,

I am on a mission to read and reread classic literature. I searched far and wide for a decent book list but all seem incomplete to me. Please add your favorite classic books to the list.
1

by
4.30 avg rating — 4,797,755 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
2

by
4.16 avg rating — 2,321,671 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
3

by
4.20 avg rating — 5,454,480 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
4

by
4.32 avg rating — 1,022,640 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
5

by
4.17 avg rating — 2,458,617 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
6

by
3.90 avg rating — 2,047,045 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
7

by
3.91 avg rating — 1,885,394 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
8

by
3.93 avg rating — 5,911,489 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
9

by
4.26 avg rating — 6,880,081 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
10

by
4.09 avg rating — 1,295,365 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
11

by
3.83 avg rating — 1,191,618 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
12

by
3.88 avg rating — 1,012,137 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
13

by
3.80 avg rating — 873,536 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
14

by
3.99 avg rating — 2,075,435 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
15

by
4.02 avg rating — 4,545,852 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
16

by
3.83 avg rating — 1,336,587 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
17

by
4.02 avg rating — 1,475,409 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
18

by
4.03 avg rating — 1,050,035 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
19

by
3.97 avg rating — 2,833,771 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
20

by
4.05 avg rating — 982,341 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
21

by
3.53 avg rating — 237,858 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
22

by
4.10 avg rating — 930,824 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
23

by
3.80 avg rating — 3,891,163 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
24

by
3.74 avg rating — 2,821,115 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
25

by
4.15 avg rating — 776,491 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
26

by
4.30 avg rating — 4,452,272 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
27

by
4.25 avg rating — 719,752 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
28

by
4.06 avg rating — 608,949 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
29

by
3.44 avg rating — 919,240 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
30

by
4.31 avg rating — 1,256,449 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
31

by
4.21 avg rating — 843,440 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
32

by
3.94 avg rating — 578,234 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
33

by
4.13 avg rating — 1,876,044 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
34

by
4.17 avg rating — 365,601 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
35

by
3.93 avg rating — 509,229 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
36

by
4.29 avg rating — 1,078,887 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
37

by
3.50 avg rating — 346,388 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
38

by
4.40 avg rating — 296,002 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
39

by
4.10 avg rating — 346,683 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
40

by
3.89 avg rating — 1,019,635 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
41

by
3.88 avg rating — 427,562 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
42

by
3.57 avg rating — 615,570 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
43

by
3.86 avg rating — 379,583 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
44

by
4.03 avg rating — 993,740 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
45

by
3.89 avg rating — 276,406 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
46

by
3.97 avg rating — 225,887 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
47

by
3.99 avg rating — 886,371 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
48

by
3.71 avg rating — 374,600 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
49

by
4.39 avg rating — 385,922 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
50

by
4.54 avg rating — 730,461 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
51

by
3.91 avg rating — 237,316 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
52

by
4.04 avg rating — 258,438 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
53

by
3.85 avg rating — 453,430 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
54

by
3.91 avg rating — 305,076 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
55

by
4.24 avg rating — 3,150,827 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
56

by
3.89 avg rating — 564,904 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
57

by
3.70 avg rating — 3,198,135 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
58

by
3.85 avg rating — 224,938 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
59

by
4.33 avg rating — 1,112,607 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
60

by
3.90 avg rating — 2,833,526 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
61

by
3.91 avg rating — 98,761 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
3.84 avg rating — 302,503 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
63

by
3.59 avg rating — 298,762 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
64

by
4.19 avg rating — 7,384 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
65

by
3.61 avg rating — 463,900 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
66

by
3.76 avg rating — 301,383 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
67

by
3.90 avg rating — 1,425,040 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
68

by
3.96 avg rating — 277,144 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
69

by
3.81 avg rating — 133,131 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
70

by
3.87 avg rating — 66,112 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
71

by
3.76 avg rating — 99,101 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
72

by
4.62 avg rating — 144,181 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
73

by
3.85 avg rating — 540,145 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
74

by
3.83 avg rating — 349,495 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
75

by
3.84 avg rating — 75,990 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
76

by
4.44 avg rating — 637,278 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
77

by
3.97 avg rating — 195,535 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
78

by
3.68 avg rating — 331,246 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
79

by
4.02 avg rating — 114,162 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
80

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 511,664 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
80

by
4.17 avg rating — 1,295,335 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
82

by
3.86 avg rating — 182,498 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
83

by
4.09 avg rating — 172,259 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
84

by
4.05 avg rating — 129,686 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
85

by
3.93 avg rating — 79,559 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
86

by
4.19 avg rating — 244,649 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
87

by
4.01 avg rating — 55,610 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
87

by
4.05 avg rating — 606,334 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
89

by
3.99 avg rating — 386,266 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
90

by
3.98 avg rating — 105,832 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
91

by
4.08 avg rating — 159,044 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
92

by
4.01 avg rating — 165,992 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
93

by
4.03 avg rating — 396,766 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
94

by
3.87 avg rating — 143,349 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
95

by
3.87 avg rating — 944,940 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
96

by
4.33 avg rating — 2,474,950 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
97

by
4.09 avg rating — 938,447 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
98

by
4.12 avg rating — 2,805,813 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
99

by
3.71 avg rating — 219,266 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
100

by
3.43 avg rating — 558,201 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
634 books · 522 voters · list created June 21st, 2008 by Crystal.
98 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Cindy 10727 books
158 friends
Kara 280 books
88 friends
Margaret 1201 books
737 friends
Cidne 774 books
62 friends
Laura 6357 books
1234 friends
Tamra 187 books
16 friends
Miles 214 books
941 friends
Miriam 268 books
22 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-7 of 7 (7 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Tamora (new)

Tamora Pierce I'm just clicking on what I've read, not on what I liked. When you're dealing with books like these, that generally drop into everyone's life before they're 20, what you like and what you don't like is highly individual. I don't think you can really go by the opinion of the next person, because you're all forming your opinions. I liked TARZAN, but had no interest in CHARLOTTE'S WEB. My classmates had spasms over CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, so much so that I never told them that I kinda liked it. They were okay with THE SCARLET LETTER, which made me crazy. You really have to try the books that our parents, teachers, and peers think are probably classic, and decide for yourself if they're good reads as far as you're concerned!


message 2: by Mandy (new)

Mandy I would just like to say that I believe 'Les Miserables' by Victor Hugo is the best book on this list. And nooooo, I'm not basing it on the hit musical (even though I love that as well), because it did get a lot wrong. I'm currently reading A Tale of 2 Cities, nad let me say I've made a lot of connections to Les Miserables. It's just an amzing and epic Book!


message 3: by Tamara (new)

Tamara I agree with Tamora, There are several books i've been told are must reads by people who don't read much themselves. I have been disappointed in many of them most books are classics because they've been around forever and a day. Much of the language is outdated and stale. occasionally you do stumble upon a book with a plot that holds up but it is a rare find. That being said, I loved Scarlett Letter and The hunchback of Notra Dame but found Pride and Prejudice tedious at best shallow and mindless at worst


message 4: by Marsi (new)

Marsi i just discovered my interest in reading so i've read only a few. i just finished che's book on social revolution. so far from what i've read dracula is the best they describe the events as if one was there. my second best is lady chaterley's lover


message 5: by Danna (new)

Danna This is a great list! I have this sort of mission too, although I gotta find a good library to hold all of these books. Too bad I don't have it in the area, or money to but some..


message 6: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Feb 07, 2017 07:03AM) (new)

BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) @Crystal
I've tried adding other books than then ones originally written in English, apart from voting for the ones already on the list I mean, as there are so many great classics worth reading. All of which are available in English translations, by the way. Books I've added are, for instance, Alle fabels, Lustgebed, Avondgezichten, Het hoofdkussenboek, Het boek van Dede Korkoet, Nibelungenlied, De ring van de duif, Het boek der koningen, De rozentuin and Rubaiyat, to name just a few.


By the way, 'Classics' = 'Modern Classics' too? As there are plenty of those on your list.


message 7: by Tyler (new)

Tyler Cameron How is The Giver on this list?


back to top



Related News

As you might expect, we are book people here at Goodreads World Headquarters—rather intense book people, actually. And when the holidays roll...

Anyone can add books to this list.