Oh, Memoirs of a Foxhunting Man....
[Quick note: While I completely agree that the Western epistemological model continues to marginalize other literatures (i.e. "World" literature, though that is also an extremely reductive and problematic umbrella term) in favor of Anglophone literary productions, I think there is sufficient malnourishment in any type of literacy and literary competency that is not some type of digital literacy. Many of the undergraduates I teach (especially freshmen) struggle with texts that weren't written 5 minutes ago in a status update--forget trying to teach Milton or any author outside of Western paradigms!]
In response to the question at hand:
I think a lot of other people have commented on this, but it really depends on what areas (periods, movements, genres, etc.) you have under your belt already. Most people, when they start university-level literature studies, have a lot of Shakespeare, some Dickens, perhaps Orwell, under their belts. In which periods (in British, American, Canadian and "World" literature) do you feel you lack sufficient reading?
From a Brit. lit standpoint (seeing as how that's my major area of focus), I know that, upon entering literary studies at college, I realized I was well-read in Victorian literature and Shakespeare, and that was about it. I was shocked by how little I had read in eighteenth-century literature--and would you believe it, it's my area of specialization now. The above poster is probably right--I don't think I've run into too many people who can tell me they've read Richardson's /Pamela/, let alone /Clarissa/, but they were both *major* texts ... still, I've met even fewer people who can talk about Eliza Haywood's works, even though they've all seemingly read Defoe's /Robinson Crusoe/, and both authors were "blockbuster" hits at the time--but I've gone a-ranting.
I say, if you want to do some reading that is both good for the literature major's soul and delightful at the same time, I'd look at the Restoration comedies--Etheridge Man of Mode, Wycherley The Country Wife, Vanbrugh The Relapse, Behn The Rover ... and even some drama a tad later, like Congreve Way of the World. Most of these plays are on major reading lists and the bonus is they're absolutely hilarious. Libertine poets and, though a bit before the Restoration, Cavalier poets are awesome, too--John Wilmot (aka Earl of Rochester) and Aphra Behn duke it out frequently, and the Cavaliers (Herrick, Herbert, Marvell, Donne, etc) are some of the sexiest poets (though sometimes in unsexy ways...).
My personal favorite, as far as novelists go, is Frances Burney--her first novel, Evelina, is frequently taught nowadays. But if you want to go for something emotionally moving (the Restoration and 18th-century writers always get me laughing), I'd look at George Eliot (Adam Bede and Middlemarch are ... fantastic), Henry James (Portrait of a Lady), D.H. Lawrence (Sons and Lovers, Women in Love, etc)---some sturdy 19th and 20th century writers, that is. They will always be on undergraduate reading lists--always.
And there's plenty more ... I'd even suggest looking at some Norton, Longman, and Broadview anthologies to get a feel for what university programs require you to read. They also might get into issues like literary debates, schools of theory, and close-reading and writing practices--tools and skills that you'll develop more and more as you progress toward a degree. In fact, it might do you some good to look up an introduction to literary theory book (Jonathan Culler has a decent one), since that will also be a major body of reading you have to tackle. What I've listed above are just a few biases (occupational hazard) that I know are also frequently taught early on in undergraduate classes, but you certainly should do some prep reading that works toward your own interests. Best of luck
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If I'm not mistaken
Originally Posted by lattywatty
