Classic literature is essentially a set of stories that were originally told in very different times and worlds and to this day still hold up for their themes, their writing, their prose, and their influence on society and global literary circles. Classics may seem boring, but reading them can offer you a fresh perspective on life and help to elevate your writing as well as your knowledge of the world around you, since many classics were also written in different countries and in very different eras. So, here are 17 of the best classic novels that I think everyone should read at least once!
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1. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
Probably one of my favorite stories of all time in every form, The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo takes place in medieval Paris and tells the story of Quasimodo, a bell ringer who was born with physical deformities. He falls for a beautiful Romani woman named Esmeralda, but his caretaker (if he can be called that) Frodo also feels intense attraction for Esmeralda, despite his extreme hatred for the Romani peoples. The Hunchback of Notre Dame explores very powerful themes of love, social inequality, hatred and genocide, as well as ostracization and religion. A very amazing and well-written story and the Disney movie adaptation wasn’t too bad!
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2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Wuthering Heights is one of the best and most engaging stories I’ve read in a long time and it’s an absolutely fantastic read for anyone. The novel tells the dark love story between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw in the region of Yorkshire in England. There’s a lot of themes explored in this story with love, revenge, and emotion at its core. It’s definitely not the happiest tale out there, but it’s one that’s 100% worth a read.
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3. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Crime and Punishment tells the story of a college student named Raskolnikov who commits murder to see what it would feel like and begins to grapple with the moral implications of what he has done. The story itself is very interesting and delves into the human psyche and morality, as well as the issues of guilt and redemption. There’s a lot that goes on in this story and it’s a very deep philosophical read, so this is definitely something you should check out!
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4. The Iliad by Homer
If you’re a fan of Greek mythology, then you should check out one of the works where many of the popular stories we know come from. The Iliad by Homer is an epic poem that tells the tale of the final weeks of the Trojan War and the Greek siege of the city of Troy. It includes the story of Achilles and has themes of glory, fate, mortality, and more. To this day, Homer’s epic influences us and our stories and Greek mythology still maintains a massive cornerstone in literature.
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5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby was a story I read back in school but it’s stuck with me to this very day. This is probably one of the best stories about the Roaring 20’s in United States history and tells the story of Nick Carraway who meets a wealthy and mysterious man named Jay Gatsby who is madly in love with Daisy Buchanan and attempts to create a persona for himself as being a powerful and wealthy man. F. Scott Fitzgerald weaves the idea of the American Dream and the critiques surrounding it as well as the problems within American society in the 1920s and it’s an absolutely fantastic book.
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6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men may be short, but I read it the first time years ago and it has stuck with me to this very day. It’s honestly one of the best classics I’ve ever read and it tells the story of two displaced migrant ranch workers in California during the time of the Great Depression. Steinbeck covers themes like friendship, dreaming of a better future and the contrasts of those dreams with the harsh realities of life. Absolutely fantastic read. I can’t recommend it enough.
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7. 1984 by George Orwell
1984 remains one of the most dark and disturbing dystopian novels to release not because it is particularly dark and violent, but because of the concepts of a totalitarian future that are not so far-fetched. Orwell delves into the ideas of government surveillance, the complexities of propaganda, and the ideas of things as extreme as thought control. Honestly, if you want a book that portrays a realistic extreme version of fascism, then 1984 is the best for you.
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8. Animal Farm by George Orwell
George Orwell’s Animal Farm remains to this day one of my favorite stories ever. Animal Farm takes the rise of the Soviet Union and creates a satirical version of it on a farm of animals that revolt against their human owners and eventually succumb to tyranny from their own kind. The story behind Animal Farm delves into the ideas of power, corruption, betrayal, and the power of greed over the populace. It’s ending is honestly so chilling and the story itself will make you think quite a lot about the way the world is around us.
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9. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is one of the pioneers of sci-fi and tells the story of a crew aboard a submarine called the Nautilus that is being captained by Nemo. Verne’s storytelling and ideas are absolutely fantastic and he delves into the ideas of exploration, scientific discovery, and the natural world and how it functions. It’s a really insightful read and goes into the emotions of people and the wonders of the world around us.
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10. Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Moby Dick is one of the most popular classics that I can think of and tells the story of Captain Ahab as he tries to pursue the white whale, no matter the cost. Moby Dick explores the human spirit, the ideas of revenge, and the obsessiveness that humans can reach. It has quite a lot of symbolism and philosophy woven throughout its narrative and it’s honestly a very great story that’s certainly worth a read.
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11. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
If you haven’t read The Catcher in the Rye, you HAVE to read it. This will always be one of the closest classics to me because of how much I enjoyed the way the Salinger crafted the idea of the lost teen. Holden Caulfield’s story delves heavily into the ideas of identity, belonging, the phoniness of people, and the disillusionment he has with the world around him. His rebellious nature takes him on a journey where he tries to understand the world around him and it’s just so, so, so good.
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12. Dracula by Bram Stoker
If you love vampires, then you will love Dracula, which is basically where the vampire genre kinda sprouted from. The story follows Count Dracula’s attempt to move from Transylvania to England and the battle to attempt to stop him. It’s a suspenseful, thrilling horror tale with a lot of dark themes. It’s also quite a gothic story and it has a lot of very interesting themes explored throughout like fear and desire. It’s also where the character Van Helsing comes from, as he wants to hunt Dracula down and kill him. Lots of vampire tropes came from this book, so give it a read!
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13. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
War and Peace is one of the most rich stories about the impacts of war on people. Set against the Napoleonic Wars, War and Peace covers deep philosophical themes and the ideas of human nature. You follow five Russian aristocratic families as France attempts to invade Russia and how Napoleon’s conquests impacted the Czarist society at the time. There’s quite a deep amount of history in this title and it’s really interesting to analyze against the story.
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14. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The Count of Monte Cristo is a great tale of betrayal, revenge, and redemption and follows the story of Edmond Dantès who was wrongfully charged with treason and imprisoned. He escapes and seeks revenge against those who betrayed him and landed him in this unfortunate position. Alexandre Dumas’ story is very well-written, with an intense plot, vivid characters, and the themes of justice and more that make it an absolutely fantastic read to this very day.
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15. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451 is a gripping tale of a dystopian future where books are burned and “firemen” are charged with burning any and all books they find. The story follows a fireman named Guy Montag who becomes disillusioned with the rampant censorship and the anti-intellectualism present in the world around him and eventually commits himself to try and preserve individualism in his society. Inspired by ideological repression in the Soviet Union as well as Nazi book burnings, Fahrenheit 451 was written during the McCarthy Red Scare in the United States and remains a timeless story about the dangers of censorship.
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16. The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Hemingway is one of the best writers out there and his story, The Old Man and The Sea is another example of just how amazing he really is. The story is about a Cuban fisherman who struggles to catch a giant marlin. The story is about the struggle of perseverance, pride, and the human spirit. The themes of The Old Man and The Sea are absolutely fantastic and the tale woven throughout shows the ideas of struggle and redemption. It’s a really great read!
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17. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Finally, The Call of the Wild by Jack London is an amazing story about a domesticated dog named Buck who is stolen from his home and is sold into the harsh and unforgiving life of being an Alaskan sled dog. The story follows the themes of survival, instinct, and what it means to be wild. It’s really interesting to see the story being written from the angle of a dog rather than a person and the descriptions are vivid and absolutely beautiful. It’s honestly a great classic and covers great themes throughout.
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Conclusion
Classic novels are not classics only because they’re popular, but they are classics because they cover themes and were standouts in the time that they were written. So many of these classics provide deep and introspective looks at common themes we see around us in society and deliver them in an absolutely fantastic way. I will never stop recommending people read the classics and I will definitely be making more lists in the future!
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