Top 100 Books Every Person Should Read

Epitome: Ryan MacEachern/Penguin

Anybody loves a classic novel, but where to kickoff? From Jane Austen to Charles Dickens, Toni Morrison to Fyodor Dostoevsky, the fiction catechism is then vast you tin easily go lost in information technology.

So we asked our readers to tell u.s.a. well-nigh their favourite classic books. The resulting list of must-reads is a perfect way to detect inspiration to start your classics risk. At that place's something for everyone, from family sagas and dystopian fiction to romances and historical fiction.

And if you lot enjoy this, you can too acquire most our reader's favourite books by female person authors, most loved children'southward books and the best memoirs they've ever read.

Start at the showtime of our list (books are ranked in no particular guild) and tick them off as y'all go on this handy downloadable list, or you lot can spring to:

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1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

We said: It is a truth universally acknowledged that when most people call back of Jane Austen they think of this charming and humorous story of honey, difficult families and the tricky job of finding a handsome husband with a practiced fortune.

Yous said: Philosophy, history, wit, and the most passionate love story.

Francesca, Twitter

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

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

Y'all said: A jarring & poignantly beautiful story nigh how humans treat each other.

Greygardens, Twitter

3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925)

Nosotros said: Jay Gatsby, the enigmatic millionaire who throws decadent parties but doesn't nourish them, is ane of the great 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. One 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.

Y'all said: Magic realism at its best. Both funny and moving, this volume made me reflect for weeks on the inexorable march of time.

Andre C, Twitter

five. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (1965)

We said: The 'true crime' Boob tube show / podcast you're obsessed with probably owes a debt to this masterpiece of reportage past Truman Capote. Chilling and brilliant.

You said: In this groundbreaking novel, completed afterwards six arduous years of research, Capote invented a new genre - the 'Nonfiction Novel' - applying prose techniques to fact. It spawned the schoolhouse of New Journalism & invented the truthful crime genre as we know it.

Kgjephcott, Twitter

6. Wide Sargasso Bounding main by Jean Rhys (1966)

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

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

Eric A, Twitter

7. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932)

We said: One of the greatest and most prescient dystopian novels ever written, this should be on anybody'due south must-read list.

Y'all said: Given the exponential growth of AI, Automobile Learning & Robotics, Huxley's vision acts as a warning. Volition we ascent and challenge those who seek to shape our future or sleepwalk toward conditioning by engineering science?

David K, Twitter

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

Nosotros said: Cassandra Mortmain's upbringing in a crumbling castle with her eccentric family may not exist anybody'south feel, but we can guarantee her coming-of-historic period story with all its enchanting and disenchanting moments will resonate for many.

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

Helen Y, Twitter

9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (1847)

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

You lot said:Considering Jane is a role model: she stands up for herself, others and what she believes in, but isn't too proud to give second chances to those whose fourth dimension is running out.

Sarah F, Twitter

10. Crime and Punishment 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 upstanding bargaining on Raskolnikov'south role 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 fabricated me feel and then much for the chief characters, so deeply depicted by the author. I felt similar an orphan when I finished information technology and it'southward the merely novel I've re-read several times.

Angie Five, 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 lot said: A modernistic archetype - and so well-articulated and written (something that's hard to come by these days). Likewise, EXCELLENT 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 near a canis familiaris named Buck 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'due south truthful.

Helen D, Twitter

13. The Chrysalids by John Wyndham (1955)

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

You said: A post-apocalyptic novel, about intolerance, loneliness, friendship, and what it ways to exist human being. A fantastic sci-fi novel, as relevant today equally it was in the 50s.

Hollie B, Twitter

fourteen. Persuasion by Jane Austen (1818)

We said: Austen'southward last completed novel earlier her untimely death was one tinged with heartache and regret. Anne Elliot's feelings for the handsome Captain Wentworth are re-ignited when he returns from body of water. Will they get a second chance at happiness?

You lot said: This continues to be my favourite novel. It is a more mature dear story, full of humourous, delightful observations of human behaviour. It offers us a glimpse of redemption. We change as we grow, and the mistakes made in our youth can exist overcome.

Dartmouth_Diva, Twitter

15. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville (1851)

We said: Every American author since 1851 has been chasing the same whale: to somehow write a novel as epic and influential every bit Melville'due south.

You said: The great American novel: peachy characters, wonderful language, thick with the Bible and Thomas Browne, and has the best opening sentence ever. What's not to like?

David H, Twitter

 16. The Panthera leo, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.Southward. Lewis (1950)

Nosotros said: C.S. Lewis's timeless tale captured the hearts of children everywhere with its fantastical world through the wardrobe, total of fauns, dwarves and anthropomorphised animals. Whether you were Peter, Edmund, Susan or Lucy, we all wanted to put on a fur coat and continue a snow-laden take chances with Mr Tumnus.

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

Adisha Thou, Twitter

17. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (1927)

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

You said: You lot experience like you're stood on top of a cliff with the ocean cakewalk bravado right through your bones.

‏Halcyonbookdays, Twitter

18. The Decease of the Center by Elizabeth Bowen (1938)

We said:Considered Elizabeth Bowen's masterpiece novel, this is the story of 16-twelvemonth old Portia who is sent to alive with her Aunt in London, after her mother's death. At that place, she falls for the bonny cad Eddie. A devastating exploration of adolescent love and innocence betrayed.

Yous said: This book captures the awkward tension and anxieties of the interwar flow through a deeply cogitating, but oddly naive, unloved girl. ‏

Heather O, Twitter

19. Tess of the d'Urbervilles past Thomas Hardy (1891)

We said: It received mixed reviews it was showtime published, in role considering information technology challenged Victorian ideals of purity and sexual morals. Just Thomas Hardy'southward unflinching account of Tess's bid for salvation in a lodge gear up to condemn her is a harrowing and powerful read.

You said: This novel teaches usa nigh 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

20. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1823)

We said: Written when Mary Shelley was only xviii years old, just don't let that depress you. Frankenstein is a Gothic masterpiece with entertaining gear up pieces aplenty.

You said: Chosen for all the questions it raises well-nigh consequences and taking responsibility for your actions; nature versus nurture; the value of friendship. I could proceed.

Julie A, Twitter

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

We said:This spine-chilling story was censored by Stalin and sadly only published after Mikhail Bulgakov's death.

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

Eggfrieddog, Twitter

22. The Go-Between by L. P. Hartley (1953)

Nosotros said:A moving exploration by 50. P. Hartley of a immature male child's loss of innocence and a critical view of society at the end of the Victorian era.

You lot said: Equally a 17-twelvemonth-old, I was completely absorbed by this story, wishing Leo was my brother and then that I could protect him from the disappointment that awaited him.

Rapsodiafestiva, Twitter

23. 1 Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest past Ken Kesey (1962)

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

You said: A story that shows there is more than to life than following rules. Having joy and beingness spontaneous are as important equally anything else in life.

Darren B, Twitter

24. Nineteen Eighty-Iv past George Orwell (1949)

We said: The definitive dystopian novel, George Orwell's vision of a high surveillance lodge is gripping from the start page to the last.

You said: I first read this book years agone, and was glad I would never take to be a part of that kind of society. Yet, here I am in 2018, and so much of that novel has come up true.

Donna J, Twitter

25. Buddenbrooks by Thomas Isle of man (1901)

We said:In Thomas Mann's semi-autobiographical family unit ballsy, he portrays the tiresome refuse of a wealthy and highly esteemed merchant-family unit in northern Frg over four generations, as they grapple with the modernism of the 20th century.

You said: It's a smashing novel almost the rise and fall of a family, the relationship betwixt fathers and sons, and the disharmonize between art and concern. Well, and I have to say I do honey family sagas.

Peter Fifty, Twitter

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

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

Y'all said: Migration in search of piece of work and a better future. A modernistic-day story. Withal makes my skin tingle.

Morven, Twitter

27. Dearest by Toni Morrison (1987)

We said: Toni Morrison's novel tells the story of a former Kentucky slave haunted by the trauma of her past 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 Lawmaking of the Woosters past P. Thousand. Wodehouse (1938)

We said: This is the third full-length novel featuring P. G. Wodehouse'southward 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 cow-creamer. What could go wrong?

You said: The all-time of the Bertie and Jeeves novels by Wodehouse, the 20th century master of the calorie-free comic novel. Intricate plotting and bright control of English language prose.

Matt F, Twitter

29. Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)

We said: Bram Stoker's novel is told by multiple narrators in a series of diary entries, letters, paper articles and ships' logs; an old folklore tale becomes a frightening reality for solicitor Jonathan Harker and his friends after he visits Count Dracula. And the Count is non a hero similar our mod vampires aka Edward Cullen.

Y'all said: A Gothic tale of fear and love. Would one want immortality at the price of one's morality and soul? Loneliness beckons down such a dangerous and fearful path.

Rob Yard, Twitter

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

Nosotros said: Perchance the greatest story always told, J. R. R. Tolkien's incredible trilogy of otherworldliness brought a world of hobbits, dwarves, elves and orcs to life in a way never read before. Ultimately a tale of companionship and the boxing betwixt expert and evil, the fictional world of Middle Earth has endured to become far greater than the sum of its parts.

You lot said: Information technology's got the neat sweeping story, romance, heroism, self-cede, social commentary... it's non simply magic and elves!

Anne O, Twitter

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

We said: Meander downward the Mississippi River with Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer; on the surface, it's a simple take chances just dig a little deeper into Mark Twain's novel and discover undercurrents of slavery, abuse and corruption in what Hemingway described as 'The best book we've had'.

You said: This book demonstrates how a immature boy learns to think for himself, and shows the states how we can, as well. Information technology's funny, sweetness and sad – sometimes all in the same paragraph.

Richard C, Twitter

32. Corking Expectations by Charles Dickens (1860)

We said:From the escaped captive lurking in the wild Kent marshes to the eccentric Miss Havisham who has remained in her wedding ceremony dress since the day she was jilted, orphan Pip'south coming of age story is one of Charles Dickens' most memorable and iconic novels.

Yous said: This book is not simply important every bit a literary masterpiece and an evocative story - information technology also has universal entreatment as, unfortunately, many children in today'due south world undergo the same suffering as Pip.

Ayesha K, Twitter

33. Grab-22 by Joseph Heller (1961)

We said: The perfect read for a cacophonous political moment. Joseph Heller's boundless 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.

You lot said: In my stance, there is no book that better captures human nature and the futility of conflict. You'll come out the other side angry, uplifted, and crazy.

Sam W, Twitter

34. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (1920)

We said: A newlywed couple is shaken up by the arrival of the bride's free-spirited and charismatic cousin Ellen, who piques the hubby's interests. He must make up one's mind to save a crumbling matrimony or pursue his passions. Edith Wharton became the first adult female to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 for this novel which explores dear, lust and social grade, fix in the Gilded Age of New York.

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

Lulu B, Twitter

35. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (1958)

Nosotros said: It has come up to exist seen as the archetypal modern African novel in English and is read widely across Africa and Nigeria in which it is prepare. Information technology follows the Okonowo a great and famous warrior and the nearly powerful men of his clan. But when outsiders threaten his clan's fashion of life - volition his temper and pride be his downfall? Read it to detect out.

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

Danny Due north, 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 social club in the lead-up to the First Reform Bill of 1832 in a literary exploration of human follies.This book is considered by many to be the greatest Victorian novel.

You said: This book is superb in grade and content. There is no meliorate dissection of and insight into human society. She was the Shakespeare of her day and Middlemarch is her finest novel.

Tim R, Twitter

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

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

Y'all said: This is the almost magical and well-written book I've read. The history of the partition of the Indian subcontinent told every bit a delightful allegory.

Claudia G, Twitter

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

We said: Information technology is i of the greatest and well-nigh influential epic poems ever written, and (alongside The Odyssey)the oldest surviving work of Western literature. Although the story centres on the critical events of the last twelvemonth of the Trojan state of war, Homer also explores themes of humanity, compassion and survival.

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

Max G, Twitter

39. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (1847)

We said: William Makepeace Thackeray's satirical reflection of society on the whole embodied in a cast of characters who although flawed, we can't assist but love and root for every bit we follow their fortunes and downfalls throughout the Napoleonic wars.

You said: Because Becky Abrupt is the greatest female atomic number 82 character in English literature. Bar none.

Greg R, Twitter

forty. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (1945)

Nosotros said: The iconic country firm setting of Brideshead encounter a family consumed by its religion battle with their loyalties. A reflective and nostalgic novel by Evelyn Waugh about class, family and homecomings.

You lot said: Then evocative of a certain time and place, likewise as being a compelling story.

Patricia C, Twitter

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

We said: Probably the least commented-upon aspect of J.D. Salinger's masterpiece is how utterly hilarious it is. Holden is a graphic symbol no one always forgets.

You said: This novel'due south primary grapheme, Holden, is coping with tragic loss, as all of us do in our lives. Every bit he wanders aimlessly around the city, he struggles to programme his next life move, but finds happiness in pocket-size joys, such as his potent bond with his sister.

Alma E, Twitter

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

Nosotros said: Alice is a no-nonsense, quick-witted and daring – we could all learn a lesson or two from the resourceful young daughter in Lewis Carroll's tale packed with a troupe of unforgettable characters. A dizzying story full of riddles, puns and wordplay, at over 150 years old information technology features a heroine style ahead of her fourth dimension.

You said: Nosotros should all go lost downwardly a rabbit pigsty every once in a while and come out believing in half dozen incommunicable things earlier breakfast #whyisaravenlikeawritingdesk

Lauren D, Twitter

43. The Manufacturing plant on the Floss by George Eliot (1860)

We said:Maggie Tulliver is passionate, impulsive and intelligence but her desires disharmonism against her family unit'south expectations and result in painful consequences. Eliot drew on the frustrations of her own rural upbringing to write i of her most powerful and moving novels.

Y'all said: One classic everyone must read:The Mill on the Floss past George Eliot. A beautifully told story of an intelligent girl who yearns for more than than society allows.

Jess, Twitter

44. Barchester Towers past Anthony Trollope (1857)

We said: The 2nd novel in Anthony Trollope's series known as the 'Chronicles of Barsetshire', opens as the Bishop of Barchester lies on his deathbed; before long the battle for power amongst the boondocks'south key players will commence. Told with plenty of wisdom and wit.

You said: This book has tremendous characters and a plot which sucks yous into such a dissimilar world, about which you find yourself caring desperately.

Hilary S, Twitter

45. Another Country by James Baldwin (1962)

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

Yous said: This is a book that shows how everyone tin can live and honey together, passionately, dangerously, with exquisite music.  I'll never forget the thrill of offset reading it.

Jon A, Twitter

46. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (1862)

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

You said: A beautiful story of the power of redemption and a skilful center along with a backdrop of the socio-economic iniquities of 19th century France. Beautifully written, it tugs the heartstrings.

Gary G, Twitter

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

We said: Filled with all the sweet treats from your wildest dreams (and proving that prissy 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 of the Tv all 24-hour interval. 'It rots the senses in the head!'

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

Isanne 5, Twitter

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

We said: A coming-of-historic period tale of teenage rebellion, set in a winner-takes-all world of drive-ins, elevate races and switchblades. It created an anti-hero from the wrong side of the grade divide – all written when S. E. Hinton was just 17. 'Stay aureate Ponyboy… stay gold'.

Y'all said: The original YA novel, which sparked many crushes and made me fall 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 accept you feeling all the emotions – and a prime example of the sometime adage that revenge is a dish best served cold.

You said: The best classic tale! A story of innocence, romance, betrayal, suffering, revenge and more importantly, Man's triumph over all life throws at him.

Hayati Y, Twitter

fifty. Ulysses by James Joyce (1922)

Nosotros said: Having survived censorship, controversy and even legal action, James Joyce'due south near famous novel is renowned for its use of inner monologue and stream-of-consciousness technique. Whether it'southward the greatest novel of the 20th century, or the almost unreadable, is up for contend.

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

Pqxzyvr, Twitter

51. East of Eden by John Steinbeck (1952)

Nosotros said: Mostly set in California, John Steinbeck's almost ambitious novel follows two families and their interwoven stories. The writer himself said, 'It has everything in it I have been able to larn nearly my craft or profession in all these years.'

They said: Brilliant writing, epic family saga, drills deep into human nature and how nosotros think, feel and act toward one another. My all-time favourite novel.

Naomi One thousand, Facebook

52. The Brothers Karamazov past Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1880)

We said: Two years in the making, this philosophical novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky questions big topics like faith, free will and morality only information technology'due south also a very readable one that's function murder mystery, part courtroom drama.

Yous said: A delineation of the darkest recesses of human nature. Only also of the brightest ones…

Luca C, Facebook

53. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (1955)

We said: Quite merely some of the finest writing ever 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 atrocious grapheme and lets you lot curlicue around in the gorgeous give-and-take-play as the story unfurls.

Lesley Fifty, Facebook

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

Nosotros said: Frances Hodgson Burnett'due south book will awaken the marvel of whatever reader, no thing their age. There'southward something and so completely irresistible about subconscious doors, mysterious noises and secret hiding places. Just this is more than than a story of adventures and gardening, at its heart, The Secret Garden promises that with fourth dimension and plenty of nurturing, we tin can all blossom.

You said: I will never forget reading this book every bit a child. I felt I was in the centre of the story.

Ulrika F, Facebook

55. Scoop past Evelyn Waugh (1938)

Nosotros said: Partly based on Evelyn Waugh's personal experiences, Scoop is a satirical accept on the lengths reporters – and newspaper magnates – volition go to for a story. With modern exposés on hacking scandals and the similar, Scoop feels every bit relevant as ever.

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

Guy V, Facebook

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

Nosotros said: After xviii years in the Bastille, Dr Manette is released and sent to live in Britain with a daughter he'south never met. Split betwixt Paris and London, A Tale of Two Cities is a mammoth story set during the brutal years of the French Revolution.

You said: Sitting solitary at 16 years old after the family unit had gone to bed,  tears streamed downwards my cheeks as I finished this novel.

Pat C, Facebook

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

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

Y'all said: I have read this book and so many times and laugh out loud every time. I take a Penguin Archetype copy of it that's falling apart but I wouldn't part with it for the globe

Emma H, Facebook

58. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (1878)

Nosotros said: Anna Karenina is a woman who seems to have information technology all. She's married, she's wealthy, she'due south well-liked – just 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 it'southward a very readable ane.

You said: But the best in-depth characterisation of all time. Tolstoy'southward psychological insights have never been beaten.

Chris W, Facebook

59. The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni (1827)

We said: Alessandro Manzoni's novel takes is the story of two young lovers trying to exist together, set against a wider backdrop of 17th-century Italian life. The Matrimonial is considered by many to be the greatest novel ever written in Italian.

You said: This volume is on the verge of existence forgotten past casual readers, but it'south 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)

We said: Immense yourself in the dazzling latitude of Virginia Woolf's imagination in this brusk just 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 exist a woman? Woolf's modernist novel is then fresh even 90 or so years afterward. Gender fluidity before the term was even coined. And a history of literature as a backdrop.

Antonia 1000, Facebook

61.Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (1957)

We said: Step into the dystopian United states of america and follow the saga of Dagny Taggart and Hank Rearden as they effort to bring their Transcontinental railroad into beingness, and uncover the secrets of a shadowy figure chosen John Galt along the way.

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

Deanna H, Facebook

62. The Time Machine by H. Grand. Wells (1895)

We said: When a scientist and inventor creates a time automobile, he travels to the afar future to see what'southward in shop for humanity. H. G. Wells' novel is the volume that popularised time travel, but read deeper and it's also a metaphor for the fractured order that we still live in today.

You said: A story of knowledge, educational activity, and imagining a future.

Gultekin Southward, Facebook

63. The Fine art of War by Sun-Tzu

Nosotros said: Sun-Tzu, author of the world'due south oldest guide to military strategy, recognised that we live in a conflicted world. The layperson might non exist involved in warfare simply the communication inside is but every bit useful for navigating the workplace or daily life.

You said: This should be chosen the footling book of common sense. It makes everything easier to understand.

Darren G, Facebook

64. The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy (1922)

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

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

Hildegard S, Facebook

65. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck (1962)

Nosotros said: Almost 60 years later Travels with Charley still proves an heart-opening insight into a land that'south and 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 mural that's no less disparate today.

Yous said: One of the truthful starting time 'route' books – a search for the spirit of the ordinary American people.

Edith South, Facebook

66. Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller (1934)

Nosotros said: It was banned in the US and the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland for thirty years for beingness as well 'pornographic,' and undoubtedly at that place are smutty moments, just Henry Miller uses this to annotate on the human condition. Told from a diverseness of get-go-person characters in 1930s Paris – including Miller's own experiences as a struggling writer – the common thread between each grapheme is their sexual encounters.

You said: Loud, funny, sexual Paris in the 1930s. I read it when I was 20, and it changed the way I look at the world.

Brendan P, Facebook

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

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

You said: This is Lawrence at his all-time… 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 last novel, Staying On – which won the Booker Prize in 1977 – gives the states a unique insight into life just afterwards the stop of the British rule in India.

Y'all said: A funny, tragic, beautifully written study of an English colonial married couple left behind as an independent India moves ahead.

Catherine B, Facebook

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

We said:What began as a series of letters to Kenneth Grahame's sickly son evolved into one of England'southward nearly dearest children's books. A whimsical foray through the Berkshire countryside, the esprit betwixt Ratty, Badger, Mole and Mr Toad nevertheless embodies traditional British eccentricities to a tee.

Yous said: You can enjoy this book at whatsoever age – and it's beautifully written.

Vicky A, Facebook

seventy. My Ántonia past Willa Cather (1918)

We said: The novel tells the story of Jim Brunt, an orphan boy and Ántonia Shimerda who are brought as children to be pioneers in Nebraska in the late 19th century. This is Willa Cather'southward final volume in the Dandy Plains trilogy and was praised for bringing the American W to life.

Yous said: Quite just, a beautifully written volume.

Carolyn R, Facebook

71. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (1847)

Nosotros said: Controversial at the time of publication, Emily Brontë'due south archetype honey story between Catherine and Heathcliff all the same 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 volition continue to do and then.

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 French republic, one man'southward greatest passion and gift leads him down a path of sensual depravity. After discovering he has no olfactory property of his own – despite having a remarkable sense of aroma – Jean-Baptiste Grenouille trains in the art of perfume-making then he tin can create the ultimate scent – one that is made from 25 immature virgin girls.

You lot said: A story of suspense and love, with beautiful narration.

Ivy Due west, 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 lot 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)

Nosotros said: Considered as Somerset Maugham's most autobiographical of his piece of work, the author stated, 'This is a novel, not an autobiography, though much in it is autobiographical, more than is pure invention.' Regardless, the story of Philip Carey, a man with ambitions who falls in beloved with a loud but irresistible waitress is considered 1 of his finest books.

You said: A compelling story of unreciprocated beloved.

Rajan D, Facebook

75. Dour Business firm past Charles Dickens (1853)

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

You said: An amazing story, with then many twists and turns

Jane E, Facebook

76. Lost Illusions by Honoré de Balzac (1837)

We said: Would-exist poet Lucien Chardon moves from the French Provinces to the glamorous boyfriend monde of Paris where he rapidly discovers a world far more unsafe than he e'er imagined. Honoré de Balzac paints a vivid and cruel film of the hypocrisy and moral history of his times.

You lot said: A magnificent story almost human nature, ambition and society (in any century).

Isabel K, Facebook

77. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut (1973)

We said: Part comedy, role searing satire, nosotros're taken to the Midwest to follow Vonnegut's ageing writer Kilgore Trout on an absurd narrative. You lot may love it, you lot may not go the point. Either way, you'll find it hard not to express mirth.

Y'all said: Reading this blend of surrealism, sci-fi and other genres made me realise that sometimes, fiction can exist more powerful than existent-life stories!

Kleber L, Facebook

78. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (1843)

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

You said: A masterpiece. The ultimate story of hope and redemption.

Sergeant_Tibbs, Twitter

79. Silas Marner by George Eliot (1861)

We said: Silas Marner was Eliot's favourite of her novels. It tells the story of an isolated miser, who is given a 2nd risk to transform his life when he adopts a young orphaned child. With themes of religion, industrialisation and customs, the book also provides us with a glimpse of a vanished rural earth.

Yous said: Redemption and honey. Beautifully written

Rhiannon C, Facebook

fourscore. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (1925)

We said: I of literature's most famous parties - this groundbreaking postmodernist novel centres around Clarria Dalloway'southward preparations for a party she'south hosting, exploring themes of mental health, modernity and fourth dimension.

Y'all said: A reminder that no life is likewise minor.

Marianna S, Facebook

81. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1868)

We said: In Picayune Women, Louisa May Alcott prepare out to write a book in which girls would encounter them themselves accurately reflected. The March sisters, with their 4 very different personalities and ambitions, accurately embody both the challenges of growing up and the irreplaceable bond of sisterhood.

Y'all said: A story of growing up and changing and the world set around a grouping of young girls. This book is as timeless every bit information technology is cute.

Luke E, Twitter

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

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

You said: This book left me speechless, while reading and after reading and I still tin't find the words to describe why it 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's book and 1972 film accommodation became global phenomena with this searing portrayal of New York's Mafia underworld. A powerful story of tradition, blood, honour and of form, family unit allegiance.

You said: This novel teaches the reader well-nigh the strengths and failures of human nature.

Louisa J, Twitter

84. The Castle by Franz Kafka (1926)

We said:Taking the discussion 'Kafkaesque' to new levels, The Castle is a nightmarish reach into an autocratic earth. Bamboozling from starting time to the very unfinished end (the novel ends mid-sentence), this is Franz Kafka's finest commentary on oppression and bureaucracy.

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

Arnold F, Twitter

85. I, Claudius by Robert Graves (1934)

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

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

Ian M, Twitter

86. Peter Pan past 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. Yard. Barrie's tale of the boy who could never abound up brought magic to bedtimes everywhere. From the Lost Boys to fearsome pirates, the enchanting take a chance of Peter Pan has, both literally and metaphorically, never grown quondam.

You said: A book that reminds anybody 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 serial 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'.

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

Sharon, Twitter

88. The Razor'due south Edge past W. Somerset Maugham (1944)

You said: Featuring Maugham himself as a character and adapted twice for the big screen, The Razor'south Edge tells the story of an American pilot trying to adjust dorsum to normal life post-obit the First World War. It'due south a gruelling look at the devastating furnishings of post-war trauma, and a philosophical journey to find meaning in life.

You said: A profound story of one human being's journey to find himself.

Holden M, Twitter

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

You said: Many will think the recent BBC series of the same name; Lark Rise to Candleford is author Flora Thompson'south semi-autobiographical recollections of her youth and growing upward in Oxfordshire, and paints a delightful portrait of country life at the terminate of the 19th century.

You said: Perhaps a little bit out of left field, simply I dearest this book. It's simple, it's beautifully written and it's all nigh capturing a vanishing mode of life as countryside farming turns to Victorian towns... really eloquent, really moving!

Vicky, Twitter

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

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

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

Linda M, Twitter

91. A Portrait of the Artist as a Fellow past James Joyce (1916)

We said: A Portrait of the Artist every bit a Fellow was James Joyce'south first novel and details the young artist discovering his vocalism, craft and identity through his literary alter ego, Stephen Dedalus. There are echoes of his techniques here before they are refined in his later works such as Ulysses and Finnegans Wake.

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

Donald One thousand, Twitter

92. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (1902)

We said: JosephConrad'southward novella has been accounted past many as a 'difficult read', merely this enigmatic and atmospheric slice 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 fourth dimension subsequently.

You said: What an astonishing piece of writing from someone who had to larn the language showtime...

Tracey 50, Twitter

93. Due north and South past Elizabeth Gaskell (1854)

We 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 lot said: This novel combines a beautiful dearest story and discussion of important economic and social bug of its time.

Alina, Twitter

94. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (1985)

We said: 'When it start came out it was viewed equally beingness far-fetched,' said Margaret Atwood in 2017. The continued regression of abortion laws and women'due south rights across the world has but made Atwood's dystopian all the more than pertinent; and ensuring the volume – and TV show'due south – place in history equally a lynchpin of the feminist resistance.

Y'all said: I chose this book because it gives a feminist perspective on the earth. Also, Atwood uses events from history to create the story, which I find 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 near life and expiry in occupied French republic, and finding dearest and hope in the most unexpected of places.

Y'all said: This is my favourite volume. It is an extremely moving account of the kinds of things that really happened in Nazi-occupied France during the Second Earth State of war. It presents the dilemmas, fears and choices that were felt and had to be fabricated by ordinary people.

Jim H, Twitter

96. One Twenty-four hour period in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn (1962)

We said: This securely personal and unforgettable account of a day in the life at a Soviet labour army camp in the 1950s is highly considered to be 1 of the greats of contemporary literature.

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

Brian T, Twitter

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

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

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

Declan C, Twitter

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

Nosotros said: Anyone looking for an introduction to philosophy need wait no further. It's 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)

Nosotros said: 1 of Fyodor Dostoyevsky'south underrated works, this short story is divided into six sections. With themes of loneliness and unrequited beloved told by a nameless narrator – information technology'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 earth driven by fact.

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

Angela, Twitter

What's your favourite archetype read? Let us know at @penguinukbooks.

Books ranked in no particular order. Some answers have been edited for clarity and manner.

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

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