Classic Novels everyone should read?

As an avid reader Im trying to work my way through a lot of classic books-
at the moment im reading;

Brave New World- by Huxley- great dystopian read by the way
The Great Gatsby :colondollar:

The Grapes of Wrath
Catch-22

What other classic novels are out there that are favourites for others??
Please dont recommend Hunger games or Twilight.
For my sanity please.

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Reply 1

Anythingoo1

Original post by shaw16

As an avid reader Im trying to work my way through a lot of classic books-
at the moment im reading;

Brave New World- by Huxley- great dystopian read by the way
The Great Gatsby :colondollar:

The Grapes of Wrath
Catch-22

What other classic novels are out there that are favourites for others??
Please dont recommend Hunger games or Twilight.
For my sanity please.

Everyone's always talking about The Great Gatsby, will have to give it a read after exams

I haven't really read many classics but these are mine:
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- 1984
- Wuthering Heights

To be fair, personally, I found that Hunger games was a fun book to read, but I understand why you wouldn't want people labelling it under "Classic Novels"

Reply 2

xanthippe

Crime and Punishmen by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

So good.

Reply 3

ChocolateMelody

Great Expectations, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice

Reply 4

Quantaˌ

Original post by xanthippe

Crime and Punishmen by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

So good.

I agree completely with this! It's one of my favourite books. I would definitely recommend this if you're just starting to read classic novels...

Reply 5

shaw16

Original post by Anythingoo1

YES loved 1984 and Animal Farm. George Orwell is a literary genius.
Has anyone read any of James Joyces novels? What are they like?

Reply 6

iamthestig

I didn't like Gatsby, only got halfway through it before my revision started, also reading Crime & Punishment, haven't got very far but love it

Reply 7

ScarlettGrace

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier is a good read
and if you feel like a challenge and have a years worth of spare reading time take on Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy :smile:

<--- though i advise you have a character list handy at all times!

Reply 8

fash777

My favourite book is To Kill a Mockingbird, I'd encourage everyone to give it a read!

Reply 9

Floalley

A Room With a View by E.M Forster is one of my favourites.

Reply 10

shaw16

Original post by Floalley

A Room With a View by E.M Forster is one of my favourites.

Ive read a Passage to India by Forster. One of my all time favourites.

Reply 11

Quantaˌ

Original post by ScarlettGrace

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier is a good read
and if you feel like a challenge and have a years worth of spare reading time take on Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy :smile:

<--- though i advise you have a character list handy at all times!

I'll have a look at Rebecca. But, Anna Karenina didn't take that long compared to other Russian novels. It's actually quite short in comparison...

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 12

Floalley

Original post by shaw16

Ive read a Passage to India by Forster. One of my all time favourites.

I haven't read that yet, but I really want to. I have a reading list a mile long though so it will take me a while to get round to it.

I think the themes and plots of the two books are very different, but Forster has such a good voice, I'm sure I'll love it.

Reply 13

T'archer

Modern classic: American Psycho

Catcher in the Rye,
Gatsby,
To Kill a Mockingbird.
Hard Times.

Reply 14

Plainview

Everything. Specifically, The Brothers Karamazov and Ulysses.

Reply 15

Drunk Punx

The Iliad. It's relatively short, and I found it to be a great read. I need to read The Odyssey at some point too.
City Of God is a fantastic book and I cannot praise it enough. Thoroughly engaging.
Both of the most well known and heavily raved about dystopians (1984 and Brave New World) are good reads, hard to say which I preferred.

Reply 16

RibenaRockstar

I think everyone ought to read The Handmaid's Tale. Atwood4life.

Reply 17

DeceitfulDove

The Heart of Darkness
The Canterbury Tales - especially the wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale.
1984
Jekyll and Hyde
Gulliver's travels
Things Fall Apart
The Picture of Dorian Grey
Black Beauty

Reply 18