21 Classic Books Everyone Should Read at Least Once

10 books to read in your lifetime

"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid," writes Jane Austen in Northanger Abbey. But while there are many, many novels out there to enjoy, some are considered arguably greater or more important than others - whether for their excellent prose, thought-provoking storylines or the boundaries they broke at the time of publishing. To give yourself a good literary grounding, we've narrowed it down to 10 must-read novels that everyone should experience at some point in their lifetime - many of which are still included on school reading lists today.

From Harper Lee's exploration of racial tensions in To Kill a Mockingbird, to Emily Brontë's gothic romance Wuthering Heights, and F Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece The Great Gatsby, these are the classic books to revisit - or add to your reading list right now.

For more reading inspiration, see our guide to the best modern love stories, the 10 ultimate summer reads, and uplifting books to boost your spirits - or get lost in our round-up of absorbing, thrilling page-turners.

Classic Books Everyone Should Read

There’s a lot of debate as to what makes certain books ‘classics’ – is it longevity, popularity, literary merit or all of the above? Are all the books we view as ‘classic’ deserving of that title? Should some lesser-known books be considered ‘classics’ instead?

There are no easy answers to these questions, and opinions as to which classic books should be read by everyone will always vary. Listed below is a variety of books which are, however, a good starting point, covering literature from a range of time periods and genres. From an Indian family saga to a Renaissance revenge tragedy, to a collection of short stories set in turn-of-the-century Ireland, there really is something for everyone here.

21 Classic Books Everyone Should Read at Least Once

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Read your way through these classic books

Storytelling has existed since the beginning of time, and through it all, humans have woven tales of love, hate, morality, and culture. With the advent of book printing—historians point to first-millennium China as the origin of the first printed text—people have been able to not only read entertaining and moving tales, but also revisit them again and again, rendering them classic books.

So what exactly qualifies a work as classic literature? Broadly speaking, classic books are groundbreaking for their era, have broad appeal beyond one community or country, and have withstood the test of time—their stories and messages remain relevant today. For our list, we chose classic books written in the 20th century or earlier, and every book on this list is more than 25 years old. We combed through best-seller lists of old to dig up books that have been well-reviewed and won awards. But more importantly, we’ve rounded up books that broke ground, kept us thinking, and even created new literary genres.

Many of these novels have graced high school reading lists for generations, while others have been spotlighted and elevated in recent decades, particularly books about racism and those by female authors. All have earned a place among the best fiction books and best books of all time. In an increasingly fast-moving, technology-centered world, with attention spans shrinking by the minute, we offer you this list of classic books in the hopes that you slow down, dive in, and delight in the warm comfort a great book can bring. When you’ve had your fill of classic literature, dive in to these historical fiction and mystery books.