29 Best Classic Books actually worth reading for Adults
Classics are evergreen books that although written centuries ago, their contexts and subjects are relevant in the 21st century. Their writing inspires many readers and writers worldwide. And a lot of the dialogues from these texts have become immoral over the years. Here's my post sharing 100 unforgettable quotes from famous Classics novels.
Over my reading journey, I have, very fortunately, read and loved many classics Indian and International. But there are hundreds of them, literally. So which ones are worth your time? I present to you the best of the best of them.
If you are a classic lover, you are sure to love the list, and if you have yet to begin your foray into classics, you'll most definitely find something to your liking here. SO read away.
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Some of these books are also available for free on Audible.
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Best Classics of All Time
This classic book about the status of Black America way back in the 1800s will always be my number one recommendation. This short novel has everything, growing up themes, humor, romance, mystery, thrill, and also a very important lesson.
The characters Jem and Scout are my favorite fictional siblings.
Also the book has my favorite quote - “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”
Set in the Jazz Age in New York City, we have Nick Caraway narrating the tragic love story of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. Daisy and Jay were young lovers but when Jay got assigned overseas in war, Daisy married Tom Buchanan a football star.
But Jay returns to buy a mansion across the Bay from Daisy in the hopes that their love can be rekindled. But what ensues is a tragic tale of alcoholism, affairs, abuse and murder.
The novel is said to be loosely based on the author Scott’s life and a socialite Ginerva King.
Read My review
The first ever classic I read Wuthering Heights was my favorite for a long time. If you are tired of reading about the upper class shenanigans around the English countryside, look no further. Morally dark and impoverished people doing dark and dangerous deeds for love and revenge.
It’s a fascinating peek into the wild English countryside. Heathcliff is bound to be your next favorite protagonist although he is morally grey.
A revolutionary novel written by Oscar Wilde mainly for its LGBT themes. A painter paints his best portrait – a portrait of Dorian Gray. Everyone agrees it’s a masterpiece. But not the owner of the face in the portrait.
He hates the portrait because he realizes that the portrait will remain forever young unlike him who will age with time. He wishes the reverse were true with such passion that his wish is granted. But the consequences turn out to be horrific.
I loved the brave writing as much as the unique plot and speculative fiction.
The story of the March sisters Meg, Jo Beth and Amy growing up in their impoverished backgrounds but with family values. The most endearing quality of the story is the way the girls look out for each other and respect each other.
The novel covers themes of love, friendship, war and death and is a timeless classic in the truest sense. Its adaptations especially the one with Emma Watson are as charming as the novel.
A charming book that represents the innocence, honesty and open-mind of children. Children are curious, they are inquisitive and the little prince in our story is a similar wanderer with an open mind and inquisitive nature.
The story is said to be inspired from the author’s experiences as a pilot. The author expresses that he feels stifled being an adult and being firm in the beliefs of adults.
The ultimately charming story of eligible bachelors and bachelorettes set in old England with all the old world glory of gowns and balls and men on horseback.
The Cuthbert’s wanted to adopt an 11-year old boy into their house so he could help them on the farm. But the end up with Anne an 11-year old girl who doesn’t stop talking and appreciates life like no one else.
They are disappointed and so is Anne. But gradually Anne makes a headway into their home and hearts, in the town and even in school. This is touted to be one of the best-selling classics worldwide ever made. Hope you do pick this one up soon.
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Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and National Book Award for Fiction in 1983 this books is written in the form of letters (epistolary).
The message of the book is simple stay strong, stay positive and always keep fighting. But the way it has been written and women have been represented through the character of Celie, an African-American is noteworthy. She grows up through an abusive relationship as a child and overcomes oppression and decides to fight with the help of other African-American women.
Best Classic Dystopian Novels
A dystopian, science-fiction inspired world is used in 1984 where everyone and every place is believed to be unsafe as there is an all dominating ruler to the world called Big Brother who is unanimous to God. Because not only can he control your actions but also your emotions including love.
Amongst this totalitarian world is a man looking to find his individuality, independence and freedom. Quite an astonishing and moving novel that will give you a picture of hell.
A dystopian world where animals in a farm decide to take control of a farm run by humans. But little do they know that their own kind (pigs) will gradually dictate their innocence and create conditions worse than before.
Although the world is animal, George Orwell has very cleverly and beautifully portrayed the vises of politics and bureaucracy in the real world today. The novel is so relevant to our world that it feels like it was written for and in the 21st century.
A deserted island. A group of young boys stranded on the island excited about their new found freedom and independence. But survival and fear – fear of the unknown and the fear of being forgotten ultimately get to them. And the once innocent and happy boys turn into dark and evil men.
Imagine waking up one day in your room only to realize that you’ve woken up as a giant bug with writhing legs and can’t even manage to get off your bed. That is what happens to our protagonist here.
The saddest part of this bizarre story was when his family was also repulsed by him and they hatch plans to get rid of him.
This wasn’t exactly my favorite classic but it’s the number one bizarre classic on this list so it has to be read.
Another dystopian classic and absolutely bizarre story of a republic where men have been killed and women have been ordered into roles based on their health and fertility.
A handmaid is a woman who is supposed to bear children to high ranking officers in the presence of their wives and is supposed to give up her child once born and move on to another house to perform the same duty all over again.
They are given training how to ideally perform their duties and if they fail the punishment is death by public hanging or worse working in a chemical radiation dump. Not only is the story chilling it is bizarre to the power of infinity. A must-read if you ask me.
Best Classic Mystery/Horror Novels
One of my second favorite classics after mockingbird. The Gothic atmosphere is compelling and the mystery just gets spookier and spookier.
Rebecca is the former deceased wife of Maxim de Winter the Lord of Manderley. Her death is a mystery and it haunts our heroine who has now fallen in love with Maxim and becomes the new Mistress of Manderley after their secret and hurried marriage.
This was as said by Agatha Christie herself the most difficult book for her to write. And rightly so because I think this is also her best mystery book and therefore I had to add it to this list.
Ten people on a mysteries, isolated island. One by one all of them are accused of murder by the host. As the guests begin to talk to each other they share their dark secrets and then they end up dead.
Another horror mystery that belongs to this list is the Turn of The Screw.
The story follows a governess caring for two children in a faraway estate. But slowly she begins realizing that the estate is haunted.
Best Non-fiction Classic Novels
A true-crime non-fiction book inspired from the murders of the Clutter family that happened in Kansas in 1959.
The unique quality of this writing is its attention to detail and a thorough outlook of the lives of the murderers, the victims and the neighbors and surrounding community.
The story that portrays the gradual decline of a woman into mental illness. During the days when madness was considered a contagious disease and patients were often outcast and given shock treatment as part of therapy.
A survivor’s tale from World War II. Firsthand account of a Jew of how he was made to leave his home for a Nazi death camp along with his father mother and sister. And the hardships he faced and the brutal truth of the camp. His entire family perished but he managed to survive but the horrors of the camp still haunt him.
Based on lectures given by Virginia Woolf this book is a quick read at 170 pages.
Perfect book if you want to explore themes of feminism and social injustices meted out to women.
"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”, stresses Woolf. In the field of literature as everywhere patriarchy dominates the social scene. Woolf theorizes that using metaphors.
Although this book is a graphic novel and so belongs to a different genre, I had to include this gem. All of us have read stories from the Second World War but how many of us have seen a graphical representation of it.
More Famous Classic Novels you Must-Read
A charming but sad story of a true friendship. The story of migrant workers who move from place to place in search of work and a shelter. They have dreams like all of us. To build a house, to start a business and be self-sufficient.
But alas the best laid schemes do not always work out.
Another novel based on the divide between white Americans and black Americans. Black Americans typically worked as nannies or cooks or maids in white households. And were commonly treated as slaves and weren’t allowed to share utensils or toilets with the household.
In this story two black maids decide to speak up against this injustice through the medium of a book assisted by a white woman who works for a newspaper and sees the injustice meted out to them.
As much as the theme of this book is grim the narrative is sprinkled with so much humor and wit that this book becomes a thoroughly enjoyable ride. In my opinion this books is an underrated gem.
A boy in search of a treasure realizes that what he really wanted always ways the closest to him. Nevertheless his search brought him the experience that made him wise beyond his years.
Many don’t consider this book a classic but it well deserves to be one. A humorous science fiction created by Douglas Adams. The story is about Arthur Dent who is saved by his friend during the destruction of Earth by aliens.
The moral of the story applies to all of us. No matter how bad things are going for you there are always people around who have it worse than you. That is why you should not miss this classic.
Toni Morrison’s first novel is the story of Pecola a little African American girl. She is considered ugly due to her dark skin tone so she feels inferior and gets obsessed with having blue eyes which she thinks is an equivalent for whiteness.
The narratives switch a lot between the characters and also sometimes through third person, which makes the reading slightly confusing and heavy and the slang used adds to the confusion. But otherwise it’s a heart-breaking story that demands attention.
Siddhartha is a spiritual novel that speaks of the philosophical life journey of a man named Siddhartha. What is the meaning of life, what is its purpose, what are we here to achieve are the important questions addressed through this novel.
Every avid reader whether young or old will have read this ultimate journey of fantasy and deadly education. This series had me looking for wizards and a world where magic was possible and there was a Diagon Alley and ministers flushing themselves out of toilets.
That was the fever of Harry Potter and not just mine, but it was a worldwide phenomenon. If you still haven’t read this book, you should pick it up soonest. Because once you enter the world of Harry Potter, there’s no coming back.
I declare it a sci-fi fantasy classic if it’s not yet considered one. It has every right to be. Because it brought back the forgotten concept of reading back by its horns and inspired so many new age authors to follow into the world of magic.
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