Finals are never a happy time for students at Cornell University. Between cramming for impossible tests and rushing to finish end-of-year projects, we often forget that our studies have brought us much better things than pain. Especially in those courses where final papers are expected instead of multiple choice exams, we can be exposed to new ideas and wonderful language through books. These books, though required for class, can become all-time favorites. In order to shed some light during these dark times of endless studying, here are some of the best books your fellow Cornellians have found on their syllabi.
For Sanjana Vittal ’26, taking ENGL 3470: “The Victorian Novel” was an opportunity to further explore the classic novels she has always enjoyed. However, she quickly discovered Tess of the D’Ubervilles when it was assigned to her, though she “knew little about [it] before reading.” The novel, an 1891 English work by Thomas Hardy, surprised her with its relevance to today, what with its themes of gender inequality and the mistreatment of the lower class. According to Vittal, she “read it in just a few days because [she] was so interested in reading more.” Besides Tess of the D’Ubervilles, Vittal also read The Picture of Dorian Gray for ENGL 3470, which she said was a close second place.
However, Cornellians read books in more languages than just English. Margot Ehrsam ’28 read Le Misanthrope in its original language, French, for her class FREN 2310: “Introduction to French and Francophone Literature and Culture.” Le Misanthrope, translated in English as The Misanthrope, is a comedy by Molière. For Ehrsam, the play “was a bit of a different format” from the traditional prose style she was used to, yet she still found it to be “fun to analyze.” In our courses at Cornell, we are continuously offered a chance to interact with materials that defy our typical expectations of what literature can be. Whether it be reading in another language or studying a different technique of writing, classes that assign books never fail to push our minds in directions we might not otherwise have considered.
Additionally, the analysis of texts is not limited to language courses. Allison Bray ’27 “was enveloped in the story” of Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments for her course HIST 4000: “Introduction to Historical Research.” Written by Saidiya Hartman, this nonfiction book takes a closer look at the lives of Black women in the early 20th century, specifically those at the center of social transformation. Bray found Hartman’s work to be “extremely narrative,” while also providing an “overall message [that] was very compelling.” Great books can even be found in classes outside of the humanities. Alina Lee ’29 recommended Electricity and Magnetism, written by Nobel laureate Edward Mills Purcell and updated by David J. Morin. Having read it for her class PHYS 2217: “Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism,” Lee found this textbook to “impressively [supplement] technical explanations with comical anecdotes.”
Yet for Kaelin Lamberson ’28, fiction was exactly what she found most engaging in her classes at Cornell. In ENGL 2400: “Introduction to U.S. Latinx Literature,” she read Under the Feet of Jesus; though “the book was short,” she thought it was “beautiful,” “advanced” and “saturated with figurative language.” Lamberson especially appreciated that the book by Helena Maria Viramontes “seamlessly blended Spanish and English.”
Clara Alcolea Vila ’27 also chose a fiction book as her favorite book she had read in a class at Cornell University, stating that The Fish Can Sing “moved and comforted [her] through its personal narrative.” Assigned to Vila for her First-Year Writing Seminar COML 1105: “Books With Big Ideas,” Vila described The Fish Can Sing as a “not-so-popular Icelandic book.” For Vila, she thought it was “great to read something from a different country,” an experience many Cornellians can relate to, as we all learn more about the world around us through the books professors carefully choose for us.
Whatever your preparation for finals looks like, I hope you find time to remember that being a student comes with many perks — chief among them being the great reading material. From French plays to Icelandic novels to physics textbooks, the written word can give us more than just a good grade. Books draw us away from the sometimes stressful reality of being a college student and introduce us to worlds we couldn’t possibly imagine, and, well, if they also happen to be part of your class … find something to love in them, or finals week will become just a little bit more difficult.
Jane Locke is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a staff writer for the Arts & Culture department and can be reached at jlocke@cornellsun.com.
