Lesser Known Works that Should be Read ~Written by Cara Haley

    There are many skillful authors, and some of the best are immediately recognized. Their marvelous works are known by name, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, or famous essayist, Ralph Waldo Emerson's The Over-Soul. It is astonishing how their words collect a perfect invention on a few thin pages. But some of these amazing authors' fine works aren't as popular as their others. With such creative talent, all should be read. Authors such as William Shakespeare have a collection of polished plays which are highly valued, and his talent is known throughout the world. Even some of his shorter plays such as Julius Caesar, The Winter's Tale, and The Comedy of Errors are praised for their greatness. There are many admirable writers who wrote several things, but their one bestseller is mainly known for sole success. I think we ought to equally praise the author and the book, not the thrilling story alone. All throughout history, masters of literature rose and created words of art such as Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Robert Lee Frost, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, the Bronte sisters, Jules Verne, and Jane Austen.
     Jane Austen is best known for her novel, Pride and Prejudice. But she wrote a series of other fine  novels that aren't as acknowledged. The novel, Emma has Austen's appreciated dynamic character development, one with interesting relationships and interactions. Emma is a lighthearted novel that brilliantly portrays the provincial townspeople of Highbury in a luminous satire. The main protagonist, Emma Woodhouse, who culminates her entire life to improve others', seems to think of all, but fails to realize her own heart. This tale brings leisure and irony to that time period. It was a real enjoyment to read and the reader will savor the humorous manner.
     Another Jane Austen novel is Persuasion. Persuasion shows an entirely different romantic story from Austen's other novels, like Sense and Sensibilty. It sets up a story of mystery where previous love is no more and those once loving hearts are strained in hopelessness. It approaches the theory that love can't have love without suffering. This type of story was quite rare and inspired other great stories, such as For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund.
     The next author , Ernest Hemingway, was a strong influential writer who led literature from the 1920's to the 50's. He wrote several novels of fiction and two nonfiction with a collection of short stories. His one novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls, was like his final work, The Old Man and The Sea, for it focuses on the one battle of life, though this one happened to be actual war. It keys in on the luck some of us are fortunate to have, even if it may only last for a day. It displayed the shortness of life and how something so great can be given away in moments.
     Villette by Charlotte Bronte is a good as her other novel, Jane Eyre. It had something that was nearly supernatural to it, like the rest of the Bronte sister's novels. With a strong powerful female character behind it, Lucy Snowe, this tale was surreal and very memorable with the wise advice Ms. Snowe advised to those around her. Lucy Snowe endures an unspecified family tragedy and has to travel away from England to a French town, Villette, where she teaches English at a girl's school. Drawling in, Ms. Snowe finds herself an adventure and unwanted romance. Charlotte Bronte earned an award from the reader's indrawn mind. The similarity between her other novel is astounding with greatness and some of us were able to relive another enjoyment. 
     William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying is a spectacular book, one with functions fit for an imaginative mind. Even thought this book didn't win a Pulitzer Prize or the National Book Award like Mr. Faulkner's other book, A Fable, it earned potency with its capturing story. The difference some see in life created a new meaning. It was all about the perspective of how you see things. The earning message behind it was that life's emotional creations may be "merely a function of the mind-and that of the mind of the ones who suffers the bereavement." Compassion and lies are covered deeply in our soul and they are there with such guilt; guilt that stays with us until death and even beyond that.
     These vivid novels are masterly written and bind a committed purpose together throughout their stories. So if you read one magnificent thing from a profound author, try and check out their other works. You might be surprised by the overlooked books that are truly facile, but aren't highly promoted like others are.