Novels From the 18th Century That You Should Read

The 18^th century was, perhaps, the true beginning of the literary era. Before then, most books were completely religious or political in nature. Starting around the time of the 18^th century, however, novels started being published that were designed to be read for leisure. This is not to say that there weren’t such books before, merely that this was the era in which such books really started to take off.

Novels From the 18th Century That Are a Great Read

Robinson Crusoe

Written by Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe tells the adventures of a Robinson Kreutznaer who was cast away and subsequently spent 28 years on a remote tropical island. Though the narrative is relatively simple, Robinson Crusoe has been enchanting readers since it was released in 1719, the early part of the 18th century.

As an adventure novel, it follows the protagonist as he battles against nature, cannibals, and pirates. It is a touch preachy, but considering the time period, that’s not altogether unexpected. If you are looking for an enjoyable read that you don’t have to put much thought into, you can’t go wrong with this one.

One Thousand and One Nights (The Arabian Nights)

As the name implies, there are 1001 stories in this 10-volume collection. Getting through them all could be a lifetime’s worth of reading. However, with 1001 stories, you’re sure to find some gems.

While some of the stories often associated with The Arabian Nights (such as Aladdin or Ali Baba) were later additions, you can see the original seeds that eventually grew into these tales. You could go so far as to say that this is the mother of such stories.

Love in Excess

Written by Eliza Haywood in 1719 or 1720, Love in Excess tells the story of a Count D’Elmont, a rake (womanizer) who eventually reforms and settles down.

While the trope that all a man needs is a good woman to calm him down is a bit tired in this day and age, this novel was the first example of the gradual shift in attitudes towards women. specifical, the ideology that women are not allowed to express their interests in men, sexual or otherwise. For that reason alone, this novel is worth taking a look at.

Gulliver’s Travels

Jonathan Swift, yes, the baby-eating guy, takes a stab at human nature and the fanciful tales told by travelers in this 1726 satirical novel. Though Gulliver’s Travels has often been adapted, few versions manage to dig into the deep meaning behind this work. Give it a read and a good think.

Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded

By today’s standards, this is one of the novels that is problematic at best and utterly horrifying at worst. After years of enduring the sexual advances of her employer, Pamela eventually accepted his proposal of marriage. Apparently, the word “No” was not in this man’s vocabulary.

Ironically, though widely read in its time, Pamela was criticized for its licentiousness and disregard for class barriers. Nowadays, those would be the selling points, showing that the upper class is nothing special, and quite possibly much worse than the lower class.

As a case study of the period, Pamela provides an interesting perspective on how a woman must take society’s perception of her into account. Gives you can chance to see how far we have or haven’t come as a society.

Fanny Hill (Memories of a Woman of Pleasure)

On the other end of the spectrum, you have one of the first major pieces of English prose pornography, Fanny Hill. Written by John Cleland, this is one of the most banned and prosecuted books in history.

Compared to what one might see just opening Twitter, this book could hardly be considered pornographic by today’s standards. There is no swearing or names of specific body parts. Instead, everything is couched in the language of euphemism. Grab a copy. You might learn something.

The Castle of Otrato

Perhaps the first supernatural English novel, this work by Horace Walpole introduced themes and elements still present in horror stories to this day. It spawned an entire genre of novels (Gothic) and was undoubtedly the spiritual ancestor to many tales about the supernatural.

Captain Singleton

Another novel by Daniel Defoe, Captain Singleton follows the tale of Singleton, who was stolen from his family, raised by gypsies, and eventually becomes a pirate. I’m gonna stop here and say that this is an outdated stereotype that needs to be retired. However, in the context of the story and the time that it was written, let’s just move on.

The book primarily focuses on matters of logistics and economics within the pirate community. The pirates themselves are treated more like merchant adventurers than actual pirates. Some speculate that this was Defoe’s way of commenting on the rampant mercantilism of the day.

While not as simple or eventful as Robinson Crusoe, Captain Singleton does provide significant grist for the imagination. It might also teach you something about good business, ironically enough.

The Governess

One of the first full-length novels written for children, this book by Sarah Fielding is more family-oriented than some of the other titles. It’s a title that, if you have the time, you can read with your children. It opens up the door for discussion and self-reflection.

Candide (Personal Favorite Novel)

Technically, this is a novella, but that’s really not that important. Candide tells the tale of a sheltered young man facing the hardships of the world for the first time. It pits two different philosophies against each other, the optimistic ideology that “all is for the best” vs the more pragmatic “we must cultivate our garden”. Effectively, “it will be fine” vs “we must work for the world we desire”.

Considering the political situation in the world today, Candide is probably one of the most important stories listed here. Too many people are going about their lives thinking that things will always work out for the best in the end. They fail to realize how easy it is to break something and how much harder it is to fix it. They, and the world, like Candide, need a shot of reality.