Classic novels stand the test of time. Sometimes an author can write a story with themes so universal, anyone from any era can relate to it. And when you read one of these classics in high school or college, you can immediately tell why they’re so popular.
Wait, no, that’s not true at all.
Sure, some classics are legit. Don Quixote is just as funny today as it was 514 years ago. Others, well, let’s just say they’re a product of their times. (Looking at you, Heart of Darkness.) Luckily, comedian Dan Wilbur has decided to rename these dubious masterpieces with more honest titles. It’s all part of his “Better Book Titles” project.
Take THAT, reading!
1. Hamlet, William Shakespeare
Photo Credit: Dan Wilbur
2. The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein
Photo Credit: Dan Wilbur
3. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Alvin Schwartz
Photo Credit: Dan Wilbur
4. To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Photo Credit: Dan Wilbur
5. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Photo Credit: Dan Wilbur
6. The Bible
Photo Credit: Dan Wilbur
7. Oh, The Places You’ll Go!, Dr. Seuss
Photo Credit: Dan Wilbur
8. As You Like It, William Shakespeare
Photo Credit: Dan Wilbur
9. The Catcher In The Rye, J.D. Salinger
Photo Credit: Dan Wilbur
10. Ulysses, James Joyce
Photo Credit: Dan Wilbur
11. Moby Dick, Herman Melville
Photo Credit: Dan Wilbur
12. The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath
Photo Credit: Dan Wilbur
13. Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf
Photo Credit: Dan Wilbur
14. The Odyssey, Homer
Photo Credit: Dan Wilbur
15. Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond
Photo Credit: Dan Wilbur
h/t: Buzzfeed