Books are always a great source of entertainment even though they seem to be losing their popularity of late, with most people preferring to watch a movie or a TV show nowadays.
However, there are still many people, who like to curl up with a good book and get lost in the writer’s story. Although different people like reading different genres, everyone enjoys a classic novel.
So check out these 10 must-read classic novels.
1. Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck (1937)
Although this book is only 187 pages long, it is considered an American classic, with the book being used as required reading in many schools across the world. The book narrates the story of two displaced migrant ranch workers – George Milton and Lennie Small – who move from place to place in search of job opportunities during the Great Depression in the USA.
2. Animal Farm – George Orwell (1945)
Animal Farm is an allegorical novella by George Orwell written in the form of a fable to criticise the ideology of Russian communism. To get a better understanding of this novel, one should have a rudimentary knowledge of Russia’s history under Communist Party rule, beginning with the Russian Revolution in 1917.
3. Lord of the Flies – William Golding (1954)
Lord of the Flies is another allegorical novel that shows how people become when they break free from the confines of society and civilisation.
4. Kidnapped – Robert Louis Stevenson (1886)
Kidnapped is a historical fiction adventure novel by R.L Stevenson set around the Scottish events of the 18th century notably the “Appin Murder” in 1752. Most of the characters in the book are real people, who give multiple viewpoints of the political situation of the time.
5. The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde (1891)
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a philosophical novel that narrates the story of a handsome young man who sells his soul for eternal beauty.
6. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee (1960)
To Kill a Mockingbird, which is considered modern American classic, is loosely based on Harper Lee’s observations of her family and neighbours when she was 10 years old.
7. For Whom the Bell Tolls – Ernest Hemingway (1940)
For Whom the Bells Tolls is a novel depicting the story of Robert Jordan (a young American in the International Brigades) attached to a republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War.
8. Journey to the Centre of the Earth – Jules Verne (1874)
Journey to the Centre of the Earth is a science fiction novel by Jules Verne. The novel centres around the adventures (including prehistoric plants and animals and natural disasters) of Otto Lidenbrock, Axel and Hans as they descend to the centre of the Earth.
9. Nicholas Nickleby – Charles Dickens (1839)
The novel focuses on the life and adventures of a young man called Nicholas Nickleby (a fictitious character), who does all he can to support his mother and sister after his father dies.
10. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll (1865)
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a fantasy novel that focuses on the many adventures of a young girl named Alice after she falls through a rabbit hole populated by peculiar creatures.
Feel free to add your own suggestions for must-read classics at the bottom of the page.
