Classic novels for teenage boy

[fartmeistergeneral]

He's 14, realistic suggestions though - one list I saw had Les Mis - that would never happen!! He's just read, and enjoyed, Of Mice and Men.

Haha! Explains why it appealed to a rambling middle-aged man, then!

A former teenage boy writes:

Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea novels

RM Ballantyne's The Coral Island

Heinlein's The Star Beast, Between Planets, and Citizen of the Galaxy.

Three Men In a Boat

Franz Kafka - The Trial

Flowers for Algernon by.. I can't remember.

If he liked or wants to get into sci-fi, he could do worse than:

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
2001, Childhood's End and Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke
The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov

DS (15) recommends The Wasp Factory (though he said it was terrifying) and Heroes by Robert Cormier (which I think was a set text for Eng Lit this year).

My 3 slightly older teens have recently enjoyed

Dracula
Frankenstein
The Wasp Factory
John Wyndham novels

No votes for all those novels we were recommended as teenagers eg Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird (No longer relevant?)

Husband and I have recently enjoyed Three Men in a Boat (Hilarious even today) and GA Henty and Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

Most of these 'old-fashioned' books are available free on Kindle and well worth a try.

If you think he will cope with an epic, The Count of Monte Cristo. For a long period of peace, the Jack Aubrey series by Patrick O'Brian (as in Master and Commander). For a slightly easier long term read the Belgariad series by David Eddings. All have been favourites of mine over the years (I was an annoyingly precocious reading type, All Quiet on the Western Front at 10 that sort of thing).

What sort of things does he like to read? I love reading and have read a hell of a lot of classics, but I think my heart would sink if someone only wanted me to read them.

DH read a lot of Sven Hassel books when he was that age, but having looked them up, thinking my 15 might like them, I am now not so sure! I liked my dad's spike Milligan books at that age but they do contain swearing and sex.

Most of my more sensible ideas have already been mentioned.

Not classic but definitely quality, my DS(14) was very determined that I should read his favourite book World War Z by Max Brooks. I was very impressed, still reading it! Very different from the film and absolutely excellent.

Also the Cherub and Henderson Boys series by Robert Muchamore. Again not classic, pretty new, but DS devours them and I have read most of the Cherub series myself.