6 Iconic Books From The '80s

Today, there is a great deal of controversy over the readability of novels published in the past. In fact, many people assume that books from the '80s are only suited for those with a bad taste in literature. This couldn't be further from the truth. In reality, reading older books opens up a world of opportunity when it comes to expanding your perspective and knowledge on certain topics. Plus, they're often required reading for those who would like to study those particular subjects further.

Therefore, if you are interested in learning about different cultures and bygone eras, here is a list of 6 iconic books from the 80s – some of which are often forgotten about.

White Noise, Don DeLillo (1985)

Jack Gladney, a Hitler scholar and chair of the Hitler studies department at a college in a Midwestern town in an unnamed American state, watches his life begin to disintegrate when his wife leaves him. The book follows Jack's mental breakdown over the next year as he becomes obsessed with science fiction novels and television (especially "The Twilight Zone"), and undergoes experimental medical treatment with a drug called Dylar. As Jack's grip on reality begins to loosen, he obsessively tracks references to death in newspapers and in the works of science fiction publishers he could find. These eventually take their toll on his mental health, leaving him unable to differentiate between what is real and what exists only in his mind.

Eventually, the fantasies blur together, and he begins to hear voices in his head, which drive him away from the college and into a drugstore. Here, he meets a well-spoken (and fictional) science fiction author called Murray Jay Siskind, who takes an interest in Jack's case." For science fiction readers who enjoy stories that blend science fiction with character studies.

The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood (1985)

Offred tells the story of her dystopic life in the Republic of Gilead. Ever since war has broken up society into strict ranks (reproductive rights, property and class equality, and military might) she lives as a Handmaid. Her sole purpose is to breed with one of the higher-ups (Commanders) until she is no longer able to prospective mother material.

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant because, in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, the money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now.What's interesting about this book is that it was published in 1985, but still feels relevant today. The Handmaid's Tale is a staple of dystopian literature, and Offred's story acts as an example of what happens when women are stripped of their rights.

The Color Purple, Alice Walker (1982)

The Color Purple is a classic that was written during the 1980s, but it has remained on many "must-read" lists for decades. This novel tells the story of Celie, an African American woman living in 1930s America. It discusses her struggles with everyday life as well as her difficult past.

Alice Walker uses a second-person point of view in the novel, which is rather different from most novels. This writing technique allows Celie to connect with her readers directly instead of just telling stories about herself. The Color Purple is a story that has continued to be relevant since it was first published more than 30 years ago. Many people still refer to this book in their daily lives as a result of its important messages about prejudice, poverty, and violence.

Beloved, Toni Morrison (1987)

Beloved tells the story of Sethe, an escaped slave who has come to live in Cincinnati, Ohio, sometime after the end of the American Civil War. She lives on a small farm with her teenage daughter Denver and her youngest child by Sethe's master (and his son), who was killed before she escaped. The book tells of how the daughter, named after the mother's mother and called "Beloved" by her dying mother, returns to their house years later and haunts them.

The book is a story about a family haunted by ghosts. Sethe killed her 2-year-old daughter rather than allow her to be taken back to slavery (the child had escaped with Sethe in the first place). After her daughter returns, Sethe kills herself. The book is told from four perspectives: Sethe's sister, Denver; Beloved; and two women who befriended Sethe when she arrived in Ohio: a former slave and abolitionist named Baby Suggs (the grandmother of Beloved), and a younger woman named Stamp Paid.

Beloved is a narrative set in 1873, at the color line between freedom and slavery, exploring power, family, race, gender, and their psychological after-effects as they are played out in one black community."

A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking (1988)

This book was written by the well-known physicist Stephen Hawking. He wrote the book to explain the order of time, space, and history to those that aren't into science too much. The author writes about cosmology in an informative way that is easy to understand. People have said that this book made them feel less dumb about subjects in physics. This book has sold over 10 million copies and was on The New York Times best-seller list for more than 4 years. It's an informative book, but it isn't the only one by Stephen Hawking.

It is worth reading today because of the information it contains about how the world began, and where humanity is headed. This book tells of the history of time but also gives you insight into what Hawking thinks will happen to us in the future. It has become one of the most popular science-related books ever, so if you've never heard of this book before, now is your chance to find out what it's all about.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, Raymond Carver (1981)

This is a story about the most American predicaments: loneliness. Carver's collection is the equivalent of a modern-day picaresque: his protagonists wander about in various states of disrepair, searching for human connection and forever missing opportunities to establish intimacy – both with other people and themselves. If you've ever felt like you didn't belong, or struggled to control your temper in social situations, then this is the book for you.

Carver's genius lies in his ability to conjure entire universes with just a few deftly deployed words. His characters' foibles are so acute you feel like you could reach out and touch them, their mundanity giving way to moments of an almost transcendent banality. If you can't find something in this book to which you can relate, then you're reading the wrong book.

The name Raymond Carver is synonymous with American fiction. After his death in 1988, at the age of fifty, he left behind a modest but solid reputation as one of America's foremost short story writers. His career was relatively brief—he wrote for only fourteen years—and he published only two novels and two short story collections, but his work influenced later generations of writers worldwide.

These books are all worth reading because they're iconic for their genre, and they've all influenced many other writers' work. Reading them will give you insight into the genre that you might not get elsewhere. They're extremely interesting reads that had a great impact on the world of literature. These novels are all worth reading now because people could learn a lot from these works, and they're books that you should definitely check out if you actually want to read something instead of just scrolling through social media.