Did you know that Good Books for Catholic Kids started because I tried to find something like it online, and couldn’t? The Holy Spirit whispered, “Well, then write it.”
Lately, I was searching for lists along the lines of “100 Classic Books to Read Before You Die” and “50 Greatest Books of All Time.” I couldn’t find anything I actually agreed with, and again I heard, “Well, then write it.”
To explain why I cringed: as I write this I’m trying to homeschool four kids, my husband works 16 hours a day as we try to build our family business, and we’re moving in a month. So, just a little overwhelmed here. But you don’t say no to the Holy Spirit, so I sat down and came up with more like 185 books I thought everyone should read before they die. This is not necessarily a list of my favorite books, but a list of the “greats” in literature, at least in my humble opinion.
I decided to focus on fiction. In broad strokes, I broke my list down into American Classics, British Classics, Classics from Other Nations, Modern Classics and Children’s Classics. The Children’s Classics are there in case you are reclaiming the ruins of your education and may have missed some of the great building blocks that bring riches to your reading of later classics. The Modern Classics have living authors so they’re my guess at books which will outlast their writers. To be crystal clear, this list is for ADULTS and I definitely do not recommend all these books for children or even teenagers. Since this list is for adults I did not indicate moderate language, violence, or moderate sexual content.
This list is for all the women who have told me: I love your children’s lists but I need more ideas of what to read!
This page contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that I may receive a small fee if you buy through my link at no additional cost to you.
British Classics
Till We Have Faces is one of the greatest novels ever written. C. S. Lewis’s fiction is nothing short of brilliant at its worst, and Till We Have Faces is Lewis at his strongest. In this multilayered retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth, Lewis crafts a story about sight and blindness, love and hatred, and lies and truth. Lewis describes Till We Have Faces as his greatest book.
The Great Divorce is an allegory about a journey from Hell to Heaven. If this sounds like Dante, it’s because this is Lewis transposing Dante into modern language. Short but deeply thought-provoking.
Lewis’ Space Trilogy is out of this world! Drawing deeply on Medieval Cosmology, Lewis writes a short travel quest in Out of the Silent Planet. In Perelandra, he reimagines a new Eden and temptation scenario on a new planet with a man and a demon fighing to influence the future of a new world. And That Hideous Strength is a ominously prescient dystopia that predicts transhumanism decades before anyone thought that was possible.
From Paris to London and back again, A Tale of Two Cities is both unusual in Dickens’ canon and my favorite of his novels. This French Revolution era historical fiction novel follows the intertwining fates of political prisoners Dr. Manette, his daughter, and her two suitors. Sydney Carton is still a byword in the English world for his example of selfless love.
Oliver Twist is another oft-referenced Charles Dickens novel. In true Dickens fashion, it deals with an orphan, London slums, a rough life, dark times, and moments of grace through personal kindness. Oliver Twist, Fagin, Bill Sykes, and The Artful Dodger are all frequently referenced characters in English literature.
In Great Expectations, Dickens again writes about an orphan with no prospects, but Pip’s life changes for the better unexpectedly when receives a mysterious bequest. Dickens creates a great sense for mystery and a twisty interwoven plot.
David Copperfield is Dickens’ semi-autobiographical novel. It’s very long, but memorable, presenting characters such as the Micawbers and Uriah Heep that have achieved a fame outside of their proper proportion in this story. I read this one as a high schooler and it made me love Dickens.
Bleak House is Dickens’ scathing condemnation of the court system, and perhaps bloated bureaucracy in general. In this novel, he very clearly shows his view that the solution to poverty and misery isn’t to be found in societies, bureaucracies, or government. His heroine Esther illustrates that helping the unfortunate must be personal and small to be truly helpful. In addition to a ton of social commentary, Bleak House has a murder, a mystery, and a startling case of spontaneous combustion.
I’m making myself stop on Dickens because I’ve already listed about 3500 pages worth of reading just by him.
Jane Austen. All of Jane Austen, of course. If I must pick a top three, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Mansfield Park.
J . R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy is a modern day epic and a timely tale for our world that can seem overshadowed by a dark overruling power. One of the greatest works of the twentieth century.
G. K. Chesterton’s fiction soars on the winds of his fertile imagination. I loved The Man Who Was Thursday immediately because it’s Job meets detective story, but not everyone has the same reaction. I highly recommend buying the Ignatius press edition for its commentary and appendixes to really grasp this hilarious and thought-provoking nightmare.
Manalive is a fictional version of parts of The Everlasting Man in theme. An intruder bounces over the wall of a drab London boarding house and chaos and joy ensue. Mystery, a mock trial, and marriage all whirl through this topsy-turvy cyclone of a story. Its my favorite Chesterton story.
My third Chesterton must-read are the Father Brown Stories. The humble yet insightful Father Brown solves mysteries through his deep knowledge of human nature.
George Eliot writes about everyday people in The Mill on the Floss: their mistakes, their loves, their losses. The Tulliver brother and sister come of age in this novel. Level headed Tom turns his back on his sister Maggie when her high spirits lead her into a compromising situation. This was really a lovely book despite being a tear-jerker.
Middlemarch is George Eliot’s masterpiece. She outlines the tensions and dramas of a small English town on the cusp do the Industrial Revolution, weaving together the stories of residents from all ranks into a living tapestry.
One more George Eliot top pick here. Silas Marner is a shorter Eliot novel that follows the fate of an unjustly accused weaver. Theme of sin and redemption.
One of my very favorite novels, Brideshead Revisited is Evelyn Waugh’s masterpiece. Multilayered and defying easy definition, this is the unforgettable story of a house, a family of struggling Catholics, and the conversion of Charles Ryder.
Decline and Fall is a satirical novel about British society, education, the church, and aristocracy. Waugh’s satire is not to everyone’s taste, but I find it hilarious and insightful.
In his World War II trilogy Sword of Honor, Waugh brings his keen sense of the ridiculous to bear on the inevitable inefficiencies of a large bureaucracy. But besides being brilliant satire, this trilogy is actually a worthwhile war novel and has a subtle Catholic tinge.
I find Thomas Hardy one of the more readable Victorian novelists. The Mayor of Casterbridge is short by Victorian standards and moves fast, following the aftermath of a dramatic opening where a drunkard auctions off his wife and child. Really, it is short. Only like 300 pages.
Far From the Madding Crowd is known as Thomas Hardy’s pastoral novel. His heroine Bathsheeba Everdene is sought after by three men from different classes and professions: a wealthy landowner, a soldier, and a shepherd/farmer. Hardy follows her story for years as she learns to curb her impulses as she searches for lasting love and happiness.
Vanity Fair by Thackeray is one of those oft-referenced but seldom read works of English literature. I found it surprisingly readable despite its intimidating length. Thackeray was delivering social commentary through his novel that is still applicable in parts today. and the characters, well- we all know manipulative charmer like Becky Sharpe. And an unhappy good girl like Amelia.
Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre is so well known I really don’t need to give a commentary!
Wuthering Heights gets painted as more of a scandalous romance than it is. It’s really more of a story about mistakes, revenge, forgiveness, and consequences. The atmosphere of the moors and desolation fits the spiritual desolation of the characters like a glove.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is another book that gets an unfair reputation for scandal when in actuality it’s a deeply moral tale. Helen, a wife fleeing domestic violence, tries to hide her circumstances from the locals to avoid criticism. Perhaps a story ahead of its time. Told very cleverly through various perspectives.
Confession: I have not read every single Shakespeare play. But I’m close! If I were to select a top five to list, they’d be: Macbeth, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Tempest, and King Lear. Honorable mention to Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew, and The Merchant of Venice. The Folger editions have a really helpful layout if you’re not a Shakespeare scholar with side by side notes and text.
Everyone should read at least one Agatha Chrstie mystery. If you’re hooked by Murder on the Orient Express, then check out my post on Agatha Christie books.
Dorothy Sayers is the other “great” of the Golden Age of detective fiction. Gaudy Night is often called her greatest mystery. But it’s more than a mystery. It’s romance, a commentary on marriage, a social commentary, educational insights, and of course, also a thoroughly good mystery. Cautionary note: you may end up caught by Sayers’s memorable characters and want to read the whole series.
Whether or not you agree with William Golding’s hopeless view of human nature unchecked in Lord of the Flies, it’s a classic worth reading and mulling over.
Wilkie Collins is one of my favorite Victorian novelists. His unique shifting first person narrator style keeps his novels fresh and intriguing. Woman in White is a combination of mystery, thriller, and horror story.
Wilkie Collins’s The Moonstone is generally awarded the title of First True Detective Novel. Told like a police file with contributions from the detective, letters, and reports, this novel keeps your attention from page one.
Gulliver’s Travels is a satirical version of the popular travel memoir of Swift’s time. Such a classic that everyone recognizes the name Gulliver.
I am a HUGE Wodehouse fan. You have to be in the mood for a light-hearted romp and British humor, but then nothing matches him. His diction. His understated humor. His characters. His aunts. The Most of P. G. Wodehouse is a collection of his short stories and a good introduction to his style.
This collection of six of the best Wodehouse novels is pretty spot-on in showcasing Wodehouse at his zaniest and best. You get three Jeeves and Wooster (The Inimitable Jeeves, Joy in the Morning, and the Code of the Woosters)along with two of the best Blandings novels (Something Fresh and Blandings Castle) and the hilarious Uncle Fred in Springtime.
Leave it to Psmith is my absolute favorite Wodehouse novel. But don’t read it first. You have to read the Blandings books first. Then the Psmith books. And then you get the epic comic collision of two great casts of characters in Leave it to Psmith.
George Orwell’s 1984 is not a pleasant, uplifting, or hopeful book. In fact, I rather hate it. But, I do think you should read it too even if you thoroughly dislike it. It’s a warning. A canary in the coal mine. It feels terribly timely.
Scottish-born Muriel Sparks combines a dark sense of humor with a sparse style that captures the post-war spirit of chaos and carepe diem well. Yet she herself was a Catholic convert and often includes subtle nods to her faith in her books. Memento Mori is one of her best works, about a group of elderly friends who begin to receive spooky telephone calls reminding them that they must die. Other Sparks favorites are The Prime of Miss Jean Bodie, The Bachelors, and The Hothouse by the East River (had to stay up half the night to finish that one). In tone, Muriel Sparks is often compared to Evelyn Waugh, her fellow post-war author.
James Herriot’s heart-warming stories about his life as a Yorkshire vet are true classic quality. Herriot’s favorite author was P. G. Wodehouse, and you can see that influence in the touch of humor he brings to his animal adventures and misadventures in All Creatures Great and Small.
Robinson Crusoe by Defoe is one of those classics that is frequently referenced in other classics. The original great castaway on a desert island scenario, what you won’t see unless you read it is the Christian worldview that kept Crusoe from despair.
Howard’s End by E. M. Forster is a deeply symbolic story that follows the intertwining lives of three families in Edwardian England.
Frankenstein is more than a horror novel; it’s a cautionary tale about the fallout of science leading men to believe they are God.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is another cautionary tale about science, but also a cautionary tale about greed and presumption. Dr. Jekyll he can “have it all” by dividing himself into the angelic Jekyll and the brutal Hyde.
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier is a brilliantly told psychological thriller.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is an oft-maligned story. You have to read it as a cautionary tale, and actually read the whole book rather than a synopsis. Then you realize this classic is drawing out the unfortunate consequences of sinful decisions.
Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is a simply hilarious situational comedy of mistaken identities, misunderstandings, and romance.
Ivanhoe is the classic tale of the age of King Richard the Lionheart. Beautiful Rowena and Rebecca, dark Sir Brian de Bois, and even Robin Hood and his merry men feature in this novel from the age of chivalry. Note that in my opinion, Scott’s language takes some adapting to as a twenty-first century reader. Once you get used to his prose, it’s a fine story but it takes an adjustment.
Rob Roy is Sir Walter Scott’s other great classic work. I actually like this story of a Scottish Robin Hood type figure more than Ivanhoe. However, fair warning that the Scottish dialect sections takes an ear for dialect or some notes. This version I’m linking does have notes to help.
Pygmalion is Shaw’s famous play that inspired My Fair Lady. Short and easy to read, this is social commentary buried in fiction. Higgins sets out to transform Eliza and is transformed himself.
In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle gives us not only a thoroughly intriguing mystery but a extremely well-crafted novel that breathes an atmosphere of suspense and horror.
Beowulf is the foundational English epic poem that deeply influenced Tolkien among others. Beowulf’s battle with the dread monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and finally a dragon to protect the people of Denmark and England is translated into modern English in this text.
Elizabeth Gaskell’s delightful Cranford stories paint a vivid picture of village life. Amusing, short, and easy to read Victorian novel.
Gaskell’s North & South is a longer, but equally readable Victorian novel about love, social tensions, and the evolution of England during the Industrial Revolution. Really love this one.
Rudyard Kipling’s Kim is atmosphere-laden novel of a young street orphan in India during British colonization.
When spoiled millionaire’s son Harvey is washed overboard and rescued by Portuguese fishermen, he receives a rude awakening. Captains Courageous is a classic coming of age novel about hard work, self respect, and friendship.
Paradise Lost by John Milton is a foundational text for Western literature. It also is a challenging text, so paying for the Norton edition may be worth it. Sweeping and dramatic and unforgettable, once you’ve read it you’ll find Paradise Lost references everywhere.
The Canterbury Tales is another keystone in Western literature.
Yet another foundational text for the western canon, John Bunyan’s classic allegory Pilgrim’s Progress is more readable in this Norton Critical Edition with notes.
A Man for All Seasons is a short but thought-provoking play about a pivotal moment in the life of Saint Thomas More.
H. G. Wells wrote some of the first SciFi novels. War of the Worlds is one of his best-known classics. A compelling and quick-moving first person narrative with an unexpectedly happy ending.
In her twentieth century classic I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith creates a memorable coming of age novel about a teenager from an impoverished English aristocratic family.
My Family and Other Animals is one part natural history about Corfu, one part humorous situational comedy about a zany English family, and one part travel memoir. And also, it’s completely charming and readable.
Lark Rise to Candleford is a detailed account of life in a poor 1880 era family. It follows the girlhood and youth of Laura, whose agricultural life is the perfect backdrop to learn about the food, housing, work, and festivals of the era. This is a peaceful trilogy with lovely writing.
Rumer Godden’s Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy is one of the most beautiful novels about sin and redemption ever written. Read my full review here.
Captain Blood is a fun classic. It’s the story of an unlikely pirate: a British doctor who tumbles onto this unlikely career path after being unjustly sent into penal servitude.
The Prisoner of Zenda is another fun, easy to read, swashbuckling classic. I have a full review here.
The original spy thriller, John Buchanan’s The Thirty-Nine Steps is a suspenseful chase across England with the future of a nation at stake. It’s fast-paced and short.
American Classics
East of Eden is one of my favorite American novels. Top three for sure. Steinbeck’s multi-generational saga is rife with Biblical themes and philosophy. My book club was blown away by the depths of this American masterpiece. The story goes Steinbeck delivered the manuscript to the publisher in a hand carved wooden box. This is the acme of his work. Tragic with moments of humor and a plenitude of characters that stick with you, you don’t forget this story. My favorite theme is the question of free will. One of the more graphic books on this list though, with a brothel and prostitute as major parts of the story.
Steinbeck’s The Pearl is my other favorite among his books. Incomparably shorter, this novella follows the metamorphosis of a simple, poor diver who discovers a valuable pearl. Surely this wealth will bring happiness to him and his wife and newborn son? A difficult but thought-provoking story. Don’t read postpartum.
I don’t actually enjoy reading Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. But. It’s one of those difficult stories that sticks with you and you end up telling someone else to read so you can talk it out together. Two day laborers in California dream of a better life. But when a tragic accident occurs how can the smart one care for the simple one?
Gone With the Wind is brilliant. A top five American literature list book for me, and one of my overall favorites up their with my beloved British authors. Why brilliant? It’s layered. You can read it for the romance (steamy). Or the historical accuracy (impressive). Or on a religious level. Or as a story of cast in the South. Or as an analogy. Or as a blind-to-sight journey of the soul. Or, you can just enjoy it as an amazing written piece of literature.
I love Willa Cather’s simple, lyrical style and evident love for the plains. My Antonia is one of her greatest novels that exemplify the pioneering spirit. Her other Plains trilogy novels are also excellent: O Pioneers! and Song of the Lark.
Death Comes for the Archbishop is another beautiful Willa Cather novel. Set in New Mexico, this book tells the story of a different sort of pioneer. Father Jean Latour is assigned as Apostolic Vicar to a huge and nearly undeveloped area of New Mexico. He is a pioneer of the Catholic faith to his sizable and delinquent diocese. A moving story of a quiet and holy man.
Edna Ferber’s masterwork So Big tells Selina Peake’s memorable story. A young school teacher with high hopes marries a simple truck farmer. After his death, she takes on running the farm single-handedly and makes a success of it. But she wants better for her son Dirk and sends him off to the university to give him a chance at a better life. Lots of food for thought about education, entrepreneurship, and more. Also just a really well-told story.
The Great Gatsby makes all the top 100 novel lists with reason: it’s a suspenseful story told with a noteworthy economy of expression. It’s not a pretty story. Midwestern outsider Nick watches the figurative train crash of multiple adulterous affairs among the wealthy of New York. Jay Gatsby’s mysterious riches and restlessness haunts the reader as author Fitzgerald brings the Jazz age to life. Jay’s on a quest to regain his lost love Daisy, who’s married. Narrator Nick watches with horrified fascination as inevitably tragedy results.
The Magnificent Ambersons is a mult-generational story of the declining fortunes of a family of American aristocrats in Indianapolis. The changing city and society through the Gilded Age and Industrial Revolution is played out through the fortunes of this one family. Tarkington is an underrated American author in my opinion and this book won him a Pulitzer.
If you missed reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn growing up, be sure and read them as an adult. These American boyhood classics by Mark Twain are still hilarious for adults and paint a memorable picture of small town Missouri life.
Another Mark Twain classic, The Prince and the Pauper, is a great situational comedy meets social commentary style book. A beggar child and the crown prince share an eerie resemblance. A case of mistaken identity leads to the complete upheaval of both their lives.
In her Pulitzer winning novel The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton brings the Gilded Age’s high society in New York to life. But all that glitters isn’t gold. Newland Archer struggles to decide whether to stick with his fiancee, a girl of wealth and social standing, or pursue her cousin, poor and carrying an air of scandal. Conscience, love, and honor are all major themes here.
Another Pulitzer winner, To Kill A Mockingbird is Harper Lee’s powerful story of sweet Scout, who watches her father Atticus take a stand by defending a black man. Race relations, prejudice, honor, integrity are all parts of this book. And Scout and Atticus are two of the most memorable characters in American literature.
Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is American literature’s first major dystopian novel. In the tradition of 1984 and Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451 imagines a future world under authoritarian control. What appeals to me about Bradbury’s dsytopia is the focus on the power of literature. Books are ruthlessly sought and burned by the “firefighters” because books have the power to reawaken the imagination. But what happens when one fireman starts to question the status quo? When he hides a book and dares to read it? As you might guess, Fahrenheit 451 is my favorite dystopia.
Moby Dick is Herman Melville’s classic tale of the giant whale, Captain Ahab, and Ishmael the sailor. Melville’s novel is lengthy for an American classic. Themes of revenge and madness, sanity and redemption.
The Scarlet Letter is a New England tale of sin, punishment, and the havoc guilt wreaks on the soul. Hester is forced by the Puritan society to wear a red A to signify her adultery and is shunned by all. But is she better off than her fellow adulterer whose guilt is hidden in his heart?
The House of the Seven Gables is another insightful Hawthorne novel that captures New England atmosphere well. With themes about generational guilt and suffering, this dark book nevertheless offers hope to subsequent generations by a belief in the expiating power of love and goodness.
Disillusioned and restless, Holden Caulfield’s narrating voice springs out of the The Catcher in the Rye with a realism that catches the reader from the first page. Although Salinger’s book is classic quality, it isn’t a pleasant book. The teenage narrator is angry and crass and irreverent. Needs to be read as a cry from a searching soul.
A Farewell to Arms is one of the great novels to emerge from World War I. A truly eye-opening account of the horrors of war and its aftermath. Hemingway’s trademark terse writing style creates a unique nihilistic feeling that works well with a war novel.
Owen Wister’s The Virginian is a genre-defining masterpiece of a novel. Considered to be the first true Western, The Virginian‘s eponymous hero is a hardworking cowboy with chivalry, humor, and at bottom a good heart. This is an easy, enjoyable read.
True Grit is better known for the movie adaptation with John Wayne than the novel. But the novel is actually a gripping and memorable tale! It’s told by a strong teenage girl, Mattie, and I think her voice hasn’t received enough attention in American literature. Mattie is set on a quest to avenge her father’s death and doesn’t much care who she has to inconvenience or outmaneuver to get what she wants.
In stark contrast to True Grit, I present you with The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark. Read my full review here.
Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey is a classic western that to some extent transcends its genre by its portrayal of the social problems of the polygamy and patriarchy in fundamental Mormon circles. It’s also just a great story about love, loyalty, and good guy versus bad.
James Fenimore Cooper captured the breathtaking beauty of the untouched wilderness and the danger of frontier life like no one else. His Leatherstocking Tales feature Natty Bumppo and his Indian friends and used to be enjoyed as adventure stories. Unfortunately, they read as wordy and slow-paced to our modern minds. Two of my favorites are The Last of the Mohicans , set during the French and Indian Wars, nad Deerslayer, which is the first book in the series chronologically.
Sensitive, passionate, and gifted, Francie Nolan seems destined to rise beyond her dirt-poor beginnings. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is an American coming of age classic that shows a variety of family struggles, failures, and reconciliations.
Flannery O’Connor’s darkly humorous short stories garner a love-or-hate type of reaction from most people. But they’re classics and the product of a deeply Catholic imagination, so even if you hate them it’s worth reading them. I found this podcast on A Good Man is Hard to Find, perhaps O’Connor’s most famous story, very helpful in understanding her work.
When a bridge collapses and five travelers die, Brother Juniper is determined to make sense for what seems senseless tragedy. Like a forensic detective, he unearths the true stories of the victims in a bid to prove that Divine Providence was at work even in a natural disaster like a bridge collapse. The Bridge of San Luis Rey is another Pulitzer winner.
Giants in the Earth is a powerful story about Norwegian pioneers in the Midwest. Based on the recollections of his immigrant ancestors, Rolvaag writes a lyrical and readable account of pioneer life with blizzards, locusts, isolation and depression. I felt like I was reading Little House on the Prairie from Ma and Pa’s perspective.
What if you were the last priest in Mexico, knowing you were going to be shot if you were caught? What if you struggled with alcohol, and women, and your faith? Graham Greene sets up a seemingly impossible situation for his protagonist in The Power and the Glory. Yet somehow, through something or someone beyond himself, the “whiskey priest” remains true to his vocation.
The End of the Affair is Graham Greene’s absolutely brilliant story of how even sin can lead to God. Maurice’s hate-filled diatribe, his attempt to exorcise his love for his mistress, leads him unexpectedly but inexorably to hatred of a God he didn’t believe existed prior to his affair. Note that this book has more sexual content than most on this list and is not a “pleasant” read- nor is it supposed to be.
In his fascinating memoir Two Years Before the Mast, Richard Henry Dana describes in detail his life on a two year voyage from Boston, around Cape Horn, and up to California. Set in the early 1800’s, this is an unforgettable account.
Some of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories are classic-quality. The spooky and suspenseful Cask of Amontillado and The Masque of Red Death shouldn’t be missed.
O. Henry’s Short Stories are funny and atmosphere-laden. From New York City to the wild west, O. Henry captures the feel of America. Also, he’s the master of the twist at the end of a short story. My favorites are “Mammon and the Archer” and “The Ransom of Red Chief.”
Classics from Other Nations
Anna Karenina gets an unfair reputation as scandalous. In reality, Tolstoy’s timeless novel about adultery is a beautifully written cautionary tale. I find that Anna, though lengthy, to be a very readable Russian novel. Far more approachable for a toe-dip into Russian literature than Brothers K or War and Peace.
Crime and Punishment is the first Russian novel I ever read, and perhaps still my favorite. Raskolnikov’s gripping story of sin and redemption is also a fascinating psychological study. My Russian literature expert friend recommends this translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky as the most readable.
The Brothers Karamazov is a challenging novel to tackle, but so worth the time commitment! A murder trial, three brothers, existential questions, and mysticism make this book more exciting than most give it credit for. I was only disappointed to realize that Dostoyevsky died before he could write the sequel. That is my fair warning because you finish it and want the next volume!
An epileptic prince falls desperately in love with a mentally ill prostitute. Only in a Russian novel. The Idiot is another Dostoyevsky study of psychology, sin, class, redemption, and suffering. Fundamentally, Dostoyevsky is exploring what the world does to one who is fundamentally “like a child.”
One Day in the Life Of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn is the only Russian novel on this list that is not a tome heavy enough to use as a paperweight. This book tells the story of a prisoner in Siberia’s struggle to maintain dignity and humanity under terrible conditions.
The Count of Monte Cristo: another hefty volume but such an amazing, even-life changing experience. One of the greats of French literature that transcended translation to become an English classic too. Betrayal, prison, escape, treasure, revenge… forgiveness.
Gertrud Von Le Fort’s classic novella The Song at the Scaffold follows the fate of a convent of Carmelite nuns towards their inevitable fate: the guillotine. This story is based on true historical events, but told to explicate how God can work despite, or perhaps through, human weakness. This is a very short but deeply moving story.
I’ll admit to a low tolerance for poor writing. Just because it’s Catholic doesn’t make it worth reading to me if the writing doesn’t flow. But The Song of Bernadette is the story of a saint that reads like a novel. Gorgeous writing by Jewish author Franz Werfel brings Bernadette, her country, her time all to life.
The Betrothed is one of, or perhaps THE great historical novel of Italian literature. Long but worthwhile story of young lovers who flee persecution and endure many trials and separations as they seek marriage.
With so many praiseworthy translations of the Inferno, Purgatory and Paradise available, it’s hard to pick. Dorothy Sayers? I’m partial because a huge fan. There’s this neat comparison of a few cantos from Inferno by different translators on Exodus Books you can check out to see if one appeals. At the moment I’m partial to the new Anthony Esolen translation. He has great notes and extra perk: the Gustave Dore covers are gorgeous.
Kristin Lavransdatter is a favorite and one I always recommend as a top ten must-be-read book for women. It’s a brilliant description of everyday life in fourteenth century Norway. It’s a story of love and fall and loss. It’s a coming of age story. It’s a religious story, a cautionary tale, a touch of fairy tale. It’s deep in symbolism. Basically, it’s amazing. But read all three parts: The Bridal Wreath, The Wife, and The Cross.
I also highly recommend Undset’s other series such as Master of Hestviken and The Wild Orchid.
Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz’s novel Quo Vadis won a Nobel Prize for Literature. This historical fiction novel brings the days of the early Church and decline of Rome to life with its portrayal of the catacombs, persecution under Nero, confusion and chaos. The Roman centurion Vicinius falls in love with a Christian woman. His love for her leads him towards love for God.
I will admit, full transparency, I have yet to read Les Miserables. I fully intend to before I die though so it’s going on this list to remind me. At over 1400 pages, Jean Valjean’s saga probably wins as the longest book on this list.
The Iliad is another book, or rather epic poem, where translation makes or breaks the experience for the reader who is not fluent in classical Greek. Here’s a link to six respected translations compared.
Similarly, The Odyssey is another epic where you’ll want to be sure the translation works for your taste. Comparison here. Why bother to read Iliad and Odyssey? One good reason is because they’re foundational building blocks of subsequent literature. Even if you don’t enjoy reading epic poetry, you’ll come away enriched for reading other western classics with new eyes.
Sophocles’ Three Theban Plays are the essential Greek plays to be familiar with.
The Aeneid translation comparison is here at Exodus Books. I’m partial to the Fitzgerald one personally. Like Iliad and Odyssey, Aeneid is fundamental to Western literature.
Spanish classic Don Quixote‘s eponymous hero has become a household name even in the English world. Along with his faithful squire Sancho, Quixote roams the world in search of love and adventure. A modern twist on the ancient Roman comedy form of the foolish master and wise servant duo meets the age of chivalry meets modernity.
The Hutchback of Notre Dame is Victor Hugo’s classic novel about Quasimodo, the hunchback bell ringer. It’s a story set in a time of great historical and social change and presumes a familiarity with European literature.
Anton Chekhov’s Selected Stories draw vivid portraits of Russians from diverse classes, ages, and professions. Like most Russian stories, these are often dark, plumbing the depths of human misery and suffering.
I recently read All Quiet on the Western Front for the first time and was blown away by the simplicity yet depth of this true account of a German soldier’s experience during World War I. I think reading this classic truly helps bring to life the evil of war and the brotherhood of all mankind.
Modern Classics
If any modern novel becomes a classic, I think it will be Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry. With an amazingly believable female voice, Berry tells Hannah’s life story from girlhood to old age. Through her eyes he explores the changes in rural America brought about by technology and specialization. This book is an elegy to a lost way of life.
Jayber Crow, town barber and student of human nature, tells his own life story in this other masterwork from Wendell Berry. In the process, Jayber tells us a lot about Port William, rural America, friendship, happiness, and eternity.
If you didn’t know better, you might think Dostoyevsky wrote Laurus. But in actuality, this is a recent Russian novel by Eugene Vodolazkin, a rising star in literature. Laurus rightfully gained international acclaim. This book deserves a full review eventually, but in short, if you are fascinated by Medieval times, mysticism, Russian literature, journey of the soul type stories, or travel stories, this is for you. To warn you, in the best Russian tradition it is something like 800 pages.
Cormac McCarthy’s All The Pretty Horses is beautiful in its simplicity yet dark in its recognition of the brokenness of the world. John Grady Cole sets off for Mexico, chasing dreams of the cowboy life. A love affair, murder, prison, and more await him over the border. Definitely got some content and language. The sequels are even grittier and hold out less hope.
McCarthy’s The Road is his Pulitzer winner and my favorite of the half dozen of his work books I’ve read. I think this story of a father and son walking through a post-apocalyptic wasteland that was America has the potential to be regarded as a classic.
Donna Tartt is actually a Catholic; this is not immediately apparent from her rather dark stories. You have to look past the dark surface to see the themes of redemption and hope below. If you like Flannery O’Connor, this is similarly dark. The Goldfinch is a masterfully woven story about art, beauty, suffering, and redemption. But also has lots of language, drugs, alcohol, violence, adult content. Not for everyone, but classic quality.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson is a slow moving, reflective novel, a letter really, that a dying man writes to his young son as he faces death. A reflection about father and son relationships across several generations, about gratitude and silence and jealousy and forgiveness.
Piranesi is a truly rare modern novel in that I fell in love with it immediately and completely. You can read my rave review here.
When the Bolsheviks condemn Count Rostov to hotel arrest for life, the formerly cosmopolitan aristocrat finds his world reduced to the Metropolitan, and his home reduced to an attic room. With its humor, hope, and a cast of unforgettable characters, A Gentleman in Moscow is one of my favorite modern novels.
Island of the World tackles the big questions like how does retain identity through a life of turbulence, suffering, and horror? Joseph is born into war-torn Yugoslavia. Michael O’Brien chooses the Balkan conflict in the twentieth century as the backdrop for this moving, difficult, yet ultimately uplifting novel.
“Children’s” Classics
Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows was a huge influence on C. S. Lewis. A children’s book that adults probably enjoy more nowadays, this story about friendship, fantasy, and the misadventures of the unforgettable Toad is sure to delight.
Everyone has to read Little Women as a part of understanding the American literary canon. Louisa May Alcott’s great classic about four sisters growing up celebrates family life and the power of friendship.
I also highly recommend the rest of Alcott’s books, especially Little Men, Jo’s Boys, Rose in Bloom, Eight Cousins, Jack and Jill, and Under the Lilacs.
Jack London’s The Call of the Wild is a classic story of survival against the magnificent backdrop of Canadian wilderness.
If you happened to miss the unmitigated pleasure that is reading Anne of Green Gables as a girl, then treat yourself. And if you read it too young and hated it, go back and re-read the series now and fall in love.
Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is one of those children’s classics which influenced a whole generation of writers. After I read it aloud to my kids, I started finding Alice references in lots of my books: Dorothy Sayers, C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton.
Treasure Island is perhaps the quintessential adventure novel. Buried treasure, treachery, and high-jinks on the high seas.
All seven novels in The Chronicles of Narnia are absolutely essential reading at some point in your life. If by chance you missed going through the wardrobe as a child, consider reading these aloud with your whole family. A classic for all ages.
George MacDonald was another huge influence on C. S. Lewis. The Princess and the Goblin a classic story with deep symbolism and allegory.
Aesop’s Fables are classic morality tales from the ancient world.
Uncle Remus stories are American folk tales, melding morality stories with humor and Southern flavor.
Rudyard Kipling’s early life in India brings authenticity to his Just-So Stories.
Iconic children’s classic The Jungle Book deserves a reading as an adult if you missed it.
The Grimm Brothers didn’t write these fairy tales in the strict sense; they traveled around Germany collecting the folklore and fairy stories and then published their synthesis of these stories. A familiarity with these stories enriches reading the classics.
The Arabian Nights translated by Andrew Lang or Padraic Colum is a great addition to your family library. These classic tales bring the Eastern world to you.
Greek Myths are also building blocks for Western literature, so D’Aulaires’ Greek Myths is a great addition to your literary toolbox.
Beloved classic Winnie the Pooh has a gently humorous touch that even adults enjoy.
A Little Princess is a wonderful story about friendship, resiliency, and hope.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a classic about the transforming power of nature and friendship.
Robin Hood is a legend, and his Merry Adventures as told by Howard Pyle are a great option for familiarizing yourself with this classic.
The story of the little Swiss orphan girl Heidi and her life in the Alps among goats and memorable village characters is yet another classic to revisit if you didn’t read it growing up.
The complete Little House series is an American classic very worth discovering or re-reading as an adult. I was stunned to revisit this series as an adult and think about the events from a mom perspective. The Long Winter in particular really moved me.
The Swiss Family Robinson is an enduring classic by Swiss Johann Wyss. It’s actually quite different than the famous movie, with a more realistic story and more of an emphasis on Divine Providence.
These children’s classics have been some of the hardest to select, since there are hundreds of children’s classics. I was trying to hone in on foundational building block books and oft-referenced children’s classics to contain the scope of this section of the list.
I hope you enjoyed this list and are inspired to try some new classic books!
