I’m an avid reader. it’s one of the best ways to pass the time while traveling—between all the airports, trains, and planes, distractions are a must. but, even at home, a good book will take him to a place he’s never been or even to a time different from his own. that’s what books have: they allow you to travel without moving your feet.
My tastes in books to read run the gamut, from romance to science fiction, from entrepreneurial to fantasy. it doesn’t matter much as long as it’s entertaining, educational, or inspiring. That said, the only genre that seems to always be at the bottom of the reading list is classic novels. this is probably due to the fact that many were required reading in high school, making enjoyable reading homework. I never liked homework. That’s why I decided to create this list of classic must-read books.
You are reading: Classic books to read
From books assigned to me when I was in school to good reads I found in my adult life, flip through the pages of this wish list and let these must-read classics take you to new places. lucky for you, many of them are free (or nearly free) on kindle, so this list will be cheap to complete.
1. a carol by charles dickens
A well-known Christmas story where Charles Dickens tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge was a rich man with a very cold heart who received a visit from the spirits on Christmas Eve and was faced with making a decision about change.
rustic | kindle (free)
2. george orwell animal farm
Orwell’s books always give me a heavy feeling after reading them. the animal farm is an allegory of stalin’s tyranny. It is about a farm where the animals rebelled and overthrew the humans for treating them badly. the pigs led a new system and established the seven commandments.
The farm prospered at first, but then the pigs began to fight for power. from a democratic system, it became a tyranny. Over the years, the pigs began to act like men: they wore clothes, slept in beds, and drank Scotch whisky. while the common animals in the barn hardly have anything to eat, shivering with cold, without hope.
rustic | turn on
3. bram stoker’s dracula
A young English lawyer travels to Count Dracula’s castle for a business visit and encounters a series of unfortunate incidents. The Earl has set his sights on the young man and his friends, but with a legendary vampire hunter by his side they embark on a nightmarish adventure.
rustic| kindle (free)
Go one step further and visit Bran Castle, Dracula’s fortress in Transylvania!
4. ray bradbury 451 fahrenheit
the bookworm in me shivered reading fahrenheit 451. i can’t even imagine a world where reading is a crime and books are burned. In Bradbury’s novel, technology was advancing and people were choosing simpler forms of entertainment, such as television and radio.
Books were no longer preferred because the contents are the same for fear of offending some groups. the book does not state why the books are banned, but it may be to censor people from certain truths; and to give people equal levels of knowledge (by burning all the books, no one can be more knowledgeable than anyone else).
rustic | turn on
5. jane eyre by charlotte bronte
Originally called Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, this novel deals with a woman’s internal struggles caused by social norms, moral obligations, and personal desires. She describes how from a very young age she was able to endure the hardships she experienced after losing her parents and how she grew to be a good woman with a straightforward moral compass.
jane eyre rose above societal standards and chose not to marry just because society dictated it. she was independent and self-sufficient. however, in the end she got married, but only for love. Now that’s my kind of hero!
rustic | turn on
6. little women by louisa may alcott
little women may be a simple story about the lives of the four march sisters, but the message is far from trivial. This classic children’s novel shows the struggle to balance each woman’s personal growth and her family responsibilities. In addition to that, the sisters showed the different types of women according to the norms of the 19th century.
I recommend this book as a must read for all young adults struggling to find their own identity. don’t limit yourself to what society tells you to be. be your own person and express yourself freely, but don’t forget to be responsible too.
rustic | turn on
7. moby dick by herman melville
moby dick is the story of ishmael’s whaling expedition aboard the ship called the pequod. The ship’s captain, Ahab, was looking for the legendary whale called Moby Dick to get revenge on the beast for losing his leg. The voyage was eventful as storms ravaged his ship, the men lost their minds and many accidents occurred.
a prophet from another ship warns ahab that fate awaits whoever pursues the whale. however, Ahab did not listen. Later, the travelers found Moby Dick, but failed to kill him. Only Ishamael lived to tell the tale.
rustic | kindle (free with amazon prime)
8. nineteen eighty-four by george orwell
See Also: Kent Haruf – Book Series In Order
a world under total government control. you are enslaved by their policies and have nothing to do but obey. freedom of expression is prohibited and even thinking differently would land you in jail. 1984 gave me a glimpse of that kind of world, a totalitarian world.
Despite living in this nightmare, the hero of the story, Winston Smith, fought tooth and nail to uncover the truth and rebelled against the government. He fell in love with a like-minded person named Julia, but the government eventually discovered his secret affair that led to their imprisonment. 1984 is the representation of Nazism and Stalinism and Winston represented the civilians and their quest for freedom.
rustic | turn on
9. of mice and men by john steinbeck
is the story of two immigrant friends, george and lennie, who are about to start working on a farm in california. Lennie has a mild mental disorder that likes to pet soft things, but she accidentally kills him. they share the dream of owning land and cultivating it. While they were working, they met some farmhands who have become their companions.
Lennie, being gullible and a bit weak, was often bullied by some of the men. george and lennie loved each other very much and considered each other brothers. Later, Lennie accidentally killed Curley’s wife. George then shot Lennie in the head, not out of anger, but out of pity for his dear friend. this tragic turn of events broke my heart into little pieces.
rustic | turn on
10. one hundred years of solitude by gabriel garcía márquez
One Hundred Years of Solitude illustrates the history of the fictional Colombian town of Macondo, founded by the incestuous Buendia family. the town remained isolated until the gypsies arrived to trade with them. In a short time, the town opened up to other towns in the region. suffered from civil wars, weather-related destruction, and plagues.
Regarded as Marquez’s greatest work, One Hundred Years of Solitude depicts a colorful saga that captures the magical realism of social and political allegory.
rustic | turn on
11. the catcher in the rye by j. d. salinger
This is the story of a 16-year-old boy, Holden Caulfield, and his two-day experience in the falsehood of the adult world. After being kicked out of high school for failing grades, Holden wanted to be the “catcher in the rye,” someone who keeps kids from falling off the cliff, which may be a metaphor for adulthood.
He wanted to prevent his sister Phoebe and all the children from growing up, becoming adults and saying goodbye to their innocence. who can blame him? If we could all be as innocent as children forever, there would probably be no hate in the world.
rustic | turn on
12. the great gatsby by f. scott fitzgerald
did you know that the great gatsby was not a success when it was published? fitzgerald died while there were still unsold copies of the second printing. however, this was considered to be Fitzgerald’s best work. It’s about the life and tragedy of millionaire Jay Gatsby narrated by Nick Carraway.
gatsby was living the american dream while trying to win over the love of his life, daisy buchanan. set in the jazz age, the novel is full of themes such as greed, prejudice and elitism. reading the great gatsby made me realize that materialism can’t do much. The key to being happy is to be happy and live with values and good principles.
paperback |kindle
13. persuasionby jane austen
Anne Elliot fell in love with a naval officer, Frederick Goingworth, but with her family’s disapproval and a friend’s persuasion, she breaks off the engagement. Years later, Anne meets up with Frederick while he is courting another woman.
rustic | kindle (free)
14. pride & prejudice by jane austen
A story that follows the main character, Elizabeth Bennet, through questions of manners, morality, status, and marriage. living in the English countryside and without great resources, her father must marry off her five exuberant daughters
rustic | kindle (free)
15. the adventures of tom sawyer by mark twain
This classic novel chronicles the adventures of a young man and his best friend, Huckleberry Finn. Tom Sawyer’s antics and antics take a dramatic turn when he witnesses a murder.
rustic | kindle (free)
16. the phantom of the opera by gaston leroux
A man embarrassed by his appearance and feared by all is obsessed with the beautiful Christine Daae. Who will win his heart? the handsome childhood sweetheart or the masked man.
rustic | kindle (free)
17. the photo of dorian gray by oscar wilde
See Also: Top 5 Books for the DIY Bowhunter | Truth From the Stand
Basil Hallward, a well-known artist, meets Dorian Gray at his aunt’s house. The artist is in love with Dorian’s beauty and paints several portraits of him. Dorian meets the aristocrat Lord Henry, who believes that the only thing worth pursuing in life is beauty and pleasure. then the young man sells his soul so that he can continue to look the same, as the portrait will age and fade.
rustic | kindle (free)
18. the strange Case of the doctor. jekyll & Mr. hyde by robert louis stevenson
One of the best-known classic novels, it tells the story of a London barrister who is intrigued by strange happenings between his good friend, Dr. jekyll, and the evil mr. hyde.
rustic | kindle (free)
19. the three musketeers by alexandre dumas
the adventures of d’artagnan who travels to paris to join the musketeers of the guard. He then embarks on legendary adventures with his friends who make up the book’s title: Porthos, Athos, and Aramis.
rustic | turn on
20. the war of the worlds by h. gram. wells
In 1895, there is an invasion of Earth by aliens from Mars. Using chemical weapons, lasers, and superior technology, they destroy everything in their path.
rustic | kindle (free)
21. the wind in the willows by kenneth grahame
From summer picnics to country walks to sitting by the fireplace on winter nights, this story follows the animal friends, the stingray, the mole, the toad, and the badger. the story follows these friendships in the natural world.
rustic | turn on
22. to kill a mockingbird by harper lee
“it is a sin to kill a nightingale”. this was the lesson that atticus, the father of scout and jem, has instilled in his sons. To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming-of-age novel about a child’s awakening to racism, prejudice, and that good and evil can co-exist in a community. the mockingbird of history represented innocence. In a world where it’s so easy to hate, one must do everything possible not to kill the mockingbird.
rustic | turn on
23. war and peace by leo tolstoy
War and Peace is a historical novel centered on the French invasion of Russia in 1812. Tolstoy created a novel so real from the original events that it was as if you were living the story. even the names used in the story were based on tolstoy’s family, just changed a bit, so russians can relate well.
Although the book deals with war, it shows underlying concepts such as the search for the meaning of life. the characters in the story were so close to death that upon recovering from the accident, they began to question their purpose. I ask myself the same question from time to time to evaluate my way of life and improve.
rustic | kindle (free)
24. white fang of jack london
an adventure novel where the main character, white fang, is a ferocious half dog and half wolf. the story tells the experiences of this magnificent animal while he lived in nature and found company with man.
rustic | turn on
25. wuthering heights by emily bronte
love is the most powerful force on earth. it can build and destroy lives. this is what i collected when i closed the book and put it on my nightstand. Heathcliff’s love for Catherine was so powerful that she never changed, even when she married another man or even after her death.
Their unchanged love caused much conflict and pain in their lives and in the lives of the people around them. It made Heathcliff bitter and vindictive. Instead, the love between young Catherine and Hareton blossomed and ended happily.
rustic | kindle (free)
. . .
I fell in love with classic novels now that I’m an adult. some may not be easy to understand, but you can always do some research to help you. Whether you’re looking for a new classic to read or rereading your favorites, books are always a free source of knowledge.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through my links, I earn a commission that helps keep this blog running, at no additional cost to you. you can read my full disclosure here.
you might as well enjoy
8 life-changing books on fear and how to overcome it 5 bucket list books to read in your life, including mine! at home wish list: 50 fun things to do without leaving home how (and why) to write a letter to your future self the 10 best paint by number kits for adults (+ tips to complete them)
See Also: 5 Best Bible Timeline Charts – Christian Camp Pro