Classics

A classic stands the test of time. The work is usually considered to be a representation of the period in which it was written; and the work merits lasting recognition. In other words, if the book was published in the recent past, the work is not a classic.

A classic has a certain universal appeal. Great works of literature touch us to our very core beings--partly because they integrate themes that are understood by readers from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of experience. Themes of love, hate, death, life, and faith touch upon some of our most basic emotional responses.

Although the
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1984
The Great Gatsby
Pride and Prejudice
Wuthering Heights
The Diary of a Young Girl
Fahrenheit 451
The Little Prince
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
Lord of the Flies
The Catcher in the Rye
The Metamorphosis
The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)
The Kite Runner
Frankenstein: The 1818 Text
Romeo and Juliet
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  • Pride and Prejudice
    The Great Gatsby
    To Kill a Mockingbird
    Jane Eyre
    1984
    Wuthering Heights
    Animal Farm
    The Picture of Dorian Gray
    Frankenstein: The 1818 Text
    Little Women (Little Women, #1)
    The Catcher in the Rye
    Lord of the Flies
    Of Mice and Men
    Emma
    Sense and Sensibility
    The Fault in Our Stars by John GreenDivergent by Veronica RothAllegiant by Veronica RothInsurgent by Veronica RothThe Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
    What we've read so far in...2014
    9,405 books — 2,065 voters
    A Story of Yesterday by Sergio CoboTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeSheever's Journal, Diary of a Poison Master by K.  RitzThe Help by Kathryn StockettThe Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
    All-Time Awesome Books
    12,270 books — 7,936 voters

    Pride and Prejudice by Jane AustenJane Eyre by Charlotte BrontëThe Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar WildeWuthering Heights by Emily BrontëCrime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
    Best Books of the 19th Century
    1,711 books — 6,883 voters
    To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeePride and Prejudice by Jane Austen1984 by George OrwellThe Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. TolkienThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
    1,318 books — 5,852 voters

    1984 by George OrwellThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. SalingerAnimal Farm by George OrwellFahrenheit 451 by Ray BradburyThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    Cult Classics
    1,568 books — 2,119 voters
    Pride and Prejudice by Jane AustenOutlander by Diana GabaldonJane Eyre by Charlotte BrontëGone with the Wind by Margaret MitchellSense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
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    702 books — 1,403 voters


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