Our selection of the best classic books you ought to add to your reading list, ranging from coming-of-age stories to romance, literary fiction to science that altered the course of human history. Watch the Book Break episode below for further insight into what constitutes a classic.
If you read a lot too, you understand how enjoyable it can be to take up a great book and read it aloud for the first time. Maybe you’re just waiting for the proper moment to cross something off your literary bucket list. Or perhaps all you want is a taste of some of the greatest classic novels in history.
In any case, the solutions are right here. We have put up an extensive collection of classics that you just must read. Every one of these works has a distinct viewpoint, a distinctive writing style, and a lasting impression on readers’ emotions.
Indeed, a number of famous novels have changed the political and social climate in both their home countries and beyond the globe. The audience now has a broader perspective and a fresh take on their surroundings because of them.
What are the best classic books?
Classics are “books which, the more we think we know them through hearsay, the more original, unexpected, and innovative we find them when we actually read them,” according to Italian author Italo Calvino. As Publisher of Macmillan Collectors’ Library at Pan Macmillan, Harriet Sanders holds the belief that a classic work of literature must have withstood the test of time and address universal issues that remain important even in modern times.
Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
A masterwork of humour and dazzling conversation, including issues and people that are still relevant today. This book will appeal to your heart and intellect at the same time since it is both a sharp nineteenth-century satire and a romance full of balls and dresses.
Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations
Great Expectations is one of the most well-known books written by this Victorian legend, and it’s a must-read if you’re searching for a Charles Dickens book to cross off your literary bucket list.
It relates the tale of Pip, an orphan youngster trying to upward thrust above his lowly beginnings who, with the aid of chance, is granted the hazard to steer a life of luxurious and dignity through an enigmatic benefactor. Over time, Pip learns that the money he changed into is poisoned and that the lady he has loved considering that he changed into a younger boy could in no way reciprocate his emotions. Maybe the most effective things that may carry him pleasure are the ones he gave up to live a more prosperous lifestyle…
Author Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women
Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy, and Marmee have become the favourite daughters of thousands of youngsters worldwide. The highs and lows experienced by the four sisters as they make their journey from infancy to maturity are chronicled in this semi-autobiographical book.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Many people believe Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to be the first science fiction book ever written. It is a powerful and startling tale of life produced by technology that is frequently imitated but never bettered. Frankenstein, which emerged from a contest between Mary Shelley, the poets Shelley and Byron, to see who could create the finest horror fiction, is more relevant than ever in the world of cutting-edge genetic research that occurs today.
Virginia Woolf’s Orlando
Orlando is a lighthearted investigation of how people have seen gender and love throughout history, tracing the footsteps of its legendary namesake across three centuries. Orlando is a young nobleman from Elizabethan times, and his rank and fortune allow him to live a lavish lifestyle. He discovers upon waking up in Constantinople that he is a woman after being appointed as ambassador. Virginia Woolf is a true trailblazer with her wonderfully creative and humorous narrative, inspired by the life of her lover, Vita Sackville West.
Frederick Douglass’s Life Story, by Frederick Douglass
This remarkable autobiography depicts a pivotal period in the anti-slavery struggle and narrates the amazing tale of a man’s flight from slavery and quest for freedom.
Maryland, 1818. The life of Frederick Douglass is one of servitude from birth. He experiences unspeakable brutality as a young man while being moved from city to field and from slave master to slave master. Following his eventual success in escaping, Douglass dedicated his life to the abolition of slavery, and his book played a significant role in that endeavour.
H. G. Wells’s The Time Machine
In this science fiction novella, H. G. Wells not only invented the phrase “time machine,” but he was also one of the first to articulate a tenable scientific theory of time travel. Three distinct film adaptations of the novel have been made, and science fiction authors are continually influenced by it. Many people believe that The Time Machine, a groundbreaking novel, is the most influential science fiction book ever written.
Marissa Constantinou’s book Women of the Harlem Renaissance
Black poetry, music, and art flourished during the Harlem Renaissance, yet few of these female artists are recognized alongside their male colleagues. This essential book honours the women of colour who were at the centre of the movement with poetry and stories touching on everything from Jim Crow laws to jazz, parenthood, and love, grief, and motherhood. With well-known writers alongside those you may be discovering for the first time, this anthology of bold and avant-garde literature captures America in the early 20th century in unexpected and beautiful ways.
The Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens’ beloved Christmas story, which debuted in 1843, became an instant hit. It tells the story of stingy Mr. Scrooge, who one fateful Christmas Eve learns to understand the folly of his heartless ways after receiving a string of frightening, transformative visits from otherworldly friends. With its poignant characters, vivid language, and rich imagery, A Christmas Carol’s upbeat message is as relevant today, just as it was when it was originally published.
Bobby from Greyfriars by Eleanor Atkinson
Shepherd Auld Jock relocates to Edinburgh in search of employment after losing his job. However, the city treats him poorly, and he ends up living in poverty. His sole friend is Bobby, a courageous little Skye terrier that belonged to the farmer who fired Jock. He is alone, sick, and elderly. Bobby breaks free and returns to town as the farmer tries to take the dog back. He remains loyal to Auld Jock after that, spending many years watching after the elderly man’s grave in Greyfriars Kirkyard. Eleanor Atkinson’s Greyfriars Bobby, based on historical events, is a beautifully poignant tale of an unbreakable relationship and a fantastic portrayal of Edinburgh in the late 19th century.
