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31 Best Classic Books

We analyzed 5+ expert sources, curated book lists, and recommendations from successful people to find the 31 best classic books according to the internet — not just one person's opinion. Each book on this list was mentioned by at least two independent sources, and the ranking is based on how frequently each title appears across all sources studied. This consensus-based approach ensures you get recommendations backed by multiple experts, not a single reviewer's bias.

Goal: Find the best Classic books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).

Method:

  1. Search for "best classic books" and study the top 5+ pages.
  2. Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
  3. Rank the results neatly here.

31 Best Classic Books

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1
Book cover for "Little Women" by Louisa May AlcottView on Amazon

Little Women

Little Women, Book 1

by Louisa May Alcott

Also recommended by:

J.K. Rowling, Hillary Clinton, Maya Angelou, Shonda Rhimes, Kathie Lee Gifford

2
Book cover for "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane AustenView on Amazon

Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen

Also recommended by:

Hillary Clinton, Tim O’Reilly

3
Book cover for "1984" by George OrwellView on Amazon

1984

by George Orwell

Also recommended by:

Tristan Harris, Jordan Peterson, J. Cole, Emma Watson, Noam Chomsky, Richard Branson, Matt Mullenweg, Christopher Hitchens, Sahil Lavingia, Jenn Im, Winston Churchill, Diane Rehm, Anna Akana, Brad Delong

4
Book cover for "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott FitzgeraldView on Amazon

The Great Gatsby

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Also recommended by:

Taylor Swift, Bill Gates, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Daniel Pink, Ev Williams, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Christopher Hitchens, Jim Carrey, Ryan Holiday

5
Book cover for "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper LeeView on Amazon

To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird, Book 1

by Harper Lee

Also recommended by:

Jordan Peterson, Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey, Kathie Lee Gifford, James Clear

6
Book cover for "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. SalingerView on Amazon

The Catcher in the Rye

by J.D. Salinger

Also recommended by:

Bill Gates, Jennifer Lawrence, Gretchen Rubin, Ev Williams, Larry King, Tim Draper, Kathie Lee Gifford, Sarah Jessica Parker

7
Book cover for "The Color Purple" by Alice WalkerView on Amazon

The Color Purple

by Alice Walker

Also recommended by:

Hillary Clinton, Emma Watson, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Shonda Rhimes

8
Book cover for "Beloved" by Toni MorrisonView on Amazon

Beloved

by Toni Morrison

Also recommended by:

Shonda Rhimes, Tavi Gevinson

9
Book cover for "Frankenstein" by Mary ShelleyView on Amazon

Frankenstein

by Mary Shelley

Also recommended by:

David Deutsch, Glenn Beck

10
Book cover for "Wuthering Heights" by Emily BrontëView on Amazon

Wuthering Heights

by Emily Brontë

Also recommended by:

Jordan Peterson, Chloë Grace Moretz

11
Book cover for "Anna Karenina" by Leo TolstoyView on Amazon

Anna Karenina

by Leo Tolstoy

Also recommended by:

Oprah Winfrey, Jordan Peterson, Chelsea Handler, Jennifer Lawrence, Sam Altman, Laura R Walker, Austen Allred, Jen Wilkin, Ernest Hemingway, Bret Easton Ellis, Peter Thiel

12
Book cover for "Brave New World" by Aldous HuxleyView on Amazon

Brave New World

by Aldous Huxley

Also recommended by:

Jordan Peterson, Yuval Noah Harari, Tristan Harris, Matt Mullenweg, Stewart Brand, Sam Altman, Christopher Hitchens, Sahil Lavingia, Winston Churchill, PewDiePie

13
Book cover for "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia MarquezView on Amazon

One Hundred Years of Solitude

by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Also recommended by:

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Neil Strauss, Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey, Cal Fussman, Christopher Hitchens, Fred Wilson, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Shashi Tharoor

14
Book cover for "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis CarrollView on Amazon

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland, Book 2

by Lewis Carroll

Also recommended by:

Naval Ravikant, Richa Chadha, Russell Brand, Sahil Lavingia, Salman Rushdie

15
Book cover for "Catch-22" by Joseph HellerView on Amazon

Catch-22

by Joseph Heller

Also recommended by:

Shah Rukh Khan, Larry Ellison, Mark Bittman, Fred Wilson

16
Book cover for "Lord of the Flies" by William GoldingView on Amazon

Lord of the Flies

by William Golding

Also recommended by:

Jordan Peterson, Scott Belsky, Ev Williams, Douglas Murray

17
Book cover for "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua AchebeView on Amazon

Things Fall Apart

African Trilogy, Book 1

by Chinua Achebe

Also recommended by:

Barack Obama, Jacqueline Novogratz, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Sarah Jessica Parker

18
Book cover for "In Cold Blood" by Truman CapoteView on Amazon

In Cold Blood

by Truman Capote

Also recommended by:

Ben Shapiro, Sam Harris, Tim Draper

19
Book cover for "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte BronteView on Amazon

Jane Eyre

by Charlotte Bronte

Also recommended by:

Gretchen Rubin, Alice Walker, Shonda Rhimes

20
Book cover for "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret AtwoodView on Amazon

The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale, Book 1

by Margaret Atwood

Also recommended by:

Emma Watson, Daniel Pink, Jenn Im

21
Book cover for "Great Expectations" by Charles DickensView on Amazon

Great Expectations

by Charles Dickens

Also recommended by:

Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey

22
Book cover for "Of Mice and Men" by John SteinbeckView on Amazon

Of Mice and Men

by John Steinbeck

Also recommended by:

Jordan Peterson, Kathie Lee Gifford

23
Book cover for "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia PlathView on Amazon

The Bell Jar

A Novel

by Sylvia Plath

Also recommended by:

Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Hitchens

24
Book cover for "The Time Machine" by H.G. WellsView on Amazon

The Time Machine

by H.G. Wells

Also recommended by:

Sahil Lavingia, Winston Churchill

25
Book cover for "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale HurstonView on Amazon

Their Eyes Were Watching God

by Zora Neale Hurston

Also recommended by:

Jennifer Lopez, Shonda Rhimes

26
Book cover for "Dracula" by Bram StokerView on Amazon

Dracula

by Bram Stoker

Also recommended by:

Patrick Collison

27
Book cover for "Persuasion" by Jane AustenView on Amazon

Persuasion

by Jane Austen

Also recommended by:

Christopher Hitchens

28
Book cover for "No-No Boy" by John OkadaView on Amazon

No-No Boy

by John Okada
29
Book cover for "Orlando" by Virginia WoolfView on Amazon

Orlando

A Biography

by Virginia Woolf
30
Book cover for "The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man" by James Weldon JohnsonView on Amazon

The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

by James Weldon Johnson
31
Book cover for "Vanity Fair" by William Makepeace ThackerayView on Amazon

Vanity Fair

by William Makepeace Thackeray

Sources

  1. 1

    21 Best Classic Books of All Time — Classic Literature Everyone Will Love

    rd.com

  2. 2

    The 22 Best Classic Books to Read in Your Lifetime

    businessinsider.com

  3. 3

    29 Best Classic Books actually worth reading for Adults and why read them

    mrusbooksnreviews.com

  4. 4

    100 must-read classics, as chosen by our readers

    penguin.co.uk

  5. 5

    Classic books to read at least once in your lifetime - Pan Macmillan

    panmacmillan.com

Other Lists

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Follow@richardreeze
Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

Follow@anuragwho

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31 Best Classic Books (2026)