Tim Mcgraw Tells Story of if You're Reading This

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Anybody loves a classic novel, merely where to outset? From Jane Austen to Charles Dickens, Toni Morrison to Fyodor Dostoevsky, the fiction catechism is so vast yous can easily get lost in it.

So nosotros asked our readers to tell usa about their favourite classic books. The resulting list of must-reads is a perfect manner to notice inspiration to showtime your classics adventure. In that location'southward something for everyone, from family sagas and dystopian fiction to romances and historical fiction.

And if you savor this, you tin too larn about our reader'due south favourite books past female authors, most loved children'due south books and the best memoirs they've ever read.

Start at the beginning of our list (books are ranked in no particular order) and tick them off every bit you go on this handy downloadable list, or you tin can jump to:

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1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

We said: It is a truth universally acknowledged that when well-nigh people think of Jane Austen they think of this charming and humorous story of love, difficult families and the tricky task of finding a handsome husband with a good fortune.

You said: Philosophy, history, wit, and the most passionate dearest story.

Francesca, Twitter

two. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)

We said: A novel before its time, Harper Lee's Pulitzer-prize winner addresses problems of race, inequality and segregation with both levity and pity. Told through the eyes of loveable rogues Scout and Jem, it also created one of literature'due south virtually beloved heroes – Atticus Finch, a man determined to right the racial wrongs of the Deep South.

You said: A jarring & poignantly beautiful story about how humans treat each other.

Greygardens, Twitter

3. The Bully Gatsby past F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925)

We said: Jay Gatsby, the enigmatic millionaire who throws decadent parties but doesn't attend them, is i of the swell characters of American literature. This is F. Scott Fitzgerald at his most sparkling and devastating.

You said: The greatest, most scathing dissection of the hollowness at the heart of the American dream. Hypnotic, tragic, both of its time and completely relevant.

Joe T, Twitter

4. Ane Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (1967)

We said: Gabriel García Márquez's multi-generational spanning magnum opus was a landmark in Spanish literature.

You said: Magic realism at its all-time. Both funny and moving, this book made me reflect for weeks on the inexorable march of fourth dimension.

Andre C, Twitter

5. In Common cold Claret past Truman Capote (1965)

We said: The 'true crime' Television receiver prove / podcast you're obsessed with probably owes a debt to this masterpiece of reportage by Truman Capote. Chilling and brilliant.

You said: In this groundbreaking novel, completed after half dozen backbreaking years of research, Capote invented a new genre - the 'Nonfiction Novel' - applying prose techniques to fact. It spawned the school of New Journalism & invented the true criminal offence genre every bit nosotros know it.

Kgjephcott, Twitter

six. Wide Sargasso Body of water by Jean Rhys (1966)

We said: JeanRhys wrote this feminist and anti-colonial prequel to Charlotte Bronte'due south novel Jane Eyre which chronicles the events of Mr Rochester's disastrous marriage to Antoinette Conway or Bertha as we come to know her.

You said: Rhys took a character from a classic novel and breathed new life into the "madwoman in the attic" based on her ain experiences/world view. She beautifully showed how the stories we read fold into our lives to make new stories.

Eric A, Twitter

7. Brave New Globe past Aldous Huxley (1932)

Nosotros said: I of the greatest and most prescient dystopian novels e'er written, this should be on anybody'due south must-read list.

You said: Given the exponential growth of AI, Automobile Learning & Robotics, Huxley's vision acts as a warning. Will we rise and challenge those who seek to shape our future or sleepwalk toward conditioning by technology?

David G, Twitter

8. I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith (1948)

We said: Cassandra Mortmain'south upbringing in a aging castle with her eccentric family unit may not be everyone's experience, but we can guarantee her coming-of-age story with all its enchanting and disenchanting moments volition resonate for many.

You said: A 'children's book' that speaks volumes (ha) most unrequited honey and dysfunctional families. Timeless. And funny. (and we need some laughs on the 100 Classics list!)

Helen Y, Twitter

9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (1847)

We said: One of literature's steeliest heroines, in her short life Jane Eyre has overcome a traumatic childhood simply to exist challenged by secrets, foreign noises and mysterious fires in her new home of Thornfield Hall. All while falling in honey with her employer, Mr Rochester. A Gothic masterpiece which was groundbreaking in its intimate use of the first-person narrative.

You lot said:Because Jane is a role model: she stands upward for herself, others and what she believes in, just isn't also proud to give second chances to those whose time is running out.

Sarah F, Twitter

10. Crime and Penalty by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1866)

We said: This novel is a masterful and completely captivating depiction of a man experiencing a profound mental unravelling. No amount of ethical bargaining on Raskolnikov'southward office can costless him from the parasitic guilt nested in his soul. A brilliant read if yous loved Breaking Bad.

You said:No other novel has made me feel then much for the main characters, and so deeply depicted by the author. I felt like an orphan when I finished it and it's the only novel I've re-read several times.

Angie V, Twitter

xi. The Secret History by Donna Tartt (1992)

We said: Donna Tartt'south book follows a clique of smart, attractive students at an elite academy, and an outsider who finds himself forced to conceal a dark secret. A gripping and tense read.

You said: A modern classic - and so well-articulated and written (something that's hard to come by these days). Too, First-class PLOT!

AnamiAndBooks, Twitter

12. The Call of the Wild by Jack London (1903)

We said: Jack London was a gold prospector in the Canadian wilderness and used his experiences to write about a canis familiaris named Cadet who becomes a leader of the wild. With themes exploring nature and the struggle for existence in the frozen Alaskan landscape.

You said: Because everyone who loves the earth knows it's true.

Helen D, Twitter

13. The Chrysalids by John Wyndham (1955)

We said:An allegoric dystopia written in the wake of the Second World State of war, The Chrysalids cleverly strives to denounce acts of the past while including a profound plea for tolerance.

Y'all said: A mail-apocalyptic novel, about intolerance, loneliness, friendship, and what it ways to be human being. A fantastic sci-fi novel, as relevant today as it was in the 50s.

Hollie B, Twitter

xiv. Persuasion by Jane Austen (1818)

We said: Austen's last completed novel before her untimely death was ane tinged with heartache and regret. Anne Elliot's feelings for the handsome Captain Wentworth are re-ignited when he returns from sea. Volition they get a second chance at happiness?

Y'all said: This continues to be my favourite novel. Information technology is a more mature honey story, total of humourous, delightful observations of human behaviour. It offers the states a glimpse of redemption. We change equally we abound, and the mistakes fabricated in our youth can exist overcome.

Dartmouth_Diva, Twitter

xv. Moby-Dick past Herman Melville (1851)

Nosotros said: Every American writer since 1851 has been chasing the same whale: to somehow write a novel equally epic and influential as Melville's.

You said: The great American novel: nifty characters, wonderful language, thick with the Bible and Thomas Browne, and has the best opening judgement ever. What's non to like?

David H, Twitter

 16. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (1950)

We said: C.Due south. Lewis's timeless tale captured the hearts of children everywhere with its fantastical world through the wardrobe, full of fauns, dwarves and anthropomorphised animals. Whether you were Peter, Edmund, Susan or Lucy, we all wanted to put on a fur glaze and go on a snow-laden adventure with Mr Tumnus.

You lot said: A cute timeless tale of innocence, wonder and sacrifice for young and one-time alike. It was one of the first books that I read from embrace to cover without putting down!

Adisha Grand, Twitter

17. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (1927)

We said: To the Lighthouse is a daring novel with piffling regard for rules. There'southward no consistent narrator, scant dialogue and almost no plot. With everything stripped away, we're left with a breathtaking and lyrical meditation on relationships, nature and the folly of perception.

You said: Yous feel like you're stood on top of a cliff with the sea breeze bravado correct through your bones.

‏Halcyonbookdays, Twitter

18. The Expiry of the Middle by Elizabeth Bowen (1938)

We said:Considered Elizabeth Bowen's masterpiece novel, this is the story of 16-year erstwhile Portia who is sent to live with her Aunt in London, after her mother'southward death. There, she falls for the attractive cad Eddie. A devastating exploration of adolescent love and innocence betrayed.

You said: This book captures the awkward tension and anxieties of the interwar period through a deeply reflective, but oddly naive, unloved girl. ‏

Heather O, Twitter

xix. Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (1891)

Nosotros said: Information technology received mixed reviews information technology was first published, in part because it challenged Victorian ideals of purity and sexual morals. Merely Thomas Hardy'due south unflinching account of Tess'south bid for conservancy in a society ready to condemn her is a harrowing and powerful read.

You said: This novel teaches us about the position of women in the past and their moments of frailty versus moments of strength. Basically, an important insight for anybody to have!

Abbie H, Twitter

xx. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1823)

We said: Written when Mary Shelley was just xviii years one-time, but don't allow that depress yous. Frankenstein is a Gothic masterpiece with entertaining set pieces ample.

You said: Chosen for all the questions it raises nearly consequences and taking responsibility for your actions; nature versus nurture; the value of friendship. I could go on.

Julie A, Twitter

21.The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (1966)

Nosotros said:This spine-chilling story was censored by Stalin and sadly only published after Mikhail Bulgakov'south expiry.

You said: This novel has got the Devil mooching around Moscow with a massive black cat. Oh, and in that location's a naked flying lady.

Eggfrieddog, Twitter

22. The Become-Between by 50. P. Hartley (1953)

We said:A moving exploration past L. P. Hartley of a young boy'south loss of innocence and a critical view of gild at the end of the Victorian era.

You said: As a 17-year-old, I was completely absorbed past this story, wishing Leo was my brother so that I could protect him from the disappointment that awaited him.

Rapsodiafestiva, Twitter

23. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey (1962)

We said: A psychiatric ward in Oregon is ruled past a tyrannical head nurse, just when a rebellious patient arrives her regime is thrown into disarray. A story of the imprisoned battling the institution.

You said: A story that shows there is more to life than post-obit rules. Having joy and being spontaneous are equally of import as anything else in life.

Darren B, Twitter

24. Xix Eighty-Four by George Orwell (1949)

We said: The definitive dystopian novel, George Orwell'south vision of a high surveillance gild is gripping from the first folio to the last.

Y'all said: I first read this volume years ago, and was glad I would never accept to be a part of that kind of society. Withal, hither I am in 2018, and and then much of that novel has come true.

Donna J, Twitter

25. Buddenbrooks by Thomas Isle of man (1901)

We said:In Thomas Mann's semi-autobiographical family epic, he portrays the slow pass up of a wealthy and highly esteemed merchant-family in northern Germany over 4 generations, as they grapple with the modernism of the 20th century.

You lot said: Information technology's a great novel almost the rise and fall of a family, the human relationship between fathers and sons, and the conflict between fine art and business. Well, and I take to say I do love family sagas.

Peter L, Twitter

26. The Grapes of Wrath past John Steinbeck (1939)

Nosotros said: Maybe John Steinbeck's finest novel, this is a beautifully evocative and, by the end, devastating read.

You said: Migration in search of piece of work and a better future. A modern-twenty-four hour period story. Nonetheless makes my peel tingle.

Morven, Twitter

27. Beloved by Toni Morrison (1987)

We said: Toni Morrison's novel tells the story of a former Kentucky slave haunted by the trauma of her by life, and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988.

You said: This book is amazing. Beautifully written, haunting and the level of detail of the lengths people went to protect their families from slavery is fantastic.

LittleReigate, Twitter

28. The Code of the Woosters by P. G. Wodehouse (1938)

We said: This is the third full-length novel featuring P. 1000. Wodehouse'south best-known creations, the bumbling fool Bertie Wooster and his quick-thinking valet Jeeves. In this outing, the duo hatches a daring and hilarious scheme to steal an 18th-century moo-cow-creamer. What could get wrong?

You lot said: The best of the Bertie and Jeeves novels past Wodehouse, the 20th century master of the light comic novel. Intricate plotting and brilliant command of English language prose.

Matt F, Twitter

29. Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)

We said: Bram Stoker'south novel is told past multiple narrators in a serial of diary entries, letters, newspaper articles and ships' logs; an old sociology tale becomes a frightening reality for solicitor Jonathan Harker and his friends after he visits Count Dracula. And the Count is not a hero like our modernistic vampires aka Edward Cullen.

You lot said: A Gothic tale of fear and love. Would one desire immortality at the cost of i's morality and soul? Loneliness beckons down such a dangerous and fearful path.

Rob Grand, Twitter

30. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien (1954)

Nosotros said: Perhaps the greatest story ever told, J. R. R. Tolkien'southward incredible trilogy of otherworldliness brought a world of hobbits, dwarves, elves and orcs to life in a mode never read before. Ultimately a tale of companionship and the battle between good and evil, the fictional world of Middle Globe has endured to become far greater than the sum of its parts.

You said: Information technology'south got the corking sweeping story, romance, heroism, self-sacrifice, social commentary... it's not just magic and elves!

Anne O, Twitter

31. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1884)

Nosotros said: Meander downwardly the Mississippi River with Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer; on the surface, it's a elementary hazard but dig a little deeper into Mark Twain's novel and detect undercurrents of slavery, abuse and corruption in what Hemingway described every bit 'The best book nosotros've had'.

You said: This book demonstrates how a young male child learns to remember for himself, and shows us how we can, too. Information technology'due south funny, sweetness and sad – sometimes all in the same paragraph.

Richard C, Twitter

32. Great Expectations past Charles Dickens (1860)

We said:From the escaped convict lurking in the wild Kent marshes to the eccentric Miss Havisham who has remained in her wedding clothes since the 24-hour interval she was jilted, orphan Pip's coming of age story is one of Charles Dickens' most memorable and iconic novels.

Y'all said: This book is not only of import every bit a literary masterpiece and an evocative story - it also has universal appeal as, unfortunately, many children in today'southward world undergo the same suffering as Pip.

Ayesha One thousand, Twitter

33. Grab-22 past Joseph Heller (1961)

We said: The perfect read for a cacophonous political moment. Joseph Heller'due south dizzying masterpiece brilliantly illustrates the way that power is hoarded and wielded like magic, with sleights of hand and rhetorical trickery deployed like weapons to leave normal people baffled and exhausted.

Y'all said: In my stance, there is no book that improve captures human being nature and the futility of conflict. Yous'll come out the other side angry, uplifted, and crazy.

Sam Westward, Twitter

34. The Historic period of Innocence by Edith Wharton (1920)

We said: A newlywed couple is shaken up past the arrival of the bride's free-spirited and charismatic cousin Ellen, who piques the married man's interests. He must decide to save a aging marriage or pursue his passions. Edith Wharton became the first adult female to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 for this novel which explores love, lust and social form, ready in the Gilded Historic period of New York.

Yous said: "When SHE comes she is different, and i doesn't know why...".

Lulu B, Twitter

35. Things Autumn Autonomously by Chinua Achebe (1958)

We said: It has come to be seen as the archetypal modern African novel in English and is read widely across Africa and Nigeria in which it is prepare. It follows the Okonowo a corking and famous warrior and the most powerful men of his association. Simply when outsiders threaten his clan's way of life - will his temper and pride be his downfall? Read information technology to notice out.

You said: A compelling and important exploration of cultural identity in relation to both the ascension tide of British colonialism and the pressures of gender expectations. A poignant tragedy written with desolation. Necessary reading!

Danny N, Twitter

36. Middlemarch by George Eliot (1871)

We said: Dorothea Brooke and the other inhabitants of Middlemarch grapple with art, religion, science, politics, self and gild in the atomic number 82-upward to the First Reform Neb of 1832 in a literary exploration of man follies.This book is considered by many to exist the greatest Victorian novel.

You lot said: This book is superb in form and content. There is no improve dissection of and insight into human guild. She was the Shakespeare of her twenty-four hours and Middlemarch is her finest novel.

Tim R, Twitter

37. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (1981)

We said: A visceral tale, made of smells and sounds and bumps and knocks. A brilliant way to immerse yourself in i of the most fascinating and turbulent periods of the 20th century, via a wonderfully fantastical conceit.

You said: This is the about magical and well-written book I've read. The history of the partition of the Indian subcontinent told as a delightful apologue.

Claudia G, Twitter

38. The Iliad by Homer (8th century BC)

We said: Information technology is one of the greatest and most influential epic poems ever written, and (aslope The Odyssey)the oldest surviving work of Western literature. Although the story centres on the disquisitional events of the last twelvemonth of the Trojan war, Homer too explores themes of humanity, compassion and survival.

You said: This is the ultimate war poem, filled with existential drama, heroic striving, decease, and the meaning of life.

Max One thousand, Twitter

39. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (1847)

We said: William Makepeace Thackeray'southward satirical reflection of social club on the whole embodied in a cast of characters who although flawed, we can't aid just love and root for as we follow their fortunes and downfalls throughout the Napoleonic wars.

Yous said: Considering Becky Sharp is the greatest female atomic number 82 character in English literature. Bar none.

Greg R, Twitter

twoscore. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (1945)

We said: The iconic country house setting of Brideshead encounter a family unit consumed by its organized religion battle with their loyalties. A reflective and nostalgic novel past Evelyn Waugh about grade, family and homecomings.

You lot said: And then evocative of a sure time and place, likewise as being a compelling story.

Patricia C, Twitter

41. The Catcher in the Rye past J.D. Salinger (1951)

We said: Probably the to the lowest degree commented-upon aspect of J.D. Salinger's masterpiece is how utterly hilarious it is. Holden is a character no one ever forgets.

Y'all said: This novel's master character, Holden, is coping with tragic loss, every bit all of usa do in our lives. As he wanders aimlessly effectually the city, he struggles to plan his adjacent life movement, just finds happiness in small-scale joys, such as his potent bond with his sister.

Alma E, Twitter

42. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865)

We said: Alice is a no-nonsense, quick-witted and daring – we could all learn a lesson or two from the resourceful young girl in Lewis Carroll'due south tale packed with a troupe of unforgettable characters. A dizzying story total of riddles, puns and wordplay, at over 150 years sometime it features a heroine way ahead of her time.

You lot said: Nosotros should all get lost down a rabbit hole every once in a while and come out assertive in half dozen impossible things before breakfast #whyisaravenlikeawritingdesk

Lauren D, Twitter

43. The Mill on the Floss past George Eliot (1860)

We said:Maggie Tulliver is passionate, impulsive and intelligence only her desires disharmonism confronting her family's expectations and consequence in painful consequences. Eliot drew on the frustrations of her own rural upbringing to write one of her most powerful and moving novels.

You lot said: Ane classic everyone must read:The Manufactory on the Floss by George Eliot. A beautifully told story of an intelligent daughter who yearns for more than society allows.

Jess, Twitter

44. Barchester Towers past Anthony Trollope (1857)

We said: The 2nd novel in Anthony Trollope'southward serial known as the 'Chronicles of Barsetshire', opens every bit the Bishop of Barchester lies on his deathbed; soon the battle for power amongst the boondocks's primal players will commence. Told with enough of wisdom and wit.

Y'all said: This book has tremendous characters and a plot which sucks you lot into such a different globe, about which you find yourself caring desperately.

Hilary Due south, Twitter

45. Another Land by James Baldwin (1962)

We said: Primarily prepare in New York's Greenwich Village, James Baldwin'southAnother Country tackled many themes that were taboo at the time of its publication including bisexuality, interracial couples and extramarital affairs - all in the sensational world of Harlem jazz and the Maverick underworld.

You said: This is a volume that shows how everyone tin alive and love together, passionately, dangerously, with exquisite music.  I'll never forget the thrill of first reading it.

Jon A, Twitter

46. Les Miserables past Victor Hugo (1862)

We said: Vive la révolution! A sweeping epic and a completely satisfying read by Victor Hugo. Full of beloved, anger, drama and wit. Quite possibly the perfect novel.

Y'all said: A beautiful story of the power of redemption and a practiced heart forth with a backdrop of the socio-economic iniquities of 19th century French republic. Beautifully written, it tugs the heartstrings.

Gary G, Twitter

47. Charlie and the Chocolate Manufactory by Roald Dahl (1964)

We said: Filled with all the sweet treats from your wildest dreams (and proving that nice guys don't always finish last), Roald Dahl'due southCharlie and the Chocolate Factory is a cautionary tale for both children and adults. Don't be greedy. Don't spoil your children. Don't chew gum. And don't sit in front end of the TV all day. 'It rots the senses in the head!'

You lot said: This list wouldn't be complete without some of Dahl's magic, and my golden ticket is for this novel.

Isanne V, Twitter

48. The Outsiders past S. E. Hinton (1967)

Nosotros said: A coming-of-age tale of teenage rebellion, prepare in a winner-takes-all world of drive-ins, drag races and switchblades. It created an anti-hero from the incorrect side of the class carve up – all written when S. East. Hinton was but 17. 'Stay aureate Ponyboy… stay gold'.

You said: The original YA novel, which sparked many crushes and made me autumn in dear with reading.

Claire C, Twitter

49. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1844)

We said: An epic novel by Alexandre Dumas that will have you feeling all the emotions – and a prime instance of the quondam adage that revenge is a dish best served common cold.

Yous said: The all-time archetype tale! A story of innocence, romance, betrayal, suffering, revenge and more than importantly, Man'due south triumph over all life throws at him.

Hayati Y, Twitter

50. Ulysses past James Joyce (1922)

We said: Having survived censorship, controversy and even legal action, James Joyce's most famous novel is renowned for its utilize of inner monologue and stream-of-consciousness technique. Whether information technology'due south the greatest novel of the 20th century, or the most unreadable, is up for debate.

You lot said: Reading it as a person, an emotional journey. Reading information technology as a writer, technically mesmerizing and inspiring

Pqxzyvr, Twitter

51. East of Eden past John Steinbeck (1952)

Nosotros said: By and large gear up in California, John Steinbeck's most ambitious novel follows ii families and their interwoven stories. The author himself said, 'It has everything in it I have been able to larn about my craft or profession in all these years.'

They said: Vivid writing, epic family unit saga, drills deep into human nature and how nosotros think, feel and human activity toward 1 another. My all-time favourite novel.

Naomi M, Facebook

52. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1880)

We said: Two years in the making, this philosophical novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky questions big topics like organized religion, gratuitous volition and morality but it's also a very readable i that's part murder mystery, part courtroom drama.

Yous said: A delineation of the darkest recesses of human nature. But as well of the brightest ones…

Luca C, Facebook

53. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (1955)

Nosotros said: Quite simply some of the finest writing e'er committed to a page. A book that is simultaneously repulsive and utterly seductive.

You said: Beautifully written. The book takes you into the mind of this awful graphic symbol and lets y'all scroll effectually in the gorgeous word-play as the story unfurls.

Lesley L, Facebook

54. The Underground Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1911)

We said: Frances Hodgson Burnett'south book will awaken the marvel of any reader, no matter their age. There'southward something and then completely irresistible about hidden doors, mysterious noises and hole-and-corner hiding places. But this is more than a story of adventures and gardening, at its center, The Hole-and-corner Garden promises that with time and plenty of nurturing, we can all flower.

You said: I will never forget reading this book as a child. I felt I was in the middle of the story.

Ulrika F, Facebook

55. Scoop by Evelyn Waugh (1938)

We said: Partly based on Evelyn Waugh's personal experiences, Scoop is a satirical take on the lengths reporters – and newspaper magnates – will go to for a story. With modern exposés on hacking scandals and the like, Scoop feels as relevant equally e'er.

You said: A funny story wrapped around absurdity, journalism and war.

Guy 5, Facebook

56. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (1859)

Nosotros said: After 18 years in the Bastille, Dr Manette is released and sent to live in Britain with a daughter he's never met. Separate between Paris and London, A Tale of Two Cities is a mammoth story prepare during the brutal years of the French Revolution.

Yous said: Sitting solitary at 16 years old later the family had gone to bed,  tears streamed down my cheeks as I finished this novel.

Pat C, Facebook

57. Diary of a Nobody past George Grossmith and Weedon Grossmith (1892)

We said: Diary of a Nobody follows a respectable middle-class man, Charles Pooter, and his attempts to live a respectable centre-grade life. This riotously funny novel created such an impression that information technology inspired an adjective in honor of its main grapheme: 'Pooterish', a self-important person who takes themselves far too seriously.

You said: I have read this book so many times and laugh out loud every time. I take a Penguin Classic re-create of it that's falling autonomously but I wouldn't function with it for the world

Emma H, Facebook

58. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (1878)

We said: Anna Karenina is a adult female who seems to have information technology all. She'due south married, she's wealthy, she'due south well-liked – merely she feels her life is empty until she meets Count Vronksy. Leo Tolstoy's novel is essentially a philosophical meditation on the meaning of life and happiness but information technology's a very readable one.

You said: But the best in-depth characterisation of all fourth dimension. Tolstoy's psychological insights accept never been browbeaten.

Chris Due west, Facebook

59. The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni (1827)

We said: Alessandro Manzoni'due south novel takes is the story of two young lovers trying to be together, fix confronting a wider backdrop of 17th-century Italian life. The Betrothed is considered past many to exist the greatest novel always written in Italian.

You said: This book is on the verge of being forgotten by coincidental readers, but it's entertaining, socially and scientifically progressive for its time, has incredibly moving, beautifully-written passages on bread riots and the plague, and it has the best surprise trope-subversion at the end.

Shawna R, Facebook

60. Orlando by Virginia Woolf (1928)

Nosotros said: Immense yourself in the dazzling breadth of Virginia Woolf's imagination in this short but powerful novel and follow Orlando from the court of Elizabeth I to a celebrated poet in the 20th century.

You said: What is it to be a woman? Woolf'due south modernist novel is so fresh fifty-fifty 90 or so years later on. Gender fluidity before the term was fifty-fifty coined. And a history of literature equally a properties.

Antonia M, Facebook

61.Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (1957)

We said: Step into the dystopian USA and follow the saga of Dagny Taggart and Hank Rearden as they try to bring their Transcontinental railroad into existence, and uncover the secrets of a shadowy effigy called John Galt along the way.

You said: This book engages the reader through its characters and themes, allowing one to be entranced through this cautionary tale that tin can be applied to the modern globe.

Deanna H, Facebook

62. The Time Automobile by H. G. Wells (1895)

We said: When a scientist and inventor creates a fourth dimension motorcar, he travels to the distant hereafter to see what'due south in store for humanity. H. K. Wells' novel is the book that popularised fourth dimension travel, simply read deeper and it'southward likewise a metaphor for the fractured society that nosotros however live in today.

You said: A story of knowledge, teaching, and imagining a futurity.

Gultekin S, Facebook

63. The Art of War by Sun-Tzu

We said: Sunday-Tzu, author of the world'south oldest guide to war machine strategy, recognised that nosotros live in a conflicted world. The layperson might non be involved in warfare but the advice within is just as useful for navigating the workplace or daily life.

You lot said: This should be called the little book of mutual sense. It makes everything easier to understand.

Darren K, Facebook

64. The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy (1922)

Nosotros said: Nobel-Prize winning author John Galsworthy wrote this multi-generational saga which chronicles the Forsyte family's fortunes and downfalls as they live through dramatic social change, from the directly-laced Victorian era to the roaring 20s.

You said: This book gives yous a wonderful impression of life in the 19th and early on 20th century. It's both enthralling and touching.

Hildegard S, Facebook

65. Travels with Charley past John Steinbeck (1962)

We said: Almost 60 years later Travels with Charley even so proves an eye-opening insight into a country that's so easy to view as a monolith. Steinbeck and his French Poodle encounter everyone from migrant farmers to KKK members in this reminder of a complicated political landscape that's no less disparate today.

You said: 1 of the true first 'road' books – a search for the spirit of the ordinary American people.

Edith Southward, Facebook

66. Tropic of Cancer past Henry Miller (1934)

Nosotros said: It was banned in the US and the UK for 30 years for being too 'pornographic,' and undoubtedly there are smutty moments, but Henry Miller uses this to comment on the human condition. Told from a variety of first-person characters in 1930s Paris – including Miller's own experiences as a struggling author – the mutual thread betwixt each character is their sexual encounters.

You said: Loud, funny, sexual Paris in the 1930s. I read it when I was 20, and information technology changed the style I wait at the earth.

Brendan P, Facebook

67. Women in Dearest by D. H. Lawrence (1920)

Nosotros said: Controversial during its time, D. H. Lawrence's sequel to The Rainbow follows the lives of two women and the men they become involved with. Women in Love contains some of Lawrence'south finest writing.

You said: This is Lawrence at his best… although I do think Lady Chatterley's Lover is under-rated…

David P, Facebook

68. Staying On by Paul Scott (1977)

We said: Paul Scott passed away at the peak of his writing career and his terminal novel, Staying On – which won the Booker Prize in 1977 – gives us a unique insight into life merely later on the end of the British rule in India.

You lot said: A funny, tragic, beautifully written study of an English colonial married couple left behind as an independent Republic of india moves alee.

Catherine B, Facebook

69. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (1908)

We said:What began every bit a series of letters to Kenneth Grahame's sickly son evolved into one of England's near beloved children'south books. A whimsical foray through the Berkshire countryside, the camaraderie between Ratty, Badger, Mole and Mr Toad still embodies traditional British eccentricities to a tee.

You lot said: Y'all can enjoy this book at any historic period – and it's beautifully written.

Vicky A, Facebook

seventy. My Ántonia by Willa Cather (1918)

We said: The novel tells the story of Jim Brunt, an orphan boy and Ántonia Shimerda who are brought equally children to be pioneers in Nebraska in the late 19th century. This is Willa Cather's last book in the Great Plains trilogy and was praised for bringing the American West to life.

You said: Quite but, a beautifully written book.

Carolyn R, Facebook

71. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (1847)

We said: Controversial at the time of publication, Emily Brontë's classic dear story between Catherine and Heathcliff however resonates with readers today.  Widely considered a staple of Gothic fiction and the English literary canon, this book has gone on to inspire many generations of writers – and will continue to practise and so.

You said: Passion, heartbreak – this is the greatest novel always written.

Tessa J, Facebook

72. Perfume by Patrick Süskind (1985)

We said: In 18th-century France, ane man'south greatest passion and gift leads him down a path of sensual depravity. After discovering he has no smell of his own – despite having a remarkable sense of smell – Jean-Baptiste Grenouille trains in the art of perfume-making then he tin can create the ultimate scent – i that is made from 25 young virgin girls.

Y'all said: A story of suspense and beloved, with beautiful narration.

Ivy W, Facebook

73. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1867)

We said: LeoTolstoy's sweeping epic of human life in all its imperfection and grandeur is universally accepted equally one of the greatest novels of all time.

You said:This novel is just gripping and beautifully written. Kept me enthralled for weeks...

Angela T, Facebook

74. Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham (1915)

We said: Considered as Somerset Maugham's nearly autobiographical of his work, the author stated, 'This is a novel, non an autobiography, though much in information technology is autobiographical, more is pure invention.' Regardless, the story of Philip Carey, a human being with ambitions who falls in love with a loud only irresistible waitress is considered ane of his finest books.

You said: A compelling story of unreciprocated love.

Rajan D, Facebook

75. Bleak House past Charles Dickens (1853)

We said: At the heart of Dour House is the never-ending legal example of Jarndyce and Jarndyce which draws together a disparate group of people who hope in some way to profit from the example. Dickens' scathing reflection of the legal profession went some way to support a judicial reform movement in the 1870s.

Yous said: An astonishing story, with then many twists and turns

Jane E, Facebook

76. Lost Illusions by Honoré de Balzac (1837)

We said: Would-be poet Lucien Chardon moves from the French Provinces to the glamorous beau monde of Paris where he chop-chop discovers a globe far more dangerous than he e'er imagined. Honoré de Balzac paints a vivid and brutal picture of the hypocrisy and moral history of his times.

Y'all said: A magnificent story about human nature, ambition and society (in any century).

Isabel K, Facebook

77. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut (1973)

Nosotros said: Part comedy, function searing satire, we're taken to the Midwest to follow Vonnegut's ageing writer Kilgore Trout on an absurd narrative. You may dear information technology, you may non get the point. Either way, you'll discover it hard not to laugh.

You said: Reading this alloy of surrealism, sci-fi and other genres made me realise that sometimes, fiction tin be more powerful than real-life stories!

Kleber 50, Facebook

78. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (1843)

We said: This is arguably Dickens' most famous tale. Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and exclamations of 'Bah Humbug!' are as synonymous with the festive seasons equally Santa, turkey and Christmas pudding.

Yous said: A masterpiece. The ultimate story of promise and redemption.

Sergeant_Tibbs, Twitter

79. Silas Marner by George Eliot (1861)

Nosotros said: Silas Marner was Eliot's favourite of her novels. It tells the story of an isolated miser, who is given a second chance to transform his life when he adopts a immature orphaned child. With themes of religion, industrialisation and community, the volume also provides us with a glimpse of a vanished rural globe.

You said: Redemption and love. Beautifully written

Rhiannon C, Facebook

80. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (1925)

Nosotros said: One of literature'south almost famous parties - this groundbreaking postmodernist novel centres around Clarria Dalloway's preparations for a party she's hosting, exploring themes of mental health, modernity and time.

You lot said: A reminder that no life is too small-scale.

Marianna S, Facebook

81. Little Women past Louisa May Alcott (1868)

Nosotros said: In Fiddling Women, Louisa May Alcott ready out to write a book in which girls would run into them themselves accurately reflected. The March sisters, with their iv very different personalities and ambitions, accurately embody both the challenges of growing up and the irreplaceable bail of sisterhood.

Y'all said: A story of growing up and changing and the world set around a grouping of young girls. This volume is as timeless as it is cute.

Luke E, Twitter

82. The Bounding main, The Sea by Iris Murdoch (1978)

Nosotros said: Winner of the Man Booker Prize in 1978, Iris Murdoch'due south book is the story of strange obsessions and reflection which haunt Charles Arrowby, who retires from London'due south glittering theatre globe to an isolated home by the sea. An unforgettable story, beautifully told.

You said: This book left me speechless, while reading and after reading and I still can't notice the words to describe why information technology is one of the most impressive pieces of writing I have ever read.

H, Twitter

83. The Godfather by Mario Puzo (1969)

We said: Both Mario Puzo'due south book and 1972 film adaptation became global phenomena with this searing portrayal of New York's Mafia underworld. A powerful story of tradition, blood, laurels and of course, family fidelity.

You said: This novel teaches the reader near the strengths and failures of human nature.

Louisa J, Twitter

84. The Castle by Franz Kafka (1926)

Nosotros said:Taking the word 'Kafkaesque' to new levels, The Castle is a nightmarish attain into an autocratic world. Bamboozling from start to the very unfinished end (the novel ends mid-sentence), this is Franz Kafka's finest commentary on oppression and bureaucracy.

You lot said: This book leads the reader into a maze of conundrums, defoliation, iciness and moral fog. Never to be forgotten one time read.

Arnold F, Twitter

85. I, Claudius past Robert Graves (1934)

You said: Written in the course of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius, Robert Graves' novel captures the madness and immoderacy of aboriginal Rome. Both I, Claudius and Graves's sequel Claudius the God are regarded today as pioneering masterpieces of historical fiction, besides as gripping reads.

You said: A beautifully written novel virtually absolute power. Very relevant.

Ian M, Twitter

86. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie (1904)

You said:The story that made every child want to dance on tiptoes over midnight rooftops and soar away to Neverland, J. M. Barrie'southward tale of the male child who could never grow up brought magic to bedtimes everywhere. From the Lost Boys to fearsome pirates, the enchanting take chances of Peter Pan has, both literally and metaphorically, never grown old.

You said: A book that reminds everyone to never grow up within!

Jennifer M, Twitter

87. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (1980)

You said: A medievalist protagonist encounters a series of misadventures in a comedic exploration of the human condition. John Kennedy Toole's novel is widely regarded today as a tragicomic classic that exposes 'intellectualism'.

Y'all said: I chose this volume just because the characters are fantastic, and it makes me laugh.

Sharon, Twitter

88. The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham (1944)

Yous said: Featuring Maugham himself equally a graphic symbol and adapted twice for the large screen, The Razor'southward Edge tells the story of an American pilot trying to adapt dorsum to normal life post-obit the Start Earth State of war. Information technology's a gruelling look at the devastating furnishings of post-war trauma, and a philosophical journey to find meaning in life.

Yous said: A profound story of one man'south journey to find himself.

Holden M, Twitter

89. Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson (1939)

You said: Many will recall the recent BBC series of the same name; Distraction Rise to Candleford is writer Flora Thompson'due south semi-autobiographical recollections of her youth and growing up in Oxfordshire, and paints a delightful portrait of country life at the end of the 19th century.

You said: Possibly a little bit out of left field, only I honey this book. It's simple, it'due south beautifully written and it's all about capturing a vanishing way of life every bit countryside farming turns to Victorian towns... really eloquent, really moving!

Vicky, Twitter

90. The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy (1878)

We said: When proud and passionate Eustacia Vye marries Clym Yeobright, she believes she can finally leave her rural life at Egdon Heath behind. Simply their unhappy marriage causes a chain of events culminating in tragedy, and their realisation that their destinies cannot be controlled.

You said: I chose this book because Eustacia Vye is misunderstood - as are many women.

Linda Grand, Twitter

91. A Portrait of the Creative person equally a Young Homo by James Joyce (1916)

Nosotros said: A Portrait of the Artist every bit a Beau was James Joyce'south start novel and details the young artist discovering his vocalisation, arts and crafts and identity through his literary alter ego, Stephen Dedalus. In that location are echoes of his techniques here earlier they are refined in his later works such as Ulysses and Finnegans Wake.

You said: Joyce is not only the greatest stylist in English, but the novel contains 1 of the most complex discussions of aesthetics in the 20th century.

Donald Thou, Twitter

92. Middle of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (1902)

We said: JosephConrad's novella has been accounted by many equally a 'difficult read', simply this enigmatic and atmospheric piece of fiction of Charles Marlow's journeying up the Congo river – which likewise provided the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now – will leave y'all unfolding its many layers for a long time after.

Y'all said: What an amazing piece of writing from someone who had to acquire the linguistic communication first...

Tracey L, Twitter

93. North and South past Elizabeth Gaskell (1854)

Nosotros said: A swooningly romantic book with an exhilaratingly combative pairing at the centre. The themes of wealth and gender inequality are woven in seamlessly, and are completely integral to the electric dynamic betwixt Margaret Hale and John Thornton.

You said: This novel combines a cute dear story and give-and-take of important economical and social issues of its time.

Alina, Twitter

94. The Handmaid'due south Tale past Margaret Atwood (1985)

Nosotros said: 'When it starting time came out it was viewed as existence far-fetched,' said Margaret Atwood in 2017. The continued regression of abortion laws and women's rights beyond the world has only fabricated Atwood's dystopian all the more pertinent; and ensuring the book – and TV show's – identify in history as a lynchpin of the feminist resistance.

You said: I chose this book because it gives a feminist perspective on the world. Also, Atwood uses events from history to create the story, which I detect important. History is a circle.

Emma H, Twitter

95. Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky (2004)

We said: A novel of two halves, Suite Francaise is nigh life and decease in occupied France, and finding love and hope in the near unexpected of places.

You said: This is my favourite book. It is an extremely moving business relationship of the kinds of things that actually happened in Nazi-occupied France during the 2d Earth War. It presents the dilemmas, fears and choices that were felt and had to exist made by ordinary people.

Jim H, Twitter

96. I Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn (1962)

We said: This deeply personal and unforgettable business relationship of a twenty-four hours in the life at a Soviet labour army camp in the 1950s is highly considered to be one of the greats of gimmicky literature.

You said: Solzhenitsyn's writing from personal feel of life/existence in a forced labour camp under Stalin's communist authorities is a stark, brutal, masterpiece.

Brian T, Twitter

97. What A Carve up! by Jonathan Coe (1994)

We said: The Winshaw family are the most powerful and cruellest family unit in England that is until their biographer Michael Owen starts investigating the family unit'south corrupt and immoral activities. A dark and wickedly funny story which makes a profound argument on the Thatcherite era.

You said: This novel has so much to say about human nature, political power and the elite, and always will do. Caustic, heartfelt, funny, devastating; a beautiful book.

Declan C, Twitter

98. Zen and the Fine art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig (1974)

We said: Anyone looking for an introduction to philosophy demand look no further. It'due south also a touching portrayal of fatherhood and friendship.

Y'all said: An amazing philosophical adventure that influenced a generation.

Jason F, Twitter

99. White Nights by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1848)

We said: I of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's underrated works, this short story is divided into six sections. With themes of loneliness and unrequited love told by a nameless narrator – it's quintessential Dostoyevsky.

You lot said: This is an incredibly beautiful and uplifting book. Everyone should read it!

Melly, Twitter

100. Hard Times byCharles Dickens (1854)

We said: Dickens uses the fictional town of Coketown and its inhabitants to explore the harsh realities of the Industrial Age and the importance of imagination in a globe driven past fact.

You lot said: Pathos, humour, social comment, politic and incredibly well-drawn, believable characters.

Angela, Twitter

What's your favourite classic read? Permit usa know at @penguinukbooks.

Books ranked in no detail order. Some answers have been edited for clarity and style.

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Source: https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2018/100-must-read-classic-books.html

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