Classics novels are always a fun discussion. Some people love the classics while others hate them with passion. That made us curious as to what classics people should read. You can see our list of the 10 classics that everyone should read down below!
Depending on which classics you read, you may love or hate them. Classics like Crime and Punishment make you think and lead to great discussions. And on the other end, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne infuriated me like no other novel. We get it, the scarlet letter is a metaphor, you don’t need to remind us every few pages!
There are hundreds of classics and you most likely won’t read all of them. That is why we made a list of the ones that we love and recommend. You can see the full list below!
10 Classics That Everyone Should Read
- The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
- Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
- The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
- Dracula by Bram Stoker
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Our Favorite Classics
The novel that made me love reading was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It is a phenomenal book and Lee masterfully tells a story with a character that everyone should strive to be like. That is the only book she published while she was alive. Go Set a Watchman was published after she passed away but was written before To Kill a Mockingbird.
Another one I loved a lot was The Count of Monte Cristo and I recommend that to anyone that loves a good fiction book. While it is long, it is worth it. That is also true for The Lord of the Rings and the prequel, The Hobbit.
The two horror novels that also made the list are Frankenstein and Dracula. They created two memorable monsters as well as sharing two great stories. If you love horror, then these two novels are a must
Conclusion
This list contains only nine but that doesn’t mean we don’t have any other favorites. These are the ten novels we ended up picking for this list. Expect more articles like this. What classic novels should be included on our list next time? Let us know in the comments below!
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Excellent list, would like to add, A Fine Balance…by Rohinton Mistry
Dr. Zchivago
I would also add Gibran Kahlil Gibran book : “The Prophet”, translated into 22 languages and tge most read book worldwide.
I have never found a work of fiction that I enjoyed reading. I learned to despise reading in high school. In 1976 I swore I would never read another literary classic for the rest of my life. I have kept that promise. That goddamn literature left such an impression on me, I wake up every morning thanking God that I will never again have to read a miserable classic novel.
Who cares?
You are a very ignorant and uninformed person as you go about your day to day tasks.
I would definitely add Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and Emma by Jane Austen to the list. Great novels, both!
The Glass Castle
Lily white list, huh? You should really consider expanding your horizons and diversifying your reading list. This is antithetical to the real value of literature. Completely tone deaf…this is 2023.
Oh, really? The author actually has standing enough to have a blog himself and chose books according to his taste, conscience and good sense, not according a racially-predisposed way of legislating thought and good taste as you suggest… actually this takes guts nowadays …One’s ideas of great literature are justly and honorably based on a set a ideas and ideals that stand beyond race and gender, or a so-called critical lens that legislates an ideology as much as it does — in the truly revolutionary sphere — terror, the real undergirding aim of foisting a certain literature, normally Marxist or Marxist-based – too often Marxist- hidden agenda – which is where that real terror comes from… you don’t even need to look as far as the Soviet union or China/- look at our streets in US in 2020/21 …Our cities. Now that’s my critical opinion. There are books on this list I also do not particularly prefer … but my preference is rooted, in the dynamic quality of the overall presentation of the ideas, in certain inherent qualities of the text – the structure, character and plot, in the dramatic conception, not in racial or gender of the author or presentation of such ideas, which are not in any way unimportant by the way, but shouldn’t be the sole determining quality of what should be on the list as you suggest.. Give me a break. When is this going to end? When are we going to say enough is enough … that feelings of disempowerment can only truly be solved on a personal level. More people need to stand against this dog whistling in reverse, guilt-pandering blackmail masquerading as justice with a Critical lens. Call it out for what it is.
Marc S, those are some of the most recently banned from schools (& controversial books STILL- in 2023,) with MOST of these yes, “classics,” only JUST put back on to our kids’ library shelves in this very HEATED & TIMELY issue about whether 1984 & Salinger are “material and writing … and SUBJECT MATTER “not suitable for younger readers”….. (I WOUID ADD J Gatsby & his love Daisey’s ill-fated tragedy to the list,AND BEFORE THAT, “A Brave New World, Aldous Huxley.
>>>> THE BACK & FORTH of banning & thejn over-turning the ban on JUST ABOUT EVERY ONE of these SAME BOOKS has gone on ALL YEAR… Tone deaf…? BORING? Old, abd untimely…..?
That, I’m sorry to say actually sems to describe you, an obviously BEHIND ON THE TIMES, reader….
====> And these very books are “IT,” ~ book banning!!
They’re gaining attention on both sides of that issue, either way- VERY PUBLICLY, ALL YEAR LONG….
Maybe we’ll just give u some time to catch up on that news (& the fact that Banning these books has just about EVERY KID scrambling to “hide from their disapproving parents and READ, yes, THESE BOOKS, under their covers”……
Definitely up to dateA these books are STILL the main books of discussion…. Catch up!!
Cowboy in the Jungle by bill Trotter
Read all of them, at one time or another, as a student, teacher, bookworm, dad helping a child’s book reports. My favorite remains to be Kill A Mockingbird, followed by The Count of Monte Cristo. A suggested addition to the list, The Grapes of Wrath. Or Gone With Wind.
Loved Gone with the Wind. My favorite.
Anna Karenina, was the best thing I’ve ever read.
Crime and Punishment, the hardest but with review the most food for thought.
And Eugene Sledge’s, With The Old Breed, should be required reading, lest we forget.
Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway is a don’t miss book too. I thought an easy read.
Concise, great list. Includes variety and all great writin
I didn’t wanna continue reading after Ur comment that the novel Scarlett letter infuriated you 😡 but still I peeked at the list and classics are incomplete with any of the Charles Dickens works. Overall 2/10 for your list.
And why doesn’t the list start with “In my opinion”? Book choices are personal and objective.
Supposed to be a list for young adults? Because you seem to miss things that adults should read in their lifetime. Like Dickens, Dostoevsky, Melville, Elliot, Camus, Hawthorne, Grass, Goethe, Tolstoy, Crane.
Ayn Rand, Atlas shrugged.
Bring forced in school read to Outdated boring classics are the reason so many young people hate reading! Sorry but this list is a snore-fest
Why was Pride and Prejudice NOT in bold face font and the only one NOT mentioned in the article? Please respond Books of Brilliance.com. Thank you.
For West-centric readers this list would pass. I would love to add James Michener’s ‘Chesapeake’ to that list, though. What about the works of European writers the likes of Tolstoy, Shakespeare, Hardy, etc? Then too there are the African classics: Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’ or my favorite, ‘Arrow of God’? Or other great writers like Alex la Guma, Soyinka, Ayi Kwei Armah. It’s good to drink deep.
Barnaby Rudge
Any list without Joyce cannot be taken seriously.
Just a reply to the subscriber above who complained that this recommended reading list is a lily whitelist. I strenuously object to that inaccurate and insensitive characterization. The author of this blog should be allotted the dignity of good intentions… and respected that he has standing witnessed in his having a blog himself. I for one am glad that he does not base his opinion on racially-predisposed way of legislating thought and good taste as suggested above…One’s ideas of great literature are justly and honorably based on a set a ideas and ideals that stand beyond race and gender. There are books on this list I also do not particularly prefer … but my preference is rooted in the dynamic quality of the overall presentation of the ideas, in certain inherent qualities of the text – the structure, character and plot, in the dramatic conception, not in racial or gender of the author or presentation of such ideas, which are not in any way unimportant by the way, but shouldn’t be the sole determining quality of what should be on the list as you suggest. When are we going to say enough is enough … that feelings of disempowerment can only truly be solved on a personal level. More people need to stand against this dog whistling in reverse, guilt-pandering blackmail masquerading as justice with a Critical lens. Call it out for what it is.
In reply to the incensed subscriber above who complained that this recommended reading list is a lily whitelist, I strenuously object to this inaccurate and insensitive characterization. The author of this blog should be granted the decency of good intentions… and we should remember that since he is the author of this blog, he has standing and be granted the respect that he chose the books, as most people do, according to his taste, conscience and good sense (not according a racially-predisposed way of legislating thought and good taste as suggested above). One’s ideas of great literature are justly and honorably based on a set a ideas and ideals that stand beyond race, and gender. There are books on this list I also do not particularly prefer … but my preference is rooted in the dynamic quality of the overall presentation of the ideas, in certain inherent qualities of the text – the structure, character and plot, in the dramatic conception, not in race or gender of the author or presentation of such ideas, which are not in any way unimportant by the way, but should not be the sole determining arbiter of what should be on the list as suggested above, When are we going to say enough is enough … that feelings of disempowerment can only truly be solved on a personal level. More people need to stand against this dog whistling in reverse, guilt-pandering blackmail masquerading as justice with a Critical lens. Call it out for what it is.
Wuthering heights is a MUST read
How about some African or Asian literature. There are too many to name but I’ll give you a head start. Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart. Ngugi Thiongo The river between. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americana or Purple Hibiscus. Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor who won the 2003 Caine Prize for African Writing for her story “Weight of Whispers”.
Shove it
I agree that these books are notable but it seems quite dated and it’s scope not wide enough. Limited as it is to the US and Europe. Most importantly the list lacks diversity. So if this list is driven by most thought provoking it really misses the mark for me. Thomas Hardy’s books seemed so eloquent and he should have been in the list of criteria is writing style. Authors like Louise Erdrich add diversity of culture and female authorship. Betty Friedan is another, introducing concepts previously not discussed so powerfully. Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison belong in same group of fresh ideas and writing styles. A book such as “Man’s’ inhumanity to man” should be read by all.
8 of the 10 are overrated
Here’s some suggestions
The Diary of Ann Frank
Huckleberry Finn
Don Quixote
The Red Badge of Courage
Catch 22
The Grapes of Wrath
Moby Dick
Beowulf
The Old Man and the sea
Native Son
Ever author is white. There are great authors of color. Why were they not included?
If they were great books by African American writers would there be an argument?
Because there aren’t any
9 out of ten originally in English … Hmmm. Are you telling me everyone should read Dracula! You’re out of your mind. Dracula, not Hamlet? Don’t be silly.
No Native American literature was included.. N. Scott Momaday received the Pulitzer Prize for House Made Of Dawn.
Just get a summary, from the internet. Sure you won’t feel the flow or experience any richness, from the actual experience of reading, but reading is overrated. And if you didn’t know, now you know.
Haven’t seen Arthur Conan Doyle on any of these lists.