30 Best Classic Books You Should Read

30 Best Classic Books You Should Read

Aboard the world where words carry the day throughout generations, literary classics indeed. When Jane Austen pens Pride and Prejudice she ignites our imagination on social rank versus love. F. Scott Fitzgerald offers us a reality check to get us off the hook of illusion in The Great Gatsby.

Furthermore, Harper Lee takes us on a trip of racial injustice with the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Herman Melville’s novel Moby-Dick is a straight-out lesson on revenge. The list goes on and these classics sweep through generations recounting history and addressing social, political, and economic issues in society.

What’s more, these masterworks are also a source of life lessons. Take a look at our round-up of the classic reads of all time that know no regional boundaries or historical eras.

Here are the 30 Best Classic Books You Should Read.

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Wöcki, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This classic read elaborates on a love story by people of different social statuses. The protagonists are Elizabeth Bennet and her partner Fitzwilliam Darcy.  Bennet is the daughter of a country gentleman while Mr. Darcy is a rich aristocratic landowner.

Moreover, both are blinded by biased judgments about each other, which prevents them from revealing their true feelings for each other. For instance, Darcy is proud of his social rank which makes him look down on all who are not part of his immediate circle.

Subsequently, these biased views also influence them to make rash mistakes. In the end, both parties are forced to unlearn their presumptions to appreciate the good side of the other for their relationship to stand.

This work of renowned English author Jane Austen was published in 1813. It is held with high regard on the literature front with many adaptations, film, and TV versions of the same as well as reprints.

2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

A classic piece by American novelist Fitzgerald that emphasizes letting bygones be bygones and moving forward with life. Jay Gatsby is a mysterious millionaire in the novel appearing to be living the American dream.

Furthermore, Gatsby tries to beat time and fame by acquiring wealth. Thus he is obsessed and on a mission to get together with a former lover known as Daisy Buchanan.

What’s more, after struggles to get a lifestyle like Daisy’s they still don’t end up together. But Daisy and Tom who belonged to the American upper echelon were in search of happiness. With this story, Fitzgerald uncovers the 1920s illusion of the American dream versus its reality. It is a 1925 release with a Jazz Age setting on Long Island nearby New York City.

3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Jacket design by Shirley Smith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

It is a masterpiece of racial heroism. The novel explores issues of racial injustice and rape. It also delves into the dominant social issues in the Southern US region such as class, courage, compassion, and gender roles.

Additionally, it was a Pulitzer Prize winner in the 1960s. It is also a US popular read in high schools and middle schools. It was published in 1960 and penned by American author Lee.

4. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

Museon, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Also known as The Whale, it is an 1851 literature classic written by Melville who was an American writer. It’s an excursion on ocean adventure coupled with insights into philosophy, science, history, and politics.

On top of that, the plot is about Captain Ahab on a ship called Pequod. Ahab is on a vengeance ambition on the white whale given the name Moby Dick. He is frustrated with the whale for biting off his leg on a past voyage.

Through the narration of sailor Ishmael, the reader learns about the extent of Ahab’s quest for revenge. He is committed to killing the whale which puts a risk on his crew. The novel was published in 1851.

5. Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) by George Orwell

The English author Orwell had this novel published in 1949. In the book, he cautioned about the impact of totalitarian leadership of government.

To add on, the novel had a futuristic setting (1984) at the time of its writing. The author used historical illustrations of authoritarian regimes like Russia’s Stalinism and Nazi Germany’s leadership.

Check out the Best Books Every Political Junkie Should Read.

6. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Jacket design by Michael Mitchell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

When the teenage boy Holden Caulfield is out on a weekend alone in New York City, he faces many struggles. Caulfield battles with identity, belonging, connection, sex, morality, and more issues.

Salinger in this novel advances the agenda of the issues faced by young adults. Thus The Catcher in the Rye tries to help the loss of innocence in teenagers. Better still, the book aims at being a generational savior of children to keep them from falling off the cliff. It was published in 1951.

The novel was ranked on BBC’s survey The Big Read in 2003. In 2005, Time listed the book among the 100 best English-language novels since 1923. According to the Modern Library the novel featured on its ranking of English-language novels of the 20th century.

7. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

The English novelist Brontë speaks to her audience on morality with inspiration drawn from Christian-based moral principles. It is a romance classic that touches on class, sexuality, religion, and feminism.

Over and above that, Brontë uses the orphan Jane and her life to address her themes. The climax of the story is during Jane’s employment years when she starts as a teacher. Later she becomes a governess and finds herself involved in a romantic involvement with her employer, Edward Rochester.

Jane’s outspoken nature, respect for herself, and being herself makes her a powerful attraction to Rochester. She declines to become his mistress but afterward gets married to him because she saw him as her emotional home. This novel was published in 1847.

8. The Odyssey by Homer

TomasBaer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Epic poetry by ancient Greek poet, Homer. It’s a poem compiled in 24 books. It highlights significant events of the Greek hero Odysseus who was the king of Ithaca, an ancient Greek island. The poem follows the return journey of Odysseus to his hometown after the Trojan War. The journey takes him ten years.

Moreover, his people presume his death due to his many years of absence. Thus he is received by his faithful dog and a nurse on arrival. His wife Penelope and his son Telemachus had to bear with suitors competing to have her hand in marriage before the hero’s return. The poem was published in English in 1614.

9. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Liannadavis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Russian author Tolstoy opens the readers’ eyes to realism. Through intensive research, he was able to convey a detailed narrative of the Napoleonic Wars. He backs up his narration with fictional creativity as well as historical events. The first published release of this classic book happened in 1867.

10. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Scarlett O’Hara is in a dilemma of thought. She wonders whether her home on the plantation of Tara still exists. She thought that it had been swept by the Georgian wind during the American Civil War era.

Mitchell uses her creativity to present the metaphor in the novel’s title. It alludes to the erosion of the way of life in the South before the start of the Civil War. Though Scarlett’s community is affected by the war events, they know no defeat and they face every aspect of life with optimism.

11. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

ElinorD, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This 1847 novel is one of the English literature pinnacles of the 19^th century. The English writer Brontë paints the picture of Heathcliff who lives a life of revenge due to a love gone sour. He grows up as an orphan and finds love in a girl of a higher social rank than his but he is committed to her. He later loses her and embarks on a lifetime vengeance against her family.

See the Best Mafia Romance Books You Should Read.

12. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Russian author Dostoevsky wrote the literature sensation upon his return from a ten-year exile in Siberia. The novel shows the psychological torture and moral dilemmas of the character Rodion Raskolnikov.

Additionally, Raskolnikov plots to kill a pawnbroker who was an old woman with possession of money and valuable objects. His mental conviction is that his act was justified because it would make his life better. With the money, he hoped to elevate his financial status.

After the execution of his plan, he develops a guilty conscience. Thus he has to contend with internal struggles and external consequences of his actions. It was published between 1866 to 67.

13. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

Luis Rivera, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

It is one of the world’s supreme works of literature with human isolation as the main theme. The novel explores the seven generations of the Buendía family. So the Colombian author Márquez uses his 1967 magic realism work to give insights into Colombian culture and history.

Márquez’s work was one of the earliest in the magic realism genre. So it sparked the Realismo Magico Art in Colombia which exists to the modern day. While García spoke in words artists today showcase their magic in colors, designs, and an array of textures.

14. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

This 1954 high-fantasy creation is credited to the English author Tolkien. He uncovers the adventurous heroic story of Frodo who finds out about the ring that has the power to control the world.

Subsequently, Frodo commits to corrupting the owner of the ring. Hence he brings together hobbits, elves, dwarfs, and men to fight to destroy the ring. Their efforts lead to the casting of the ring into the volcanic fires of the Crack of Doom where it is forged.

15. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The French author Dumas shows off his creative prowess with this 1845 adventure title. It assumes the setting during the period 1815 up to 1838. His larger-than-life characters enhance his narrative.

Moreover, Dumas unravels the tale of a prison escapee. The protagonist is driven by coldness and bitterness in his quest for vengeance. The novel was adapted into a 2002 film of the same name.

Learn how AI Authors Are ‘Choking’ Human Authors On E-Bookstores.

16. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

A realist novel published in 1939 and is the work of American author Steinbeck. His creativity earned him the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature. The Grapes of Wrath also won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize after its release.

To add on, the novel idealizes that capitalist systems propel all manner of injustices. The book picks on the Joads family who are sharecroppers from Oklahoma. They are forced out of their hometowns with thousands of other migrants thanks to the 1930s Dust Bowl. The migrants move to Salinas Valley of California with high hope of limitless opportunities.

17. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Rugeks18, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The era is 1642 to 1649 and American writer Hawthorne takes his audience to the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony. Someone (Hester Prynne), commits a taboo when she conceives a daughter out of wedlock.

Following her deeds, she has to pay for going against society’s norms. So she is forced to wear a scarlet letter ‘A’ symbolizing adultery. This punishment is meant to prove her dedication to a new life of repentance and dignity in her community.

18. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

This futuristic literature content is a 1932 classic by the English author Huxley. The author voices his view on the challenges of handing over new and powerful technology to state control. Huxley addresses technologies such as those associated with reproduction and medical inventions.

Additionally, he foresees a future society whereby technological and medical advancements are used by the state to control citizens without their consent.

19. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

According to some critics, the novel belongs to the adventure category because characters are constantly at risk of being imprisoned or killed. Others place it under historical novels because it recounts events and stories that took place during the French Revolution. Yet all divides are undisputed it is a classic.

Furthermore, Dickens provokes the reader to appreciate the similarities between London and Paris during the French Revolution. The storyline follows the life of French Doctor Manette.

Manette serves an 18-year prison term in Paris. After his release, he moves to London where he lives with his daughter called Lucie. The challenge is that both of them had never met before. English writer Dickens released this title in 1859.

20. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Against the backdrop of liberal reforms during Alexander II’s regime, the Russian author Tolstoy brings forth societal transformations at the time. It is an extramarital affair between Anna and cavalry officer Count Vronsky. It becomes a scandal in Saint Petersburg and both flee to Italy to save their love. They later return to Russia and their lives keep unraveling over time. It is an 1878 work.

21. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

E. W. Kemble (1861–1933) – illustrator, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

American author Twain takes readers through the racial and moral issues of his time. The book was first published in 1884. From the time of its publishing, it has remained at the center of controversies associated with race and moral tensions.

Discover the Fundamental Philosophy Books To Understand the World.

22. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Miguel penned this Spanish epic novel to emphasize the importance of people being themselves. The novel is a reminder to his audience to do what they do to fulfill their identity as well as meet their sense of self. He published the book in two parts, first in 1605 and later in 1615.

23. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

An 1818 classic by English novelist Shelley. In her story, Victor Frankenstein is a talented scientist who triumphs in making a creation of his own. Yet, the creature falls short of his expectations. Thus his creation turns into a rejection by himself as well as by the public.

24. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Lui Turgo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

It is an 1890 work of fiction by Irish poet and playwright Wilde. The imagery in the book is worth appreciation. Oscar mentions in the book’s preview that art mirrors the spectator’s ideas and feelings. This is evident throughout the life of Dorian Gray.

To add on, Gray is a young Englishman with immense wealth. He is concerned with his looks over everything else including morality. So he has a portrait made which makes him appear youthful and perfect.

Furthermore, Gray gives himself out to the acts of the pleasures of life. This wipes out his soul and mind and leaves an emptiness in him, a reality far from the reflection presented by his piece of art. Thus his disappointment in the disparity leads him to destroy the artwork and he also destroys himself by committing suicide.

25. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

The acclaimed French romantic writer Hugo published this classic in 1862. He doubled as a politician so in this work, he blends religious, political, legal, and historical issues to tell his narrative. On top of that, he uses his creativity to address love matters while at the same time promoting the architectural glory of Paris.

26. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Randy from Newbury Park, California, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The English poet Chaucer is celebrated for writing this collection of 24 stories between 1387 and 1400. Most of the stories are in verse form while several are in prose.

With about 31 characters, the tale gives a fictional picture of pilgrims. They are in transit from Southwark to a shrine in Becket. Further, each story is a moral lesson hence they are often used as children’s fables. They also present the moral standards in society which lacked during Chaucer’s time.

27. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The last work of the Russian writer Dostoevsky is this masterwork, The Brothers Karamazov published in 1880. The murder mystery and courtroom drama uncovers a tinted Russian culture involving a father and his sons. Thus Fyodor Karamazov with his sons Dmitri, Ivan, and Alyosha are webbed in triangular love affairs.

28. The Iliad by Homer

Pete Unseth, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It details the activities of the final weeks of the ancient Greek Trojan War. This poetry is divided into 24 books published in the English language in 1598. The Greek poet Homer is also known for his work Odyssey (earlier).

29. Dracula by Bram Stoker

Edgar Alfred Holloway, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

An exemplary work of Gothic horror written by Irish author Bram Stoker and published in 1897. There is no specific protagonist but Jonathan Harker opens up the story. He goes on a business trip and chooses to stay at the castle of Count Dracula who is a Transylvanian nobleman.

Harker finds out Count was a vampire so he flees the castle. The vampire causes havoc in England’s seaside town known as  Whitby. Hence a team of heroes teams up to defend their town led by Abraham Van Helsing. They hunt down the vampire and they succeed in killing him.

See the Famous Books by Black Authors You Should Read Right Away.

30. Middlemarch by George Eliot

A Victorian realism example is set up in the fictional middle-class town called Middlemarch. Eliot opens the reader’s perspective to the attitude of life as well as the character of the residents of Middlemarch. This classic work of literature was published in 1871. It is credited to English author Mary Ann Evans who wrote the novel under her pen name, George Eliot.

These 30 best classic books trigger our imaginations to new levels. They expand our knowledge to new horizons. They also breathe life into and shape the present literature landscape. Better still, these books shed light and give direction to the future of the literature space.