As classrooms and campuses refill and books are cracked open, we’re celebrating the return to academia with a list of ten classic novels that should be added to your “to be read” list. The novels profiled are those that are generally lauded as profound, trailblazing, thought-provoking, socially relevant, and/or culturally significant. For this list, we’ve considered “classic” to include any novel written before the twentieth century.
Ten Novels To Add To Your Bookshelf:
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Why You Should Read It: A landmark depiction of Victorian values and culture, Dracula tells the macabre tale of Count Dracula, a vampire who feeds on the blood of mortals. Eloquently written and socially progressive, this novel not only introduced the Count to popular culture, but established horror’s status as a legitimate subgenre.
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollestonecraft Shelley
Why You Should Read It: This Gothic thriller tells the story of a grotesque creature brought to life in the lab of Doctor Victor Frankenstein. It was written as part of a bet among Shelley’s contemporaries as to who could write the better horror story. Little did Shelley know, her novel would become one of the most highly acclaimed novels in history. P.S.—she won the bet.
The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Why You Should Read It: Considered by most to be the novel from which all subsequent American novels draw inspiration, Huckleberry Finn is the more grounded sequel to Twain’s idyllic Tom Sawyer. It tells the tale of a young boy who embarks on an adventure down the Mississippi River—and it embraces the youthful spirit in all of us.
The Count Of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Why You Should Read It: A tale largely of revenge and the lengths men will go to for their freedom, The Count Of Monte Cristo tells the story of a man who is wrongfully imprisoned, escapes from jail, acquires a fortune, and exacts revenge on those responsible for his imprisonment. However, his plans have devastating consequences for the innocent as well as the guilty.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Why You Should Read It: This classic romance and social satire follows the main character, Elizabeth Bennet, as she deals with manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England. Pride and Prejudice secured Austen’s reputation as a popular novelist.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Why You Should Read It: In Jane Eyre, a young orphan is hired as a governess for the children of Mr. Rochester, the Byronic master of fictitious Thornfield Hall. The novel contains elements of social criticism with a strong sense of morality at its core, but is nonetheless a novel many consider ahead of its time given the individualistic character of Jane and the novel’s exploration of classism, sexuality, religion, and proto-feminism.
Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Why You Should Read It: A classic example of the fantasy genre, this is the story of a young girl living in 19th-century England who falls down a rabbit hole and into the midst of a fantastic world where animals can talk and everything she knows to be true suddenly seems fictitious. The story includes elements of sociopolitical commentary.
The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Why You Should Read It: An example of Gothic literature, Dorian Gray tells the story of a libertine who sells his soul in order to live a life of debauchery and sin while his portrait ages and decays in his place. A riveting tale of morality, Dorian Gray was highly controversial at the time and came under criticism as being indecent—and was even censored at the time of its original publication.
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
Why You Should Read It: This epic story tells the tale of an ex-convict and his quest for redemption. Examining the nature of law and grace, the novel elaborates upon the history of France, the architecture and urban design of Paris, politics, moral philosophy, antimonarchism, justice, religion; as well as the nature of romantic and familial love. The enduring popularity of Les Mis has resulted in its adaptation into several films and musicals.
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Why You Should Read It: This highly acclaimed novel explores the mental anguish and moral dilemmas of Rodion, an impoverished ex-student in St. Petersburg who formulates and executes a plan to kill an unscrupulous pawnbroker for her cash. He justifies his actions by convincing himself that having the pawnbroker’s money will allow him to perform good deeds to counterbalance the crime, while also ridding the world of worthless vermin. Several times throughout the novel, the protagonist justifies his actions by comparing himself to Napoleon Bonaparte, believing that murder is permissible in pursuit of a higher purpose. However, he soon finds himself wracked with guilt and pondering whether he should clear his conscience by confessing his crime.
The Reading Doesn’t Stop Here
There are so many wonderfully written and culturally significant classic novels that it’s difficult to select just ten to read. These are our selections for a great start—choose one (or more) and see where the pages take you!
QUESTION: What is your favorite classic novel?
My favorite novel is still…Wind in the Willows. It teaches about real friendship and love of home.
Farranger 451 and for whom the bell tolls. .. also, as poignant as anythingI’ve ever read. .. the death of Ivan ilyic
I miss all of you at Writer’s Relief! Before too long, I hope to be back in the saddle with you. Until then, thanks for all you offer and thanks especially for reminding me of these books I SHOULD be reading…I read some of them in High School but I will understand more now at the the old age of 66 🙂
I’m almost on the same page as Lance:
F451, Martian Chronicle, most of Hemingway, plus F.S. Fitzgerald and Icelandic classics.
Add to the list:
The Brothers Karamazov (best novel ever)
Lord Jim
And the mind-expanding, great Illumitatus Trilogy!!!
Carol,
We miss you too! We look forward to working with you again. 🙂
You have suggested many wonderful books for reading. In fact, I read few out of the list and there are many more books out there to read. In fact, when I was in grade five that was many years back, I was presented “Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland” as a prize for being a good student by Emperor Haile Selassie, then King of Ethiopia.
I finished the first draft and looking for publisher, this book also will contribute to a certain extent to the collections. It has different perspective of cultural point of view and enumerating life experience step by step.
Dan Harvey: I second you on Illuminatus!! Mind-bogglingly erudite and subversive.
I read and enjoyed many books in this list, and I can’t wait to read Frankenstein and Crime and Punishment. I just need to finish Dracula first.
My one of my favourite novel is Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. I’m 18 years old and the book makes me realise that although we live in a world full of pursuit for wealth, marrying for love still is a good decision. Sometimes i always fear that i’ll end up like Charlotte Lucas who married Mr Collins because she felt like a burden to her parents. The book is a must read to all girls under 21!
I think I would include “Middlemarch” and “War and Peace” on my list.