The Best Classic Literature Books to Read | August 2024

[@readingwithren]

love love love these classic lit recs! loved your video:) and thank you for the warm welcome into the booktube community!

[@noteworthyfiction]

Thank you! Now off to watch your latest video, because I also LOVE Moby Dick!

[@betsymaher9489]

Rebecca is one of my very favorite novels. I've read it many times.

[@noteworthyfiction]

It is good!

[@ToCoziesAndBeyond]

I love the moors and whatnot, so I love Wuthering Heights. From my high school reading and study, I love Frankenstein, and Tess of the D’Urbervilles. From my college days, I love One Hundred Years of Solitude. And from more recent years, I love All Quiet on the Western Front.

[@noteworthyfiction]

Great selection of reads. I'm sure moors are lovely, but it's always a vague notion to me that ends up feeling too swamp like or super flat (like our prairies). I'm sure it's me and not the writing.

[@ToCoziesAndBeyond]

@@noteworthyfiction I figure the moors are like foggy plains, but a little rocky. Mostly it is the fog that I like. 😀

[@gailmartin5417]

I am deficient in the classics. Several I read for school but would love to read (or reread) many of these.

[@noteworthyfiction]

Do it!

[@suzannedavies7996]

I knew that I was going to love this video as soon as I saw the notification. I love classics and there are still so many to read. I hadn’t heard of Oreo and am pleased to find I can get it here in U.K. 😊

[@noteworthyfiction]

Great! Just be forewarned that Oreo is a very odd book. I read it with my family and my grandmother and I LOVED it. My mom and Aunt didn't care two bits for it!

[@katiejlumsden]

Excellent recommendations 😊

[@noteworthyfiction]

Thanks!

[@raymiswindmills211]

Planning on reading Long Fatal Love Chase and Rebecca next month - you're recs make me even more excited to get to them! My mother read and insisted I read Demon Copperhead, says it's formatting of the plot is based on David Copperfield, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it, so will definitely be getting to the OG sooner rather than later.

[@noteworthyfiction]

yay! so excited for you. you have some great reading ahead of you.

[@DianaLong-om3ck]

I have read a number of your recommendations and also added a few reads to my to be read. I was checking out Oreo and found it was available on audible and currently included in my membership. I have read a couple of Anne Radcliff but not the one you listed so I bought the Kindle-Delphi Complete Works of Anne Radcliff. Have a great day, love your videos and look forward to them so thank you for sharing your time with us.

[@noteworthyfiction]

Thank you Diana!! I really appreciate the kind words and love sharing about reading.

[@astarreads4214]

My nephew’s high school do Things Fall Apart as a required reading. And I thought that was pretty awesome.

[@noteworthyfiction]

That is! I've heard of more and more schools using it in curriculum. Very cool.

[@Dinadoesyoga]

Great list and great topic! I had never heard of Oreo before. Added it to my tbr. So many of these are my favorites, too.

[@noteworthyfiction]

Yay! I don't think I added anything new to the list of great novels, but these were definitely some of my favorites. Classic for a reason!

[@astarreads4214]

Really enjoyed this video 😊

[@noteworthyfiction]

thanks!

[@clarepotter7584]

For me 'Jane Eyre' 'Pride and Prejudice' 'Persuasion'. Underrated classics: 'All Passion Spent' 'Vanity Fair.' so many great books out there.

[@noteworthyfiction]

I own Vanity Fair and hope to get to it in the next year. Looking up All Passion Spent now!

[@clarepotter7584]

@@noteworthyfiction * Vita Sackville West's writing is more accessible than I thought it might be.

[@micheleshave323]

I like your cheerfulness and enthusiasm 😊

[@noteworthyfiction]

Thanks!

[@KellyLovesBooksandMovies]

I was just thinking the other day that as an American Studies major in college, I read a lot of American classics, but am quite lacking in other classics. Lots of great suggestions here. Thanks!

[@noteworthyfiction]

My pleasure! Hope you enjoy them as much as I did. That said, I studied 18th Century British Lit and am lacking on the American Classics side, any recommendations?

[@karenbird6727]

As always Nicole, great list. Many of the books you listed here, are my favorites too.

[@noteworthyfiction]

They're definitely classics for a reason.

[@onetrickpony381]

What a great upload and lists! Ty 🫶

[@noteworthyfiction]

My pleasure! Happy reading!

[@capuchin581]

Great video! I loved Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. I first read it in high school and it gave me perspective. I grew up with less than my classmates, and this helped me appreciate what I did have, while teaching me something about perseverance.

[@noteworthyfiction]

What a great gift to life it was for you! I've heard really good things about it and can't wait to read more of Steinbeck one day.

[@believeinyourshelf]

@@capuchin581 The Grapes of Wrath is "chef's kiss" wonderful. 😘

[@genteelblackhole]

Brilliant recommendations, I'm definitely adding some of these to my wishlist (or bumping some nearer the top if they were already there). I'm quite nervous about the length of the Count of Monte Cristo, but you really sold it to me!

[@genteelblackhole]

Re: Peter Pan, some other children's classics I would recommend are: The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame), The Railway Children (E. Nesbit), and Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery).

[@noteworthyfiction]

It's really well done. I read about 20-40pgs per day. Took a few months, but I'd just read it right before bed. Sometimes it'd keep me up at night reading because I just couldn't put it down. Hope you enjoy it!

[@genteelblackhole]

@@noteworthyfiction That’s about my reading speed too. Maybe if I work through it alongside shorter books, then the length won’t be such a problem. I tend to get restless if I’m only reading one long book for more than two weeks! 😅

[@noteworthyfiction]

@@genteelblackhole same! I read shorter books during the day and saved it for the night cap. Sounds like the same works for you!

[@theresas709]

Very good video Nicole. I love videos that rank classics. 😃😊😁

[@noteworthyfiction]

me too.

[@hathorsheathen]

I enjoy your videos so much! I have added several of your suggestions to my TBR, thank you :)

[@noteworthyfiction]

Thank you! I'm always happy to hear when someone has found a new book to read.

[@believeinyourshelf]

I love this video, Nicole. We have many, many favorites in common, and you've given a few new to me books for my tbr. 😊

[@noteworthyfiction]

yay! Which ones will be new for you?

[@believeinyourshelf]

@@noteworthyfiction the Dumas and Collins books. 🥰

[@RaynorReadsStuff]

Great video. I’ve read many of these but I had never heard of Oreo. Would love to read this. I’d also never heard of that Louisa May Alcott book. Such great selections and you’ve added to my wish list 😊

[@noteworthyfiction]

Wonderful! Both are great books in their own right that I almost never here anyone talk about.

[@jlreed434]

Oh my gosh, I loved Moby Dick so much! Melville deserves all the stars. The natural history sections interspersed with the narrator and Queequeg kept me absolutely hooked. I love classics, but was still surprised how much I enjoyed this book.

[@noteworthyfiction]

Same. And let's not forget the dialect, the yelling at the men to row because grass is growing in the bottom of the boat, the songs, and the play interspersed in there. 😂 I was super surprised by how much I loved this book and it's one I plan to do a long form review on, especially regarding how a different approach to the book may lead to more appreciation of it.

[@jeankennedy5445]

I love The Woman in White. I've read it a few times. I would also contend that the character, Count Fosco, is the prototype for the Bond Villain.

[@noteworthyfiction]

I'm not familiar with the Bond Villian, but I wouldn't be surprised.

[@heatherboo1]

Great video. Dracula is one of the first classics I read. I remember being scared as a kid, and definitely give it 5*. Anne of Green Gables is one of my all time favorites, and I’ve reread it multiple times. Finally, for the advanced reader The Master and Margarita is a wow 5*, but it’s tough. I used groups on KZbin and Patreon to help me understand what Bulgakov was doing. I hope you try it again bc the reward is huge and it’s genius.

[@noteworthyfiction]

I've heard great things about Dracula, so that's definitely on my list. I love Anne too. I guess because I haven't read her since starting Storygraph she didn't come up. I might have to do a part 2! I definitely plan to try The Master again. Good idea regarding supplements. I do feel it needs a lot of commentary to help the unfamiliar reader.

[@GilbertHorn1]

I’ve read most of your recommendations over the years with much pleasure. I do have one minor issue though. Extremely few reviewers touch “A History of Tom Jones, a Founding “ by Henry Fielding, 1749. One of the earliest examples of what novels would look like in the future. And, rollicking great fun. If you want a preview see the movie.

[@noteworthyfiction]

I love Tom Jones! I studied it in college and have an edition on my shelves. I plan to reread it sometime in the future. My concentration in college was 18th century British Lit and I would say that, in general, it's a time of amazing literature that is greatly overlooked. I didn't include it on this list because I haven't read it recently and wanted to stick just to things I had read in the last few years. Hopefully, I'll get back to Tom Jones soon. Fortunately, I did read Fielding last year (Shamela).

[@mrsfruity76]

Hi Nicole, I've added some books to my ever-increasing TBR thanks to this video. I'm VERY surprised that Moby Dick wasn't a 5 star read. You gushed about that book😅. One of my favorite classics is Frankenstein. I read it last year and loved it!

[@noteworthyfiction]

That's great! I really need to go and change the rating on Moby Dick. I'm not sure what my hang up was other than I could see why not everyone would love it (something I considered as part of my rating system last year).

[@netogrof]

I’ve been slowly reading The Count of Monte Cristo and I love it. I read Pride and Prejudice this year and love it (I want to read all of Jane’s books now). I’ve read a few John Steinbeck books and just didn’t like any of them. Dracula I rated as “just okay”. Parts were phenomenal and other parts were a snore fest. I could only read about dirt boxes for so long. I’m interested in reading Don Quixote, The Enchanted April, and Little Women.

[@noteworthyfiction]

lol, Dirt boxes. Love it! Glad you're enjoying The Count. I read it slowly over a month or two and found it a fun read just before bed.

[@astarreads4214]

Rebecca is one of my absolute favorites ❤❤❤

[@lesleymclean3993]

Hi Nicole.I’ve just finished The Count of Monte Christo and wow, it has definitely gone to number one on my favourites list. I’m reading Crime and Punishment now but I think Moby Dick is going to be my next mammoth book. Love your videos

[@noteworthyfiction]

Thanks! It's great, isn't it. As it goes on it just builds and builds and it's so wild in those last 200 pages or so that you just have to finish. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@astarreads4214]

I haven’t seen the Of Mice and Men adaptation. Need to get on it. I’m a big Steinbeck fan.

[@noteworthyfiction]

True! I'm surprised. It's very well done.

[@marcellainthemargins]

Ooh I love a good list, The woman in white and The count of monte cristo are most on the top of my list of classics to read

[@noteworthyfiction]

Both are great and I'm sure you'll love them.

[@betinaceciliafeld9854]

This is a great list and many of my personal favourites are in it! I'd add Persuasion by Austen, A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens, North and South by Gaskell, Villette by Charlotte Brontë, and some Trollope (my favourite so far is Nina Balatka but it's an unusual one, perhaps Dr Wortle's School or Orley Farm are more like his regular style).

[@noteworthyfiction]

I've been hearing a lot of great things about Tale of Two Cities. North and South was good, but I've realized I'm not a huge fan of politics in my books. Villette didn't work for me and I have only read the Warden by Trollope.

[@annegibson6072]

Good morning. My goddaughter is reading David Copperfield and she said it is great

[@noteworthyfiction]

Your goddaughter has great taste!

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

THANK YOU!! I added a few I didn't have on my list.🎉🎉🎉 I love Rebecca and The Count of MC. Also Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge if you haven't read that one.

[@noteworthyfiction]

Yay!! What did you add? I read The Mayor and enjoyed it, but I think it suffered from my reading all of his major works back to back. It's a great book but not my favorite of his.

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

​@@noteworthyfiction I added Miss or Mrs, Oreo and The Romance of the Forest. I had most of the others already on my list. 😊

[@noteworthyfiction]

@@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD Great choices! Hope you enjoy them all.

[@StormReads]

I need to try Rebecca again as I didn't make it far when putting it down. (l love Jane Eyre and everyone says I need to read this one) Great recs!

[@noteworthyfiction]

Maybe try an audiobook? Since it's a first person narrator and she's recounting events I feel like it would work well as listening to someone tell you a story.

[@StormReads]

@@noteworthyfiction I will try that.

[@betsymaher9489]

I think Peter Pan is so well written. I came across it in a Children's Literature class. I had loved the Mary Martin play that was on TV and my college roommate played the record all the time because she was auditioning for the play.

[@noteworthyfiction]

It is surprisingly well written and much more than I expected.

[@shawnlee220]

I remember reading a long fatal love chase way back when 😄 it led me to reading a collection of Alcott’s thriller short stories. I don’t think people even know she wrote thrillers. But then I remember Jo wrote them in Little Women so it was like oh yeah kind of moment for me 😂 Edit: I made it through David copper field because I came across it on sale on audible. Richard Armitage read it 😂 I love his voice

[@noteworthyfiction]

I haven't read Little Women in so long! That's a fascinating connection.

[@nicolehockeygirl]

Animal Farm is an excellent story!

[@noteworthyfiction]

I agree. Very approachable but soo deep.

[@nicolehockeygirl]

I checked out Camille by Dumas from my library. I read chapters 1-7 and I was shocked by the cemetery scene. Can't wait to read more tomorrow. @noteworthyfiction

[@noteworthyfiction]

@@nicolehockeygirl It's a heart breaking and wild book that goes places I never expected. You should also watch the movie adaption and see just how much they softened the whole thing!

[@ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged]

I ❤ The Count of Monte Cristo 4-Eva

[@noteworthyfiction]

yesss, girl, yesss!

[@christinelagueux8155]

My honest opinion Moby Dick I had a hard time reading it. I found it dull.

[@noteworthyfiction]

That seems to be the common experience. I was actually surprised I enjoyed it. I think living in New England and Boston and have gone whale watching helped with the connection ALOT.

[@betsymaher9489]

I don't understand why people like Moby Dick. I got through it but dismissed it right away.

[@noteworthyfiction]

I was surprised I liked it. I definitely had a different perspective on reading it. Most people read it as a serious work of literature with deep and profound symbolism in every word. I read it more just to see my own basic response to the text and let it take me where it wanted and loved it. For instance, I cannot relate to the opening emotions of Ishmael AT ALL. This disconnect actually led me to laughing until I cried because I just thought it was soo overly emotional. Not sure if it makes sense, but I usually use what's called a "reader-response" type of literary criticism on books. Check it out as it may change the way you read books, especially classics. But then again, like I said, I can see why people don't like it as well (mixed boat of nuts)!