Sing, O Muse, of Hillsdale’s Favorite Books

Written by Kate Cavanaugh

There’s a chalkboard at the Writing Center that asks students, “Which one’s your favorite: the Iliad, the Odyssey, or the Aeneid?” Suspense builds as students mark their votes. Fighting words are thrown. The question is still up for debate. There’s no denying that Hillsdale students love their books.

A favorite book does not always have to be life-changing. “I think my favorite book is Haroon and the Sea of Stories by Salmon Rushdie,” said Jeremy Luce, ’23. “It’s what I imagine people felt when they read The Hobbit for the first time, before fantasy became such a common genre. It’s a new type of fantasy, almost fairytale-like, and there are all these sorts of creatures he invents.” Jeremy, a biology major, appreciated the innovativeness and creativity of the book. “It didn’t impact my life,” he chuckled, “but it made me appreciate writing in general, because I couldn’t imagine writing something that good.”

Favorite books are sometimes just good stories. Emily Marsh, ’23, is an economics and mathematics major who enjoys reading classics when she gets the chance. “I like The Count of Monte Cristo, but I’m realizing it’s a little morally gray,” she began. “And not in a fun, inquisitive way—it’s more like revenge is always the answer.” Good literature raises meaningful questions, but it does not always answer them.

“My favorite? 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” another economics major, Lauren Smith, ’25, promptly replied. “I got so excited about it that I translated some of the chapters from French to English. The French was so beautiful, and I thought I could translate it better.” Lauren continued excitedly, “It was one of the first books I was willing to skip meals to keep reading. It took a while to get into, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down.” A true favorite book can take over your life, at least for a short time.

Some Hillsdale students will zealously defend their favorite books. One student wrote on a chalkboard: “The greatest work, next to only the Bible, is Augustine’s Confessions.” When I asked him why he liked Confessions so much, he grinned slyly. “Is it off the record?” Of course, not all students have read Confessions before coming to Hillsdale. I didn’t read Confessions until Great Books I. When I finally got the chance to read it, I was able to learn about Confessions, not just from my professor, but also from my peers who loved the book.

“Favorite book? Oh man…” Brett Schaller, ’24, frowned thoughtfully, “Just one?” There was a long pause. “I take this seriously.” Brett, who is an English major, struggled to pick just one book. “I can tell you a couple,” he finally said, triumphantly. “Paradise Lost. It was taught to me really well. We spent half the semester unfolding it.” Paradise Lost is another one of those books that students become fascinated by when they read it in Great Books I. “But in high school, I really liked Frankenstein. I loved the adventure of it and the science fiction. It just raises so many questions.”

Some students are more decisive about their favorite books. Moira Schmitt, ’23, a history major, immediately replied, “My favorite book is Brideshead. That’s all I’m going to say.” Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited is a classic that many Hillsdale students fall in love with, and teddy bears named “Aloysius” live in a surprising number of dorm rooms.

Taking a class outside your major can lead you to a favorite book. “I’d have to say my favorite is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, as of this semester,” said Patricia Fernandez, ’23. Patricia read Jane Eyre for a British Literature class when she was considering the English major. Even though she decided on history, Patricia appreciated what she learned from that book. “I feel like it’s given me a better perspective on life and faith, in terms of being grateful for what I have and making the best out of any situation. Also, Jane is just an awesome female character,” she added. “She has her flaws too, but overall I love how self-sufficient she is and that she recognizes her dignity from the start and lives from that knowledge.”

Sometimes, a favorite book changes how you think about things. When Katy Borobia, ’23, a math and English major, read The Death of Ivan Ilyich, it changed how she thought about her own life. “Redemption is when something happens that changes the past,” Katy observed. “If you die well, it retroactively makes your life a good life. That changed my perspective on bad things that happen, because Christ redeems the bad parts of your life and it becomes all part of something good.”

Going to Hillsdale has helped me to read more, both in and outside of class. Hillsdale students are quick to chat about whatever exciting new thing they learned in class. You can’t help but have an ever-growing to-be-read list–full of books that might one day be your new favorite.

Favorite books don’t have to be academic. They don’t have to be life-changing. They can be weird, witty, long, short, sci-fiction, or classic. But favorite books have one thing in common: they are zealously defended by their Hillsdalian counterparts.