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Classics are Classics for a reason: they are timeless! These authors for sure use the elements of their time to build and develop the story, however how they do it and maybe even why they do it goes beyond all those elements.

Arthur Conan Doyle sure had to build Holmes mysteries around the technologies and social norms of the Victorian times, but the peculiarity of his characters, the somewhat unexplainable friendship between Watson and the detective and how the mysteries are solved could not be more up to date! Still today, these fine elements impress young and old readers.

We can say the same about Jane Austen and her accuracy in describing a messy love story, Alexandre Dumas in how he develops adventures and revenges, and Bram Stoker in playing with the monsters of our own imagination. Pride and Prejudice, The Three Musketeers and Dracula have triumphed the test of time.


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July: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
August: Twenty years After - Alexandre Dumas
September: Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Oktober:
November:
December:

What books would you like to see next in this list?

"Watership Down" is a must-read classic.

Choosing a "best book of all time" is so difficult due to the fact that each person has their own likes and dislikes, a preferred genre that they go to time and again. Personally, I was exposed to more classic literature in high school and college than I have been since. The classics that I would count among the best that I have read include: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, several works of Nathaniel Hawthorne including The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables and Alan Paton's Cry the Beloved Country. These stories all moved me in some way and had a dark aspect. Whether examining the fate of the monstrous creature in Frankenstein or examining the human frailties in Hawthorne works, or considering the break down of tribal social structure in Cry the Beloved Country, all of these stories examine the human condition and make the reader think and in many cases put themselves in the place of a character in the book. A good book can be an escape, but those that impact us on a deeper level should be those we classify as "classics".

Austen is my favorite author in regards to her keen and honest social observations but I feel as though everyone also needs to read at least one Dostoyevsky novel as well. Great themes and somewhat darker view.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is always a safe bet

My favourite classics have got to be Lady Chatterlys Lover by DH Lawrence, The Idiot by Dostoyevsky, and Anna Karenina by Tolstoy

Anna Karenina is the only book that truly haunts me. I read it more than 5 years ago and it by far the best novel I have ever read. It is a lengthy read, but worthy every minute spent on this exquisite piece of work. Not many books "stay" with you, but this one has for me.

If you truly love beautiful writing, I highly recommend this novel. It is one of its kind. Period.

Classics are timeless and wonderful reads. I own a lot of them on my nook. I was in barnes and noble today in the graphic novel section and saw some classics as graphic novels. They have scarlet letter, great expectations, and I forget the others. I can not wait to order them and see if the graphic novels do the books justice

Well it is quite a lengthy book by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. You will find a nice story woven around few characters - who are not entirely white or entirely black. We will that they can be classified under different shades of Grey Pun intended. No but seriously this is how generally we all are - Grey - not white nor black.

Well I wont bother you with much of the detail - but you will find all sorts of stuff throughout this book and yes it would take a very long time to complete.

So if you really want to read a Classic Book I would certainly suggest The Brothers Karamazov as one of them....

Do Tell me if you have read it or if you have some more suggestions...

I really enjoy Jane Austins novels, though I haven't had a chance to read Pride & Prejudice yet, I did watch the movie and loved it!
So I'm pretty sure that the book will surpass my expectations.

Classics For Classics - best books of all times

Rakshesh wrote:Well it is quite a lengthy book by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. You will find a nice story woven around few characters - who are not entirely white or entirely black. We will that they can be classified under different shades of Grey Pun intended. No but seriously this is how generally we all are - Grey - not white nor black.

Well I wont bother you with much of the detail - but you will find all sorts of stuff throughout this book and yes it would take a very long time to complete.

So if you really want to read a Classic Book I would certainly suggest The Brothers Karamazov as one of them....

Do Tell me if you have read it or if you have some more suggestions...

I started reading this book last month!! And I'm not a huge fan of classic books but for some reason this one is so far so good, interesting

I'm only reading it when I find myself bored/have extra time so not sure when I'll get around to finishing it, esp now that school has started xD

Almost all of my favorite novels are classics. There's definitely something about them that make you want to read them over and over.

Wow! This is a really tough question. There are so many books that could be considered the greatest and stand the test of time. I think Steinbeck's East of Eden was very good. In my opinion, Julius Ceaser by Shakespeare stands the test of time. I also love The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

I agree with your praise of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his genius at writing the Sherlock Holmes books. Although, they fit into the social mores of Victorian England the way in which the characters defy that social more can be relevant to any time period. This is why these stories will always be classic and will continue to be made into television shows or movies.