Part Two: Books I Used to Make "Cryptograms from Coming-of-Age Classics"
if you solved a cryptogram, caught a glimpse of something beautiful in that string of letters, and followed it here — welcome. You're exactly the kind of reader these books were written for, even if they were written more than a century ago. Here are a few more of the stories behind the quotes, along with my very sincere pitch for why you should read them.
COMING-OF-AGEBEHIND THE SCENES
Jane Briar
6/6/20265 min read
I’m back again with part two of convincing you to read my favorite classic books. If you missed the first batch, go check it out — I'll wait. And if you're already back for more, then clearly you have excellent taste and I'm delighted to have you here.
We're still in the world of Cryptograms from Coming-of-Age Classics, which means we're still talking about stories that follow a character from one version of themselves to another — usually through some combination of hardship, wonder, friendship, and the occasional life-changing garden or enchanted island.
The books in this second batch are just as dear to me as the first, though I'll admit a couple of them surprised me when I went back to reread them after so many years. Sometimes a book you pick up expecting to like just fine turns out to be the one you can't stop thinking about for weeks. That happened to me more than once putting this collection together.
So if you solved a cryptogram, caught a glimpse of something beautiful in that string of letters, and followed it here — welcome. You're exactly the kind of reader these books were written for, even if they were written more than a century ago.
Here are a few more of the stories behind the quotes, along with my very sincere pitch for why you should read them.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Mary Lennox arrives at Misselthwaite Manor as one of the most unlikable heroines in classic literature: entirely unaccustomed to caring about anyone but herself. And that's exactly what makes her transformation so satisfying.
Sent to live with her reclusive uncle on the Yorkshire moors after being orphaned in India, Mary discovers a locked garden, a hidden boy, and, gradually, herself. Burnett writes about the restorative power of nature and attention with a quiet conviction that feels almost radical. This is a book about what happens when neglected things — gardens, children, relationships — are finally given light and care. I personally think that we all have a lot to learn from this one, even if we don’t like to admit it.
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
If you've somehow never met Anne Shirley, please allow me to introduce you to one of the most irresistible characters in all of classic literature. Anne arrives at Green Gables as a red-haired, freckled, endlessly talkative orphan who was very much not what the Cuthberts ordered — and within about three pages, she has completely won you over. Montgomery writes with warmth, humor, and a genuine love for Prince Edward Island that makes the setting feel like a character in its own right. Anne's adventures are funny and touching and occasionally heartbreaking, and her fierce, romantic imagination makes every ordinary moment feel significant. This is a book about belonging, about finding your people, and about the stubborn, joyful insistence on seeing the world as beautiful. It has been making readers laugh and cry in equal measure since 1908, and it will do exactly the same to you.
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
Gaskell's final novel — left unfinished at her death, though very nearly complete — is arguably her finest work and one of the most underrated novels of the Victorian era. Molly Gibson is a doctor's daughter in a small English town, quietly navigating a newly complicated family situation when her widowed father remarries. Her stepsister Cynthia is dazzling, charming, and impossible not to love even when she's being maddening. The romantic plot is slow-burn perfection. But what elevates this beyond a drawing-room drama is Gaskell's extraordinary psychological acuity — she understands her characters, and the social world they move in, with a precision and generosity that feels almost modern. If you loved the recent wave of literary television adaptations of Victorian novels, this is the book you've been waiting to discover. Warm, intelligent, and deeply satisfying.
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Carroll's original is weirder, funnier, and considerably more anarchic than most adaptations suggest. Alice falls down the rabbit hole and finds herself in a world that operates on its own surreal internal logic — or rather, the gleeful absence of it. The Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the endlessly unhelpful Caterpillar: each encounter is absurd and oddly philosophical, often at the same time. Alice herself is wonderfully sensible in the face of complete nonsense, which is part of what makes the book so funny.
It’s a strange read, but every quote I pulled form this one felt more interesting than the last. An incredible classic, especially for those who love the many, many re-makes.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
This one is SO Victorian it almost hurts: an orphan, a mysterious benefactor, and a life-changing trip to London… what more could you want from a novel?
I definitely had heard of Pip and Miss Havisham long before I’d ever read this one, but there are so many incredible characters in Great Expectations that it’s worth the time. And it does take time-this is a long read, but very accessible for those who struggle with similarly old titles.
Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter
An orphan sent to live with her rigid, charitable Aunt Polly, Pollyanna meets every difficulty with her signature "glad game" — the practice of finding something to be grateful for in any situation, learned from her beloved father. It sounds saccharine. It isn't. Porter grounds the optimism in genuine loss, and watching Pollyanna's relentless gladness slowly transform an entire community was far more than what I remembered about it going into this re-read. This is a book about the radical act of choosing joy, and I think we all need that reminder now and then.
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
This, like many others on this list, is about an orphan choosing genuine, contagious joy. The atmosphere of this one sets it apart from other titles that are similar on the surface, and I found it to be a lovely reminder of
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin
Rebecca Randall arrives at her aunts' brick farmhouse in Riverboro, Maine, a whirlwind of imagination, poetry, and barely-contained energy. And she is immediately, utterly charming. Wiggin writes her with such affection that Rebecca feels less like a fictional character and more like someone you once knew. The novel follows her childhood, her friendships, her small triumphs and humiliations, and the gradual unfolding of her calling. It's a slower book than some on this list, more interested in character and community than in dramatic plot, but that's precisely its appeal. This is a lovely, underrated classic.
Let me know which book you’re checking out first!
Love,
Jane
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Are you looking for another way to experience these coming-of-age classics?
Give Cryptograms from Coming-of-Age Classics a try. Solve the puzzle and be rewarded with a quote from one of the lovely titles listed here. Available now on Amazon; get the book here.
And if you’re hungry for more options, here’s the full list of works I used:
A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett
Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Anne of Avonlea, L. M. Montgomery
Anne of Green Gables, L. M. Montgomery
Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
Cranford, Elizabeth Gaskell
Emily of New Moon, L. M. Montgomery
Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
Heidi, Johanna Spyri
Jo's Boys, Louisa May Alcott
Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell
Peter and Wendy, J. M. Barry
Pollyanna, Eleanor H. Porter
Pollyanna Grows Up, Eleanor H. Porter
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Kate Douglas Wiggin
The House at Pooh Corner, A. A. Milne
The Land of the Blue Flower, Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum
Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll
What Katy Did, Susan Coolidge
What Katy Did Next, Susan Coolidge
Winnie-the-Pooh, A. A. Milne
Wives and Daughters, Elizabeth Gaskell