February is known as the month of love, because Valentine’s Day resides right in the middle of this short month.  It is the only month that has twenty-eight days, and the only month to ever have a leap year.  February is definitely the odd special month.  And it is also the time of year when we begin to long for spring.  In some parts of the country, snow still abounds and the temperatures are quite chilly.  Yet in other states, sunny days are already beginning to make their debut.  We start to think about Easter, since stores are already putting out the Cadbury Easter eggs, and we dream of warm days, while we wait for daylight savings to come around again.  Once February hits, spring fever starts.

In regards to the month of love, I have to mention several literary pieces that focus on this beautiful theme.  Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet comes to mind, and while many people consider this one of his worst plays, it is still a play I enjoy seeing.  Now this is probably because I saw it performed at the Globe in London, and the performers were simply brilliant!  However, the characters face such tragedy, and the acting is so exaggerated, that you cannot help but enjoy the dialogue and action occurring in this story.  And did I mention it is Shakespeare?  As an English major, I must love this tale.

Of course, there are other stories to consider this month too.  Another favorite of mine would be Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.  You knew I had to mention something by my favorite author.  The lovely Elizabeth Bennett meets the proud Mr. Darcy, and the journeys of each character develop into several amazing climaxes throughout the novel.  In my opinion, there is no better love story than these two individuals.  Yet I can think of another novel that is one notch below this one, and it would be Jane Eyre.  Jane and her Mr. Rochester create another beautiful love story, because this saga portrays the suffering of two very different individuals and how through a unique set of circumstances, they come to know each other.  As they become acquainted, the two realize they prefer being in the company of each other to that of any other person, and love beings to blossom.  This is truly an amazing work penned by Charlotte Bronte during England’s Victorian days.

Jo in Little Women eventually finds her way, even though the reader wonders if she will ever have her happily ever after.  As she writes her stories, Jo searches for a place to belong, but it is not until she meets Professor Bhaer, that her own life story beings to take shape.  Until that moment, she believed she could not find the appropriate proper direction for her life.  It took loving a poor German professor to draw out her true potential.  Louisa May Alcott wrote so many amazing novels that centered around family and friends, and love’s ability to connect individuals from various places in society, in order for them to press on together in the midst of sorrow, pain, and joy.

Classic literature has always been my favorite to study, and so I encourage you to read one of these amazing novels during this month’s celebration of love.  Here are a few more incredible stories to consider as well:  Elinor and Edward in Sense and Sensibility, Emma and Mr. Knightly in Emma, Rhett and Scarlett in Gone With the Wind. Pip and Estella in Great Expectations, Aragorn and Arwen in Lord of the Rings, and even something in non-fiction…Victoria and Albert.  All of these stories embrace literary love, and I highly recommend each one.  Let me know your book recommendations for this month in the comments below.  Until next month, happy reading!