Which are the best classic books one could read in its lifetime? Their count is much higher than just 10, of course. But let’s try to present to you some small part of them.
To call something a classic means that it is a role model, and it is always relevant. Many life pearls of wisdom and truths are woven into the classic novels. No matter how many times we read a book, it will still surprise us, especially if we read it over a long period of time. However, some of the books are better than others. That’s why we at The Dope Lists have collected the ten classic novels everyone should read.
To Kill a Mockingbird
The work was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and is based on the life of the author Harper Lee, although it has long been thought to be the pseudonym behind Truman Capote’s name.
To Kill a Mockingbird focuses on death, rape, and racial discrimination. The action takes place in the American South and is told through the eyes of several children.
The publisher who put out the book warned Harper Lee that the novel was doomed to failure with such a title. The author refused to change the title, and the sales did not justify the publishers’ fears. Today it’s one of the classic books that everyone should read.
Pride and Prejudice
We doubt there is anyone who has not heard of the famous work. Although published more than 200 years ago, Pride and Prejudice is still relevant today.
Jane Austen’s most famous novel is considered one of the most significant works of English literature in the nineteenth century. It is so popular that more than 10 TV and film adaptations have been made based on it.
The plot is about Elizabeth and Lord Darcy. To be together, Elizabeth must let go of her prejudices, and Lord Darcy must swallow his pride. It’s a perfect example for a classic literature everyone should read.
1984
The author George Orwell is often called an oracle. Of course, this is not without reason. The book was published in 1949 and turned out to be a prediction of the future. Orwell was provoked to write “1984” after the division of the world into spheres of influence.
The superpower Oceania is the epitome of totalitarian regimes around the world. The party’s privileged elite is in complete control of people’s lives. Individualism and free-thinking are considered a crime of thought.
History and facts are constantly changing to suit today’s party policy. Everyone is obliged to use the new language, called newspeak, and to observe the cult of the personality of Big Brother. Now it’s regarded as a classic everyone should read.
The Little Prince
Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s short work is full of metaphors about life, cleverly disguised in a seemingly simple plot. The book has no analogue in terms of genre – a poetic and philosophical story, recreated as a fairy tale.
In each chapter, the Little Prince meets a different character, through which another paradox or absurdity of humanity is presented. The book is highly influential and has been translated into over 180 languages.
Some researchers believe that The Little Prince guides how every adult can find a child in himself because ‘All grown-ups were once children’… but only a few of them remember it. We can’t forget it in our list of books everyone should read.
The Great Gatsby
The American dream, which became a reverie for many in the twentieth century, is at the center of the plot. The Great Gatsby is the most widely read book written by an American.
Jay Gatsby’s dubious past is the subject of gossip from the characters in the novel. There are many versions of his enrichment, but everyone believes that he obtained money illegally.
Gatsby’s only wish is to go back in time and reunite with Daisy. Despite his efforts, this proved impossible, and his rapid degradation was shown.
The Catcher in the Rye
It is one of the most influential novels of all time but also one of the most controversial. Readers’ interest in The Catcher in the Rye has not diminished, and about a quarter of a million copies are sold each year.
It was considered scandalous and condemned for the language used, the very liberal understandings at the time, sexual freedom, and the refusal of teenagers to live according to the generally accepted norms of society.
The main character Holden Caulfield is the personification of rebellion. He tells about himself, filling the book with philosophical reflections on life and death, on the loss of purity and innocence.
Crime and Punishment
They published Fyodor Dostoevsky‘s most famous novel and one of the best in Russian literature in a series of issues of The Russian Gazette.
The main plotline presents the student Rodion Raskolnikov and his crime – killing an old moneylender to save his family from debt. He is perceived as a superman who distributes justice in a way that is unacceptable to society.
Crime and Punishment discuss the social circumstances which motivate a person to commit a crime and the internal struggle. The topics of charity, family, atheism, alcoholism, and revolutionary activity are also touched upon.
Wuthering Heights
When Emily Bronte’s only novel was published in 1847, it received mixed reviews. But today, it is considered one of the best examples of English literature.
Wuthering Heights is a tragic story about the transformation of a man into a living ghost in a world in which money and property are decisive. Because of them, people voluntarily doom themselves to suffering.
The author describes the true faces of love, hate, selfishness, and the desire for revenge. The landscape descriptions are strongly connected with the state of mind and the fate of the characters.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde’s only novel was published in the 19th century and was subjected to devastating criticism. He was censored because of the prevailing conservative Victorian values.
In the twentieth century, however, critics appreciated the innovation and literary value of the work. Dorian Gray sacrifices his soul in exchange for eternal youth and beauty, and his years and transgressions are reflected only in his portrait.
The Picture of Dorian Gray shows the clash between the superficial and the truly valuable from the position of a person who destroys himself, allowing the pursuit of external beauty to displace the soul.
War and Peace
Tolstoy’s novel was published in the second half of the 19th century. Many people believe that it marks the beginning of a new stage in the development of European literature.
The plot presents Russia during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte and Alexander I. It reveals the fate of five aristocratic families during the conflict.
The first war is not on Russian territory, and it is not in the people’s interest, but during the second, everything changes, and it acquires a national character. Against the background of the war, the people, the aristocratic community, and personal life were also considered. It’s undoubtedly one of the Top 10 books everyone should read.
The list of books belonging to the classics is enormous. And it will undoubtedly continue to grow over time. Probably everyone has their own similar ranking. If you haven’t read any of the suggested books, don’t waste time. You can find a new treasure, and maybe your list will change. Do you agree with our list of classic books everyone should read?