Classics

A classic stands the test of time. The work is usually considered to be a representation of the period in which it was written; and the work merits lasting recognition. In other words, if the book was published in the recent past, the work is not a classic.

A classic has a certain universal appeal. Great works of literature touch us to our very core beings--partly because they integrate themes that are understood by readers from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of experience. Themes of love, hate, death, life, and faith touch upon some of our most basic emotional responses.

Although the
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The Handmaid's Tale
Animal Farm
The Alchemist
1984
The Haunting of Hill House
The Shining (The Shining, #1)
The Little Prince
And Then There Were None
Frankenstein
Fahrenheit 451
Carmilla
The Great Gatsby
Of Mice and Men
Pride and Prejudice
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Pride and Prejudice
To Kill a Mockingbird (To Kill a Mockingbird, #1)
The Great Gatsby
Jane Eyre
1984
Wuthering Heights
The Catcher in the Rye
Animal Farm
Romeo and Juliet
Frankenstein
Lord of the Flies
Little Women
Of Mice and Men
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Sense and Sensibility
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeHarry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling1984 by George OrwellPride and Prejudice by Jane AustenThe Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Books That Everyone Should Read At Least Once
21,243 books — 94,714 voters
The Twilight Saga by Stephenie MeyerFifty Shades of Grey by E.L. JamesThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. SalingerEat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth GilbertTwilight by Stephenie Meyer
I Don't Understand All That Fuss
780 books — 2,286 voters

Pride and Prejudice by Jane AustenJane Eyre by Charlotte BrontëThe Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar WildeWuthering Heights by Emily BrontëCrime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Best Books of the 19th Century
1,034 books — 6,156 voters


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― John Ruskin, Sesame and Lilies

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