A rebellious teenager named Holden Caulfield navigates adolescence in New York City after his expulsion from prep school.

Billy Pilgrim, a World War II veteran and survivor of the Dresden bombing, becomes unstuck in time.

A group of British boys stranded on an uninhabited island attempt to govern themselves.

A socially awkward and introverted high school freshman named Charlie navigates friendships, first loves, loss, and mental health issues.

A woman named Offred struggles with her life as a reproductive surrogate for a totalitarian regime.

Scout Finch and her brother Jem navigate the realities of racism and injustice in their small Southern town.

A young boy named Jonas is selected to receive memories of the world's history from an elderly man.

Guy Montag, a fireman, undergoes a profound transformation as he begins to question societal norms and embrace forbidden literature.

Bernard Marx, an outcast, becomes fascinated by the 'savage' John who, after being introduced to the 'World State,' struggles with its dehumanizing effects.

A young Andalusian shepherd embarks on a journey to find a worldly treasure near the Egyptian pyramids.

The Joad family, tenant farmers dispossessed by the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, embark on a journey from Oklahoma to California.

Janie Crawford, an African-American woman in the early 20th century, navigates her path to self-discovery.

Sethe, a former enslaved woman, is haunted by the violent legacy of slavery and the ghost of her daughter, whom she killed to spare from a life of slavery.

A determined and independent orphan becomes a governess, falls for her employer, discovers his dark secret, leaves, and after a series of events, returns to find true love and independence.

Ponyboy Curtis, a member of the lower-class gang 'the Greasers', grapples with themes of class conflict, violence, and identity in 1960s Oklahoma.

Hester Prynne, an adulteress in Puritanical 17th-century Boston, is publically shamed and forced to wear a red "A" on her dress.

Nick Carraway narrates the tragic tale of Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire who obsessively pursues the elusive Daisy Buchanan.

Two migrant workers, George and Lennie, dream of owning their own land, but Lennie's strength and mental challenges lead to tragedy.

Winston Smith, a low-ranking member of 'the Party' begins to secretly rebel against the regime, an act that leads to grave consequences.

The turbulent and destructive love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff--an orphan adopted into Catherine's family--reverberates across two generations.

If you attended high school in America, there’s a good chance you’ve at least heard of these books. Were you paying attention? How many of these can you identify from their description?

English

Books You Probably Read in High School: Can You Guess More Than Half?