suggestions for classical reading

[Carmen]

im traveling this winter and i'll be on a plan for about 16 hours.  i want to read some classic literature, however, ive found that most classical readings are...a bit difficult to understand.  

does anyone have any suggestions of a classical novel (preferably something written before 20th century) that is an easy read.  

-please, no Charles Dickens or Jane Austen.  

[Jim]

Conrad, perhaps? Try Lord Jim (published 1900 but who's counting).

[habojspade]

Frankenstein?

[Clover]

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell?

[sabelmouse]

it's a matter of getting used to the language. also it's helpfull to get a good edition like penguin classics, not the cheap ones, because they give a lot of background information.
over here at lest they are quite cheap second hand.
i find jane austen very easy to read and thee fore a good start. pride and prejudice especially. charlotte bronte and dickens, mrs gaskel defenitly,hardy, that is asuming you want to read '' english'' books.
i am plann ing on reading les miserables in the near future, you'd need an extra bag for that.
crime and punishment by dostojevsky though and emile zola.
i'd say dracul by bram stocker but i recently read dracula my love by syrie james which is basically the same story told enirely by mina harker. this woman also wrote the lost memoirs of jane austen and the secret diaries of charlotte bronte. both very good. though i am a much bigger fan of austen than bronte.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pride-Prejudice-Penguin-Classics-Austen/dp/...
http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-Penguin-Classics-Austen/dp/01...

[Kadie - Anne Elizabeth Evans]

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, I've been reading that book since I was a kid.
Dracula, I'm reading it at the moment and I have found some parts of it boring and hard to get though but the good parts (which is most of it) more than make up for it.
Really I'd just say look at the penguin classics for something that interests you cause most of them have notes and introductions and all that fun stuff and they tend to be fairly cheap.

Utopia by Thomas More. I read the 1965 english translation by Paul Turner and I found it so interesting. It's not what I'd call a leisurely read on account of the fact that nothing actually happens and it's just a description of a society, and it's not exactly a novel but I still found it very interesting.

I was also gonna suggest 1984. It's my favourite book and I can just read it over and over again. Since that was written in the late 1940's the lanuage is easy to understand and there's nothing too archaic.

Happy Reading =)

[Amy Banker]

I just finished Orlando by Virginia Woolf and it's not too tough to read while also being one of the most hilarious and absurd stories I've ever read. It's become one of my favorites!

[sabelmouse]

i love orlando. i was thinking about it just yesterday when i was seeing pictures in the news that looked like people were walking and scating on the thames.

[Free Julian]

Jane Austen of course.