Keller's account of emerging from a silent, dark world into language and learning through her teacher Anne Sullivan. An inspiring autobiography.
Books mentioned in The Story of My Life (64)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: “I loved "Little Women" because it gave me a sense of kinship with girls and boys who could see and hear.”
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: “"The Swiss Family Robinson," "The Pilgrim's Progress," "Robinson Crusoe," "Little Women," and "Heidi,"”
The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole: “He has lately had several books printed in England for me, "Old Mortality," "The Castle of Otranto" and "King of No-land."”
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling: “But I love "The Jungle Book" and "Wild Animals I Have Known."”
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare: “Perhaps next week I shall have some more books, "The Tempest," "A Midsummer Night's Dream"”
Heidi by Johanna Spyri: “"Little Women," and "Heidi," a beautiful little story which I afterward read in German.”
Le Medecin Malgre Lui by Moliere: “I managed, however, to read "Le Medecin Malgre Lui" again. It was very amusing but I did not like it nearly so well as "Wilhelm Tell."”
Fables by Jean de La Fontaine: “I read La Fontaine's "Fables" first in an English translation, and enjoyed them only after a half-hearted fashion.”
Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thompson Seton: “But I love "The Jungle Book" and "Wild Animals I Have Known."”
Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett: “until I discovered "Little Lord Fauntleroy," which was the first book of any consequence I read understandingly.”
Iliad by Homer: “It was the Iliad that made Greece my paradise. I was familiar with the story of Troy before I read it in the original”
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne: “One day my teacher found me in a corner of the library poring over the pages of "The Scarlet Letter."”
As You Like It by William Shakespeare: “We read together, "As You Like It," Burke's "Speech on Conciliation with America,"”
How Plants Grow by Asa Gray: “I took Helen and my Botany, "How Plants Grow," up in the tree, where we often go to read and study”
King Lear by William Shakespeare: “I read "King Lear" soon after "Macbeth," and I shall never forget the feeling of horror when I came to the scene in which Gloster's eyes are put out.”
Macbeth by William Shakespeare: “"Macbeth" seems to have impressed me most. One reading was sufficient to stamp every detail of the story upon my memory forever.”
A Thousand and One Nights: “"A Child's History of England" by Dickens, "The Arabian Nights," "The Swiss Family Robinson,"”
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan: “I did not care especially for "The Pilgrim's Progress," which I think I did not finish”
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss: “"The Arabian Nights," "The Swiss Family Robinson," "The Pilgrim's Progress," "Robinson Crusoe,"”
The Tempest by William Shakespeare: “Perhaps next week I shall have some more books, "The Tempest," "A Midsummer Night's Dream"”
Ivanhoe by Walter Scott: “I have just finished reading "Ivanhoe." It was very exciting; but I must say I did not enjoy it very much.”
Wilhelm Tell by Friedrich Schiller: “Before the end of the first year I read "Wilhelm Tell" with the greatest delight.”
Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving: “He played "Rip Van Winkle." I had often read the story”
American Notes by Charles Dickens: “My mother's only ray of hope came from Dickens's "American Notes." She had read his account of Laura Bridgman”
A Child's History of England by Charles Dickens: “"A Child's History of England" by Dickens, "The Arabian Nights,"”
Areopagitica by John Milton: “in English literature studied critically Milton's poems and "Areopagitica."”
Colomba by Prosper Merimee: “In French we have finished "Colomba," and I am reading "Horace" by Corneille”
Horace by Pierre Corneille: “I am reading "Horace" by Corneille and La Fontaine's fables, both of which are in braille.”
Patsy by Kate Douglas Wiggin: “Mrs. Riggs (Kate Douglas Wiggin), the sweet author of "Patsy."”
Birdie and His Fairy Friends by Margaret T. Canby: “had appeared before I was born in a book called "Birdie and His Friends."”
The Heroes (Greek Heroes) by Charles Kingsley: “among them were "Greek Heroes," La Fontaine's "Fables,"”
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: “I called him Black Beauty, as I had just read the book, and he resembled his namesake in every way”
In School Days by John Greenleaf Whittier: “He had a book of his poems in raised print from which I read "In School Days."”
The Rivals by Richard Brinsley Sheridan: “Once while I was calling on him in Boston he acted the most striking parts of "The Rivals" for me.”
King Charles the First by W. G. Wills: “We saw Miss Terry again with Sir Henry in "King Charles the First," a week ago last Friday”
My Playmate by John Greenleaf Whittier: “Yesterday I read "In School Days" and "My Playmate," and I enjoyed them greatly.”
Essays by Francis Bacon: “Among them are "Henry Esmond," "Bacon's Essays" and extracts from "English Literature."”
Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: “This thought pervades all German literature and is mystically expressed in Goethe's "Faust":”
Dreaming True by Rudyard Kipling: “Have you seen Kipling's "Dreaming True," or "Kitchener's School?" It is a very strong poem and set me dreaming too.”
Die Harzreise by Heinrich Heine: “I was sorry to finish "Die Harzreise," so full of happy witticisms and charming descriptions of vine-clad hills”
Minna von Barnhelm by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing: “Lessing's "Minna von Barnhelm," and Goethe's "Aus meinem Leben."”
Athalie by Jean Racine: “to read with pleasure La Fontaine's "Fables," "Le Medecin Malgre Lui" and passages from "Athalie."”
The Birds' Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin: “I might have seen Mrs. Wiggin, the sweet author of "Birds' Christmas Carol," but she had a dangerous cough and could not come.”
The Frost Fairies by Margaret T. Canby: “a story similar to "The Frost King," called "The Frost Fairies" by Miss Margaret T. Canby, had appeared before I was born”
The Rose Fairies by Margaret T. Canby: “I have now (March, 1892) read to Helen "The Frost Fairies," "The Rose Fairies," and a portion of "The Dew Fairies,"”
Commentaries on the Gallic War by Julius Caesar: “was just beginning to read Caesar's "Gallic War" when I went to my home in Alabama.”
Little Jakey: “I am reading a very sad story, called "Little Jakey." Jakey was the sweetest little fellow you can imagine, but he was poor and blind.”
Our World: “At first I had only a few books in raised print--"readers" for beginners, a collection of stories for children, and a book about the earth called "Our World."”
The Chambered Nautilus by Oliver Wendell Holmes: “my teacher read me "The Chambered Nautilus," and showed me that the shell-building process of the mollusks is symbolical of the development of the mind.”
A Boy I Knew: “One does not need to read "A Boy I Knew" to understand him”
Enoch Arden by Alfred Tennyson: “I have begun to read "Enoch Arden," and I know several of the great poet's poems by heart.”
The History of Henry Esmond by William Makepeace Thackeray: “Among them are "Henry Esmond," "Bacon's Essays" and extracts from "English Literature."”
History of Europe by Edward A. Freeman: “from Freeman's "History of Europe" to Emerton's "Middle Ages."”
In Memoriam by Alfred Tennyson: “Mr. Irons also read with me Tennyson's "In Memoriam." I had read many books before, but never from a critical point of view.”
King Arthur by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik: “Now I am reading "Nathan the Wise" by Lessing and "King Arthur" by Miss Mulock.”
Laus Deo by John Greenleaf Whittier: “I also recited "Laus Deo," and as I spoke the concluding verses, he placed in my hands a statue of a slave”
Les Femmes Savantes by Moliere: “We need not be like "Les Femmes Savantes" but we ought to have something to say about what we learn”
Nathan the Wise by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing: “Now I am reading "Nathan the Wise" by Lessing and "King Arthur" by Miss Mulock.”
Old Mortality by Walter Scott: “He has lately had several books printed in England for me, "Old Mortality," "The Castle of Otranto" and "King of No-land."”