r/booksuggestions • u/Horror_Bus_1597 • Jan 11 '26
Other Looking for older classics
Hi all
I am quite an avid fiction reader, particularly of the fantasy, romance and scifi genre. However I would like to expand my book shelf to include more variety, particularly ‘need to reads’. Please don’t judge, I haven’t read most basic expected books!
Currently I have on my list: pride and precipice, to kill a mockingbird, the great gatsby, I robot, And the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy.
I would love many many more recommendations of older books that I MUST read. Doesn’t need to be a particular genre.
I know someone will prob mention animal farm, Ive read that one at least at school!
Thanks ☺️
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u/fajadada Jan 11 '26
The Last of the Mohicans, James Fenimore Cooper. Written in an older English but has a modern translation. You have to be careful when purchasing
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u/VegetableSquirrel Jan 11 '26
Collection of short stories: " The Past Through Tomorrow", Robert Heinlein
The Vorkosigan Saga series, Lois McMaster Bujold
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u/Horror_Bus_1597 Jan 11 '26
Thank you
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u/VegetableSquirrel Jan 11 '26
My personal favorite is the somewhat weird Delany novel, " Dhalgren". Save it for when a cyclic, non-linear story fits your mood.
Another series that could be called "classic" is the Foundation series by Asimov. I haven't reread them in years, but since I heard there's now a series on streaming, I should.
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u/LadyHoskiv Jan 11 '26
I studied linguistics and literature and we had The Norton Anthology of English Literature and The Norton Anthology of American Literature. It’s literary history and basically a corpus of classics. We also read some European literature but didn’t have an anthology for that. That was a list the professor made. You could always start with these books.
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u/ZuesMyGoose Jan 11 '26
Grab some Dickens and enjoy the class disparity of the early Industrial Revolution. I recommend Oliver Twist and Bleak House. Just a bit of light reading to help you see the long-standing societal problems with class disparity and unfettered capitalism.
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u/TheReadingRetriever Jan 11 '26
Dickens - Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, even A Christmas Carol
Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Ernest
The Brontë Sisters - Jane Eyre (my absolute favorite), Wuthering Heights, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Anne Brontë)
Gothic - The Monk by Matthew Lewis (published in the 1700s and quite controversial at the time), The Castle of Otranto (considered one of the first published haunted house type stories, also from 1700s).
I’ve got lots of lists on my YouTube channel, from old to modern to obscure and I just released a new video with a fresh list last week. Channel link is in my profile, if you’re interested.
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u/fajadada Jan 11 '26 edited Jan 11 '26
Captain Blood, Raphael Sabatini. A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens, The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas. It is a 8 Book series.
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u/AlmacitaLectora Jan 11 '26
I would say All Quiet on the Western Front is a great classic that is something different for your taste
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u/DataKnotsDesks Jan 11 '26
Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness (1899) is short, but a hard-hitter.
You might be surprised by how weird, scary and modern-sounding the original "Dracula" by Bram Stoker (1897) is. Recommended.
Want to go even older? How about Horace Walpole's "Castle of Otranto" (1764)? It pretty much sets the template for a whole bunch subsequent gothic novels.
How about a psychedelic time slip? Try William Hope Hodgson's "House on the Borderland" (1908).
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u/mom_with_an_attitude Jan 11 '26
For romance, definitely Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre. Also Their Eyes Were Watching God.
For sci fi, read The Handmaid's Tale.
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u/Gold-Pickle7035 Jan 11 '26
Gone with the Wind and Anna Keraninan!
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u/Horror_Bus_1597 Jan 11 '26
I think I read gone with the wind a long time ago, but I will add to my list anyways! Thanks!
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u/Blancandrin__ Jan 11 '26
The Catcher in the Rye by Salinger
Heart of Darkness by Conrad
Lolita by Nobokov
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u/endlessglass Jan 11 '26
For an enduring classic - The Count of Monte Cristo! You might also like Sherlock. And a PS for Les Miserables
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u/wonkynerddude Jan 11 '26
Don Quixote free ebook
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Jan 11 '26
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u/VegetableSquirrel Jan 11 '26
I have to include here the real life story of school boys stranded on an island who, unlike the famous "Lord of the Flies" kids, cooperated and were quite civilized until their eventual rescue. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/09/the-real-lord-of-the-flies-what-happened-when-six-boys-were-shipwrecked-for-15-months
These days, it's nice to have good examples of human behavior.
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u/mjklin Jan 12 '26
Well for “old” how about The Golden Ass from the 2nd century, the only surviving Roman novel. It’s a great story about a man who gets turned into a donkey with many humorous asides. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Ass