When it comes to reading, everyone has their own preferences, with some preferring high-octane fantasy and thriller novels, while others prefer to take it slower with a cosy mystery or romance. But for others, nothing can beat the classics.
Classic novels, often considered to be exemplary examples of a particular genre of literary style, are books that have stood the test of time and remained relevant across generations. But with lengthy page counts and unfamiliar language, reading a classic can be a little daunting if you haven’t picked one up in a while. So whether you’re new to the classics or just looking for your next read, this list of the best classics of all time could help you decide what’s worth trying next.
This ranking, published by The Greatest Books, was compiled by bringing together 609 ‘best of’ book lists to form one overall list.
Topping the list is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Set in the summer of 1922, this novel follows the life of Jay Gatsby, a young and mysterious millionaire and his obsessive love for a woman who chose another man.
Considered by critics to be a “masterpiece” and one of the greatest novels ever written, this 1925 novel is a cautionary tale of the American Dream. Its most recent big screen adaptation came in 2013 with Baz Luhrmann’s film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey McGuire and Carey Mulligan.
In second place on the list of best classics of all time is Ulysses. Written by James Joyce and set in Dublin, Ulysses follows a day in the life of an advertising salesman as he navigates the city. With its complex structure and stream-of-consciousness style, this is a challenging yet rewarding novel.
Other well-known names on the list include The Catcher in the Rye and Nineteen Eighty Four, as well as Vladimir Nabokov’s controversial novel, Lolita.
The Lord of the Rings, a 1954 epic high-fantasy following a hobbit tasked with destroying a powerful ring, also makes the list.
The best classic novels of all time
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Ulysses by James Joyce
- In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
- The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
- Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell
- Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
- Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
- The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkein
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Just missing out on the top 10 are Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë also feature.
You can find the full list on The Greatest Books. For more book recommendations, reviews and news, you can also click here to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter, The Bookish Drop, on Substack.