tells the story of a scholar who sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. The play explores themes of desire, temptation, morality, and the human quest for meaning. Goethe integrates philosophy, poetry, and drama, blending classical and modern literary traditions. The narrative alternates between moments of lyrical beauty and tragic intensity. Characters wrestle with ambition, guilt, and redemption, offering profound insight into human nature. Faust remains a cornerstone of world literature, exemplifying the fusion of intellectual and artistic achievement.

Hemingway, Ernest – The Old Man and the Sea (USA)
This novella tells the story of Santiago, an aging fisherman struggling to catch a giant marlin. Hemingway explores themes of perseverance, dignity, and human resilience against nature’s indifference. The prose is spare and economical, reflecting Hemingway’s signature style of understated intensity. The narrative is both a literal story of survival and an allegorical exploration of human struggle. Santiago’s relationship with the sea symbolizes both challenge and companionship. The novella won the Pulitzer Prize and contributed to Hemingway’s Nobel Prize in Literature.

Hemingway, Ernest – For Whom the Bell Tolls (USA)
Set during the Spanish Civil War, the novel follows Robert Jordan, an American dynamiter fighting with Republican guerrillas. Themes of love, duty, sacrifice, and mortality are explored amid the chaos of war. Hemingway’s prose is direct, vivid, and highly evocative, capturing the tension and danger of conflict. The narrative examines personal and collective morality, loyalty, and the human cost of political struggle. Relationships and ethical dilemmas drive the story as characters face imminent danger. It is a powerful meditation on courage, loss, and the endurance of the human spirit.

Hesse, Hermann – Steppenwolf (Germany/Switzerland)
Steppenwolf explores the existential crisis of Harry Haller, a man divided between his human and wolfish natures. The novel examines isolation, duality, and the search for self-understanding in a fragmented society. Hesse combines psychological depth with philosophical reflection, using dreams and fantasy to expand narrative possibilities. Themes of alienation, spirituality, and artistic sensibility are central. The book critiques bourgeois society while celebrating personal authenticity. Its introspective style influenced the counterculture of the 1960s and remains a classic of modernist literature.

Ionesco, Eugène – The Bald Soprano (Romania/France)
A landmark of absurdist theatre, the play satirizes the banality and emptiness of bourgeois conversation. Dialogue is repetitive, nonsensical, and comically disjointed, highlighting the futility of conventional communication. Ionesco’s work critiques social norms, routines, and the search for meaning in modern life. The play is minimalistic, with sparse staging and exaggerated gestures emphasizing absurdity. Themes of alienation, conformity, and existential anxiety are central. The Bald Soprano helped define the Theatre of the Absurd and remains a seminal influence on modern drama.

Ionesco, Eugène – The Chairs (Romania/France)
An elderly couple prepares chairs for invisible guests, symbolizing isolation, futility, and the human need for recognition. The play blends dark comedy with profound existential themes. Ionesco examines communication, mortality, and the search for purpose in an indifferent world. Minimalist staging emphasizes the absurdity of existence and the fragility of human life. Themes of loneliness, memory, and the tension between reality and illusion pervade the work. It is widely regarded as one of Ionesco’s most accomplished contributions to absurdist theatre.

Joyce, James – Ulysses (Ireland)
Ulysses chronicles a single day in Dublin, following Leopold Bloom as he navigates ordinary life with extraordinary narrative complexity. Joyce parallels Homer’s Odyssey, creating intricate allusions and symbolic structures. The novel employs stream-of-consciousness, interior monologue, and shifting perspectives, challenging traditional narrative form. Themes of identity, nationality, religion, and sexuality are explored in minute detail. Bloom’s experiences reveal the universality of human desire, isolation, and connection. Joyce’s language is experimental, rich with puns, parodies, and linguistic innovation, making Ulysses a landmark of modernist literature.

Kafka, Franz – The Metamorphosis (Czechoslovakia)
This surreal novella tells the story of Gregor Samsa, who wakes up transformed into a gigantic insect, confronting alienation and family dynamics. Kafka examines themes of identity, guilt, and social isolation through symbolic and absurd circumstances. The story highlights the tension between individual desires and societal expectations. Kafka’s precise, detached prose enhances the sense of absurdity and emotional disconnection. The novella resonates as both a psychological study and an allegory for human suffering. Its exploration of existential anxiety has cemented it as a classic of 20th-century literature.

Kafka, Franz – The Trial (Czechoslovakia)
Josef K. is suddenly arrested and prosecuted by a mysterious authority for an unspecified crime, confronting bureaucracy and existential uncertainty. Kafka creates a nightmarish world where legal systems are opaque and oppressive. The novel explores themes of guilt, alienation, and the absurdity of human existence. Characters and institutions are enigmatic, intensifying the sense of helplessness and dread. Kafka’s narrative combines surrealism with dark realism, reflecting the anxieties of modern life. The Trial remains a seminal work in existential and absurdist literature.

Kawabata, Yasunari – Snow Country (Japan)
A lyrical novel set in a remote Japanese mountain village, depicting the ill-fated love affair between a Tokyo dilettante and a provincial geisha. Kawabata’s prose is spare, elegant, and highly visual, capturing the natural and emotional landscape. Themes of beauty, transience, and the tension between modernity and tradition pervade the narrative. The characters are psychologically subtle, often revealing inner conflict through gestures and silence. The story emphasizes the fleeting nature of human connection and the inevitability of isolation. Kawabata’s work earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968.

Lu Xun – The True Story of Ah Q (China)
This novella satirizes Chinese society during the early 20th century through the misadventures of the self-deluded Ah Q. Lu Xun explores themes of cultural inertia, moral weakness, and national identity. The narrative blends humor, tragedy, and social critique, exposing human folly and social injustice. Ah Q’s character embodies the contradictions of pride and humiliation, resilience and passivity. Lu Xun’s writing combines realism with biting irony, making the work both entertaining and thought-provoking. It remains a cornerstone of modern Chinese literature and social commentary.

Lorca, Federico García – Ballad of the Moon, Moon (Spain)
A short, lyrical poem blending folklore and surreal imagery, reflecting themes of fate, mortality, and human desire. Lorca’s language is musical and symbolic, evoking powerful emotional and visual resonance. The poem examines the tension between innocence and tragedy, life and death. Themes of passion, loss, and inevitability recur throughout Lorca’s work. The ballad exemplifies his mastery of blending tradition with modernist experimentation. Lorca’s poetry continues to influence writers and artists worldwide.

Lorca, Federico García – Horseman’s Song (Spain)
A symbolic poem exploring love, longing, and existential reflection, drawing on rural Spanish imagery. Lorca’s use of rhythm and metaphor creates an intense emotional experience. The narrative voice reflects both personal and collective sensibilities, evoking cultural and human universality. Themes of mortality, desire, and the natural world intersect seamlessly. Lorca’s lyrical style balances simplicity with profound psychological depth. The poem exemplifies his ongoing exploration of identity, tradition, and poetic innovation.

Lorca, Federico García – Farewell (Spain)
This poem meditates on parting, memory, and the inevitability of loss, blending personal and universal elements. Lorca’s poetic imagery is evocative, symbolic, and emotionally resonant. The work explores themes of mortality, nostalgia, and the transient nature of happiness. His use of metaphor and musicality enhances the emotional intensity. Farewell demonstrates Lorca’s ability to fuse folk traditions with modernist techniques. It remains a quintessential example of his lyrical and symbolic mastery.

Mann, Thomas – The Magic Mountain (Germany)
Set in a Swiss sanatorium before World War I, the novel follows Hans Castorp as he engages with illness, philosophy, and social ideas. Mann explores themes of time, mortality, and the interplay between intellect and emotion. The narrative is rich with philosophical discourse, cultural reflection, and psychological insight. Characters represent conflicting ideologies, highlighting tensions between modernity, tradition, and human desire. Mann’s writing combines realism with allegorical depth, creating a complex, contemplative work. The Magic Mountain is a landmark of European modernist literature.

Melville, Herman – Moby-Dick (USA)
An epic narrative of Captain Ahab’s obsessive hunt for the great white whale, symbolizing the struggle against fate and nature. Melville explores themes of obsession, revenge, humanity’s insignificance, and the tension between reason and passion. The novel combines adventure, philosophical reflection, and encyclopedic knowledge of whaling. Characters are psychologically complex, embodying diverse perspectives on life and morality. The prose is richly detailed, symbolic, and often digressive, reflecting the enormity of its themes. Moby-Dick remains a cornerstone of American literature and existential inquiry.

Neruda, Pablo – Love Poem (Chile)
This poem is a passionate exploration of romantic and sensual love, blending personal intimacy with universal emotion. Neruda’s language is lush, musical, and richly metaphorical, evoking physicality and spiritual depth simultaneously. Themes of longing, desire, and connection permeate the verse. The poem celebrates both the intensity of individual relationships and the broader human experience of love. Symbolism drawn from nature and everyday life enhances its emotional resonance. Neruda’s work remains influential in Latin American poetry for its combination of lyricism and accessibility.

Pekić, Borislav – The Time of Miracles (Serbia)
This novel explores the intersection of faith, history, and human experience, blending realism with fantastical elements. Pekić examines moral and existential questions through richly drawn characters and allegorical events. Themes of belief, doubt, and human resilience are central. The prose is reflective, precise, and philosophically engaged. The narrative challenges readers to consider the consequences of personal and collective choices. The Time of Miracles remains a highlight of Pekić’s literary achievements.

Pirandello, Luigi – Six Characters in Search of an Author (Italy)
A groundbreaking metatheatrical play in which unfinished characters confront a theater company to demand the completion of their story. Pirandello explores themes of identity, reality versus illusion, and the creative process. The play challenges traditional narrative and dramatic structures, merging comedy, tragedy, and philosophical inquiry. Characters question their existence, purpose, and autonomy, creating tension between author, actor, and character. The work reflects Pirandello’s fascination with the fluidity of identity and human perception. It is a landmark in 20th-century drama and modernist theatre.

Proust, Marcel – In Search of Lost Time (Combray; Swann in Love) (France)
This monumental novel explores memory, time, and human desire through the lens of Proust’s narrator. Detailed psychological observation and social commentary illuminate the lives of aristocratic and bourgeois society in turn-of-the-century France. Themes of love, jealousy, artistic creation, and social observation pervade the narrative. The prose is intricate, rich, and lyrical, often delving into interior reflection and sensory experience. Proust’s work emphasizes the profound significance of seemingly ordinary experiences. It remains a defining achievement of modernist literature.

Sartre, Jean-Paul – Nausea (France)
The novel follows Antoine Roquentin, a man confronting the absurdity and meaninglessness of existence. Sartre explores existential themes such as freedom, alienation, and authenticity. Roquentin’s introspection reveals his struggle to find coherence and purpose in an indifferent world. The narrative style blends philosophical reflection with precise, vivid description of daily life. Themes of existential angst, absurdity, and self-discovery permeate the work. Nausea remains a cornerstone of existentialist literature.

Selimović, Meša – Death and the Dervish (Yugoslavia)
This philosophical novel follows a dervish navigating moral and political dilemmas in Ottoman-era Bosnia. Selimović explores the tension between personal conscience and social authority. Themes of justice, power, faith, and existential struggle pervade the narrative. The prose is reflective, meditative, and richly detailed, emphasizing psychological and spiritual depth. The novel is considered a major achievement of Bosnian and Yugoslav literature. Its exploration of ethics, mortality, and human agency remains timeless.

Shakespeare, William – Hamlet (England)
This tragedy tells the story of Prince Hamlet seeking revenge for his father’s murder, exploring themes of mortality, revenge, and moral corruption. Shakespeare examines the complexity of human emotion, decision-making, and conscience. The play’s soliloquies provide deep psychological insight into Hamlet’s internal conflicts. Themes of betrayal, love, and existential uncertainty resonate throughout. Shakespeare’s poetic language, dramatic structure, and universal human themes have ensured the play’s enduring relevance. Hamlet is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of Western literature.

Steinbeck, John – Of Mice and Men (USA)
A Depression-era novella following George and Lennie, two migrant workers pursuing the American Dream. Steinbeck explores friendship, loneliness, and the harsh realities of economic hardship. Themes of hope, sacrifice, and human dignity are central to the narrative. The characters are vividly drawn, reflecting both personal struggle and universal human experience. Steinbeck’s prose is straightforward yet emotionally powerful, emphasizing realism and empathy. The novella remains a staple of American literature and social critique.

Stendhal – The Red and the Black (France)
A psychological and political novel following Julien Sorel’s ambitious rise in post-Napoleonic France. Stendhal examines themes of social class, ambition, love, and moral conflict. The protagonist’s internal struggles reveal the tension between personal desire and societal expectation. The narrative combines realism, satire, and incisive social commentary. Characters are complex, morally ambiguous, and vividly portrayed. The Red and the Black is celebrated as a major achievement of 19th-century French literature.

Tišma, Aleksandar – The Use of Man (Serbia)
Set during World War II, this novel depicts the erosion of humanity under violence and oppression. Tišma examines moral compromise, survival, and the consequences of ethical choices in extreme circumstances. The narrative blends historical realism with philosophical reflection, creating a haunting account of human behavior. Characters are psychologically complex, facing dilemmas of loyalty, guilt, and conscience. Themes of suffering, resilience, and human dignity are central. The novel is recognized as a seminal contribution to Yugoslav postwar literature.

Woolf, Virginia – Mrs. Dalloway (England)
Following a single day in London, the novel chronicles Clarissa Dalloway’s preparations for a party, exploring memory, identity, and social consciousness. Woolf employs stream-of-consciousness narration, fluidly shifting between characters’ inner thoughts and external events. Themes of time, mortality, mental health, and societal expectation are interwoven throughout the narrative. The prose is lyrical, nuanced, and psychologically penetrating. The novel examines the interplay between public life and private consciousness. Mrs. Dalloway is a landmark of modernist literature, celebrated for its innovative style and profound insight.