Collage of book covers on a grey background. Titiles include I Capture the Castle, Persuasion, 1984, Beloved, Things Fall Apart and The Wind in the Willows.

Image: Ryan MacEachern/Penguin

Everyone loves a classic novel, but where to start? From Jane Austen to Charles Dickens, Toni Morrison to Fyodor Dostoevsky, the fiction catechism is so vast yous tin can easily get lost in information technology.

So nosotros asked our readers to tell usa near their favourite classic books. The resulting list of must-reads is a perfect way to find inspiration to start your classics take a chance. There'southward something for everyone, from family sagas and dystopian fiction to romances and historical fiction.

And if you enjoy this, you can as well learn about our reader's favourite books by female person authors, about loved children's books and the best memoirs they've ever read.

Start at the start of our list (books are ranked in no item order) and tick them off as you lot keep this handy downloadable list, or you tin can jump to:

25 | fifty | 75 | 100

i. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

We said: It is a truth universally acknowledged that when well-nigh people remember of Jane Austen they call up of this charming and humorous story of love, hard families and the catchy task of finding a handsome hubby with a good fortune.

You said: Philosophy, history, wit, and the about passionate love story.

Francesca, Twitter

2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)

Nosotros said: A novel before its time, Harper Lee'southward Pulitzer-prize winner addresses bug of race, inequality and segregation with both levity and pity. Told through the eyes of loveable rogues Lookout and Jem, it also created one of literature's most beloved heroes – Atticus Finch, a man determined to right the racial wrongs of the Deep South.

You said: A jarring & poignantly beautiful story about how humans treat each other.

Greygardens, Twitter

3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925)

We said: Jay Gatsby, the enigmatic millionaire who throws decadent parties but doesn't attend them, is ane of the neat characters of American literature. This is F. Scott Fitzgerald at his near sparkling and devastating.

Yous said: The greatest, most scathing dissection of the hollowness at the middle of the American dream. Hypnotic, tragic, both of its time and completely relevant.

Joe T, Twitter

4. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (1967)

Nosotros said: Gabriel García Márquez's multi-generational spanning magnum opus was a landmark in Spanish literature.

You said: Magic realism at its best. Both funny and moving, this book fabricated me reflect for weeks on the inexorable march of time.

Andre C, Twitter

5. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (1965)

We said: The 'truthful criminal offense' TV evidence / podcast you're obsessed with probably owes a debt to this masterpiece of reportage by Truman Capote. Chilling and brilliant.

You said: In this groundbreaking novel, completed after half-dozen backbreaking years of enquiry, Capote invented a new genre - the 'Nonfiction Novel' - applying prose techniques to fact. It spawned the school of New Journalism & invented the true criminal offence genre as nosotros know it.

Kgjephcott, Twitter

6. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (1966)

We said: JeanRhys wrote this feminist and anti-colonial prequel to Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre which chronicles the events of Mr Rochester'due south disastrous matrimony to Antoinette Conway or Bertha as we come to know her.

You said: Rhys took a character from a classic novel and breathed new life into the "madwoman in the attic" based on her own experiences/earth view. She beautifully showed how the stories nosotros read fold into our lives to make new stories.

Eric A, Twitter

7. Brave New Earth by Aldous Huxley (1932)

We said: One of the greatest and most prescient dystopian novels always written, this should exist on everyone'south must-read list.

You said: Given the exponential growth of AI, Machine Learning & Robotics, Huxley's vision acts as a warning. Will nosotros rise and challenge those who seek to shape our future or sleepwalk toward conditioning by engineering science?

David Grand, Twitter

8. I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith (1948)

Nosotros said: Cassandra Mortmain's upbringing in a crumbling castle with her eccentric family may not be anybody'due south experience, only we tin guarantee her coming-of-historic period story with all its enchanting and disenchanting moments will resonate for many.

You lot said: A 'children's book' that speaks volumes (ha) about unrequited dear and dysfunctional families. Timeless. And funny. (and we need some laughs on the 100 Classics list!)

Helen Y, Twitter

9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (1847)

We said: One of literature'due south steeliest heroines, in her short life Jane Eyre has overcome a traumatic childhood only to be challenged past secrets, strange noises and mysterious fires in her new dwelling of Thornfield Hall. All while falling in love with her employer, Mr Rochester. A Gothic masterpiece which was groundbreaking in its intimate use of the first-person narrative.

You said:Because Jane is a office model: she stands up for herself, others and what she believes in, but isn't also proud to give second chances to those whose time is running out.

Sarah F, Twitter

x. Offense and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1866)

Nosotros said: This novel is a masterful and completely captivating depiction of a man experiencing a profound mental unravelling. No amount of ethical bargaining on Raskolnikov'south function can free him from the parasitic guilt nested in his soul. A brilliant read if you loved Breaking Bad.

You said:No other novel has made me feel so much for the main characters, so deeply depicted by the writer. I felt like an orphan when I finished it and it'south the only novel I've re-read several times.

Angie V, Twitter

11. The Secret History by Donna Tartt (1992)

Nosotros said: Donna Tartt's book follows a clique of smart, attractive students at an elite academy, and an outsider who finds himself forced to conceal a night hole-and-corner. A gripping and tense read.

Y'all said: A mod classic - then well-articulated and written (something that'due south hard to come up by these days). Also, Excellent PLOT!

AnamiAndBooks, Twitter

12. The Call of the Wild by Jack London (1903)

We said: Jack London was a gold prospector in the Canadian wilderness and used his experiences to write about a dog named Buck who becomes a leader of the wild. With themes exploring nature and the struggle for existence in the frozen Alaskan landscape.

You lot said: Because everyone who loves the world knows it's true.

Helen D, Twitter

13. The Chrysalids by John Wyndham (1955)

We said:An allegoric dystopia written in the wake of the Second World War, The Chrysalids cleverly strives to denounce acts of the past while including a profound plea for tolerance.

You said: A postal service-apocalyptic novel, about intolerance, loneliness, friendship, and what it means to be human. A fantastic sci-fi novel, as relevant today equally it was in the 50s.

Hollie B, Twitter

fourteen. Persuasion by Jane Austen (1818)

We said: Austen's last completed novel before her untimely death was one tinged with heartache and regret. Anne Elliot's feelings for the handsome Helm Wentworth are re-ignited when he returns from sea. Will they become a second gamble at happiness?

You lot said: This continues to exist my favourite novel. Information technology is a more mature beloved story, full of humourous, delightful observations of human behaviour. It offers united states of america a glimpse of redemption. Nosotros change as nosotros grow, and the mistakes made in our youth tin can be overcome.

Dartmouth_Diva, Twitter

15. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville (1851)

We said: Every American writer since 1851 has been chasing the same whale: to somehow write a novel as epic and influential as Melville'southward.

You said: The great American novel: swell characters, wonderful language, thick with the Bible and Thomas Browne, and has the best opening sentence ever. What's not to like?

David H, Twitter

sixteen. The Panthera leo, the Witch and the Wardrobe past C.South. Lewis (1950)

We said: C.S. Lewis's timeless tale captured the hearts of children everywhere with its fantastical globe through the wardrobe, total of fauns, dwarves and anthropomorphised animals. Whether yous were Peter, Edmund, Susan or Lucy, we all wanted to put on a fur coat and go on a snowfall-laden hazard with Mr Tumnus.

Yous said: A beautiful timeless tale of innocence, wonder and sacrifice for young and old alike. It was one of the first books that I read from embrace to encompass without putting down!

Adisha K, Twitter

17. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (1927)

We said: To the Lighthouse is a daring novel with trivial regard for rules. There's no consequent narrator, scant dialogue and about no plot. With everything stripped abroad, we're left with a breathtaking and lyrical meditation on relationships, nature and the folly of perception.

You said: Y'all experience similar you lot're stood on top of a cliff with the bounding main cakewalk blowing correct through your bones.

‏Halcyonbookdays, Twitter

18. The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen (1938)

We said:Considered Elizabeth Bowen's masterpiece novel, this is the story of 16-yr one-time Portia who is sent to live with her Aunt in London, after her female parent's decease. There, she falls for the attractive cad Eddie. A devastating exploration of adolescent honey and innocence betrayed.

You said: This volume captures the awkward tension and anxieties of the interwar catamenia through a deeply cogitating, simply oddly naive, unloved girl. ‏

Heather O, Twitter

xix. Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (1891)

We said: It received mixed reviews information technology was first published, in role considering it challenged Victorian ideals of purity and sexual morals. Merely Thomas Hardy'southward unflinching account of Tess's bid for salvation in a society ready to condemn her is a harrowing and powerful read.

You lot said: This novel teaches usa most the position of women in the past and their moments of frailty versus moments of force. Basically, an important insight for anybody to have!

Abbie H, Twitter

20. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1823)

We said: Written when Mary Shelley was just 18 years onetime, but don't allow that depress you. Frankenstein is a Gothic masterpiece with entertaining fix pieces aplenty.

You said: Chosen for all the questions it raises about consequences and taking responsibility for your actions; nature versus nurture; the value of friendship. I could proceed.

Julie A, Twitter

21.The Master and Margarita past Mikhail Bulgakov (1966)

We said:This spine-chilling story was censored by Stalin and sadly only published afterward Mikhail Bulgakov'due south death.

You said: This novel has got the Devil mooching effectually Moscow with a massive black cat. Oh, and there's a naked flying lady.

Eggfrieddog, Twitter

22. The Become-Between by L. P. Hartley (1953)

We said:A moving exploration by L. P. Hartley of a young boy's loss of innocence and a disquisitional view of order at the cease of the Victorian era.

Y'all said: As a 17-twelvemonth-old, I was completely captivated by this story, wishing Leo was my brother so that I could protect him from the disappointment that awaited him.

Rapsodiafestiva, Twitter

23. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey (1962)

We said: A psychiatric ward in Oregon is ruled by a tyrannical head nurse, merely when a rebellious patient arrives her regime is thrown into disarray. A story of the imprisoned battling the institution.

You said: A story that shows in that location is more to life than following rules. Having joy and beingness spontaneous are as important as anything else in life.

Darren B, Twitter

24. Nineteen Fourscore-Iv by George Orwell (1949)

We said: The definitive dystopian novel, George Orwell's vision of a high surveillance society is gripping from the offset folio to the concluding.

You said: I get-go read this book years ago, and was glad I would never have to be a office of that kind of society. Yet, hither I am in 2018, and and so much of that novel has come true.

Donna J, Twitter

25. Buddenbrooks past Thomas Isle of mann (1901)

Nosotros said:In Thomas Mann's semi-autobiographical family unit epic, he portrays the ho-hum decline of a wealthy and highly esteemed merchant-family in northern Germany over four generations, as they grapple with the modernism of the 20th century.

You lot said: It's a bully novel about the rise and fall of a family, the relationship betwixt fathers and sons, and the conflict between art and business. Well, and I have to say I do love family sagas.

Peter L, Twitter

26. The Grapes of Wrath past John Steinbeck (1939)

We said: Mayhap John Steinbeck's finest novel, this is a beautifully evocative and, by the end, devastating read.

You lot said: Migration in search of work and a amend time to come. A modern-day story. Still makes my skin tingle.

Morven, Twitter

27. Beloved by Toni Morrison (1987)

We said: Toni Morrison's novel tells the story of a former Kentucky slave haunted by the trauma of her past life, and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988.

You said: This volume is amazing. Beautifully written, haunting and the level of detail of the lengths people went to protect their families from slavery is fantastic.

LittleReigate, Twitter

28. The Code of the Woosters past P. G. Wodehouse (1938)

We said: This is the third full-length novel featuring P. 1000. Wodehouse's best-known creations, the bumbling fool Bertie Wooster and his quick-thinking valet Jeeves. In this outing, the duo hatches a daring and hilarious scheme to steal an 18th-century moo-cow-creamer. What could go wrong?

You said: The best of the Bertie and Jeeves novels by Wodehouse, the 20th century master of the low-cal comic novel. Intricate plotting and brilliant control of English prose.

Matt F, Twitter

29. Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)

Nosotros said: Bram Stoker's novel is told past multiple narrators in a series of diary entries, messages, paper articles and ships' logs; an former sociology tale becomes a frightening reality for solicitor Jonathan Harker and his friends after he visits Count Dracula. And the Count is not a hero similar our modern vampires aka Edward Cullen.

You said: A Gothic tale of fearfulness and love. Would one desire immortality at the cost of one's morality and soul? Loneliness beckons downwardly such a dangerous and fearful path.

Rob Thou, Twitter

30. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien (1954)

We said: Perchance the greatest story always told, J. R. R. Tolkien's incredible trilogy of otherworldliness brought a world of hobbits, dwarves, elves and orcs to life in a way never read before. Ultimately a tale of companionship and the battle betwixt good and evil, the fictional globe of Eye Earth has endured to get far greater than the sum of its parts.

You said: It's got the great sweeping story, romance, heroism, cocky-sacrifice, social commentary... information technology's not just magic and elves!

Anne O, Twitter

31. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Marker Twain (1884)

We said: Meander downwards the Mississippi River with Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer; on the surface, it's a simple take chances but dig a trivial deeper into Mark Twain's novel and detect undercurrents of slavery, abuse and abuse in what Hemingway described as 'The best book we've had'.

Y'all said: This book demonstrates how a young boy learns to retrieve for himself, and shows us how we tin, too. It'due south funny, sweet and sad – sometimes all in the same paragraph.

Richard C, Twitter

32. Bully Expectations past Charles Dickens (1860)

We said:From the escaped convict lurking in the wild Kent marshes to the eccentric Miss Havisham who has remained in her wedding wearing apparel since the mean solar day she was jilted, orphan Pip's coming of age story is ane of Charles Dickens' most memorable and iconic novels.

You lot said: This book is not only important equally a literary masterpiece and an evocative story - information technology also has universal appeal equally, unfortunately, many children in today's world undergo the same suffering as Pip.

Ayesha K, Twitter

33. Catch-22 past Joseph Heller (1961)

We said: The perfect read for a cacophonous political moment. Joseph Heller's dizzying masterpiece brilliantly illustrates the manner that power is hoarded and wielded like magic, with sleights of hand and rhetorical trickery deployed like weapons to get out normal people baffled and wearied.

You said: In my opinion, in that location is no volume that better captures human nature and the futility of conflict. Yous'll come up out the other side aroused, uplifted, and crazy.

Sam W, Twitter

34. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (1920)

We said: A newlywed couple is shaken up by the inflow of the bride's gratis-spirited and charismatic cousin Ellen, who piques the husband'due south interests. He must decide to save a crumbling marriage or pursue his passions. Edith Wharton became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 for this novel which explores beloved, lust and social class, set up in the Gilded Age of New York.

You said: "When SHE comes she is different, and i doesn't know why...".

Lulu B, Twitter

35. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (1958)

We said: It has come to be seen equally the archetypal mod African novel in English and is read widely across Africa and Nigeria in which it is fix. Information technology follows the Okonowo a groovy and famous warrior and the virtually powerful men of his clan. Just when outsiders threaten his clan's way of life - will his atmosphere and pride be his downfall? Read it to detect out.

You said: A compelling and important exploration of cultural identity in relation to both the rising tide of British colonialism and the pressures of gender expectations. A poignant tragedy written with pathos. Necessary reading!

Danny N, Twitter

36. Middlemarch by George Eliot (1871)

We said: Dorothea Brooke and the other inhabitants of Middlemarch grapple with fine art, organized religion, scientific discipline, politics, self and society in the lead-up to the Commencement Reform Beak of 1832 in a literary exploration of homo follies.This book is considered by many to be the greatest Victorian novel.

You said: This book is superb in form and content. There is no better autopsy of and insight into homo society. She was the Shakespeare of her day and Middlemarch is her finest novel.

Tim R, Twitter

37. Midnight's Children past Salman Rushdie (1981)

We said: A visceral tale, made of smells and sounds and bumps and knocks. A brilliant way to immerse yourself in ane of the nearly fascinating and turbulent periods of the 20th century, via a wonderfully fantastical conceit.

Y'all said: This is the nearly magical and well-written book I've read. The history of the partitioning of the Indian subcontinent told every bit a delightful apologue.

Claudia G, Twitter

38. The Iliad by Homer (eighth century BC)

We said: It is one of the greatest and most influential epic poems ever written, and (aslope The Odyssey)the oldest surviving work of Western literature. Although the story centres on the disquisitional events of the last yr of the Trojan state of war, Homer also explores themes of humanity, pity and survival.

Y'all said: This is the ultimate war poem, filled with existential drama, heroic striving, death, and the significant of life.

Max G, Twitter

39. Vanity Fair past William Makepeace Thackeray (1847)

We said: William Makepeace Thackeray's satirical reflection of society on the whole embodied in a cast of characters who although flawed, we can't help but love and root for equally we follow their fortunes and downfalls throughout the Napoleonic wars.

You said: Because Becky Sharp is the greatest female person lead character in English literature. Bar none.

Greg R, Twitter

40. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (1945)

We said: The iconic country business firm setting of Brideshead run across a family consumed by its religion battle with their loyalties. A reflective and nostalgic novel by Evelyn Waugh about class, family unit and homecomings.

Yous said: So evocative of a certain time and place, as well as being a compelling story.

Patricia C, Twitter

41. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1951)

We said: Probably the least commented-upon aspect of J.D. Salinger'due south masterpiece is how utterly hilarious it is. Holden is a grapheme no 1 e'er forgets.

You lot said: This novel's primary graphic symbol, Holden, is coping with tragic loss, as all of us do in our lives. As he wanders aimlessly around the metropolis, he struggles to program his adjacent life move, only finds happiness in small-scale joys, such as his strong bond with his sis.

Alma Due east, Twitter

42. Alice'south Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865)

We said: Alice is a no-nonsense, quick-witted and daring – nosotros could all learn a lesson or two from the resourceful young girl in Lewis Carroll's tale packed with a troupe of unforgettable characters. A dizzying story full of riddles, puns and wordplay, at over 150 years old it features a heroine way ahead of her time.

You said: We should all go lost down a rabbit hole every once in a while and come out believing in six impossible things before breakfast #whyisaravenlikeawritingdesk

Lauren D, Twitter

43. The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot (1860)

We said:Maggie Tulliver is passionate, impulsive and intelligence but her desires disharmonism against her family'south expectations and result in painful consequences. Eliot drew on the frustrations of her own rural upbringing to write one of her most powerful and moving novels.

You said: Ane classic anybody must read:The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot. A beautifully told story of an intelligent girl who yearns for more than club allows.

Jess, Twitter

44. Barchester Towers past Anthony Trollope (1857)

We said: The second novel in Anthony Trollope's serial known as the 'Chronicles of Barsetshire', opens equally the Bishop of Barchester lies on his deathbed; soon the battle for ability amongst the town'southward key players will commence. Told with plenty of wisdom and wit.

You said: This book has tremendous characters and a plot which sucks yous into such a dissimilar globe, about which you lot find yourself caring desperately.

Hilary Southward, Twitter

45. Some other Country by James Baldwin (1962)

We said: Primarily prepare in New York'due south Greenwich Village, James Baldwin'southwardSome other Country tackled many themes that were taboo at the time of its publication including bisexuality, interracial couples and extramarital diplomacy - all in the sensational world of Harlem jazz and the Bohemian underworld.

You said: This is a book that shows how anybody tin can live and love together, passionately, dangerously, with exquisite music. I'll never forget the thrill of get-go reading information technology.

Jon A, Twitter

46. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (1862)

We said: Vive la révolution! A sweeping epic and a completely satisfying read by Victor Hugo. Full of dearest, anger, drama and wit. Quite perchance the perfect novel.

You said: A beautiful story of the power of redemption and a skillful heart along with a properties of the socio-economic iniquities of 19th century France. Beautifully written, it tugs the heartstrings.

Gary G, Twitter

47. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory past Roald Dahl (1964)

We said: Filled with all the sweet treats from your wildest dreams (and proving that nice guys don't always cease last), Roald Dahl'sCharlie and the Chocolate Factory is a cautionary tale for both children and adults. Don't be greedy. Don't spoil your children. Don't chew gum. And don't sit in front of the Telly all mean solar day. 'It rots the senses in the head!'

You said: This list wouldn't exist complete without some of Dahl'south magic, and my golden ticket is for this novel.

Isanne V, Twitter

48. The Outsiders by S. Due east. Hinton (1967)

Nosotros said: A coming-of-age tale of teenage rebellion, gear up in a winner-takes-all globe of drive-ins, drag races and switchblades. It created an anti-hero from the wrong side of the class divide – all written when S. E. Hinton was only 17. 'Stay gold Ponyboy… stay gold'.

Yous said: The original YA novel, which sparked many crushes and fabricated me autumn in love with reading.

Claire C, Twitter

49. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1844)

We said: An epic novel past Alexandre Dumas that will have you feeling all the emotions – and a prime example of the old aphorism that revenge is a dish best served common cold.

Y'all said: The best classic tale! A story of innocence, romance, expose, suffering, revenge and more chiefly, Human's triumph over all life throws at him.

Hayati Y, Twitter

fifty. Ulysses by James Joyce (1922)

We said: Having survived censorship, controversy and even legal action, James Joyce's near famous novel is renowned for its employ of inner monologue and stream-of-consciousness technique. Whether it's the greatest novel of the 20th century, or the most unreadable, is up for debate.

You said: Reading it as a person, an emotional journey. Reading it as a writer, technically mesmerizing and inspiring

Pqxzyvr, Twitter

51. East of Eden by John Steinbeck (1952)

Nosotros said: Mostly set in California, John Steinbeck's well-nigh ambitious novel follows two families and their interwoven stories. The author himself said, 'It has everything in information technology I have been able to learn near my craft or profession in all these years.'

They said: Brilliant writing, ballsy family saga, drills deep into human nature and how we think, feel and act toward one another. My all-fourth dimension favourite novel.

Naomi Thou, Facebook

52. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1880)

We said: Two years in the making, this philosophical novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky questions big topics like organized religion, free volition and morality but it'due south likewise a very readable one that'southward role murder mystery, part courtroom drama.

You said: A delineation of the darkest recesses of man nature. But also of the brightest ones…

Luca C, Facebook

53. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (1955)

We said: Quite simply some of the finest writing always committed to a page. A book that is simultaneously repulsive and utterly seductive.

Y'all said: Beautifully written. The book takes you into the listen of this atrocious character and lets you roll around in the gorgeous word-play as the story unfurls.

Lesley L, Facebook

54. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1911)

We said: Frances Hodgson Burnett'southward book will awaken the curiosity of any reader, no affair their historic period. There's something and then completely irresistible virtually hidden doors, mysterious noises and hole-and-corner hiding places. But this is more than a story of adventures and gardening, at its heart, The Undercover Garden promises that with time and plenty of nurturing, we tin can all flower.

You said: I will never forget reading this volume as a child. I felt I was in the middle of the story.

Ulrika F, Facebook

55. Scoop by Evelyn Waugh (1938)

We said: Partly based on Evelyn Waugh'due south personal experiences, Scoop is a satirical take on the lengths reporters – and paper magnates – will become to for a story. With modernistic exposés on hacking scandals and the like, Scoop feels as relevant as ever.

You said: A funny story wrapped around absurdity, journalism and war.

Guy Five, Facebook

56. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (1859)

We said: After 18 years in the Guardhouse, Dr Manette is released and sent to live in Britain with a daughter he'due south never met. Divide between Paris and London, A Tale of Two Cities is a mammoth story gear up during the brutal years of the French Revolution.

You said: Sitting lone at 16 years sometime after the family unit had gone to bed, tears streamed downward my cheeks as I finished this novel.

Pat C, Facebook

57. Diary of a Nobody past George Grossmith and Weedon Grossmith (1892)

We said: Diary of a Nobody follows a respectable middle-class man, Charles Pooter, and his attempts to live a respectable middle-class life. This riotously funny novel created such an impression that information technology inspired an adjective in honor of its master grapheme: 'Pooterish', a cocky-important person who takes themselves far likewise seriously.

You lot said: I accept read this book so many times and laugh out loud every fourth dimension. I have a Penguin Classic re-create of information technology that'southward falling apart but I wouldn't part with it for the world

Emma H, Facebook

58. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (1878)

Nosotros said: Anna Karenina is a woman who seems to have information technology all. She'south married, she's wealthy, she's well-liked – merely she feels her life is empty until she meets Count Vronksy. Leo Tolstoy's novel is essentially a philosophical meditation on the pregnant of life and happiness but it's a very readable one.

You said: But the best in-depth characterisation of all time. Tolstoy's psychological insights have never been beaten.

Chris Due west, Facebook

59. The Matrimonial by Alessandro Manzoni (1827)

We said: Alessandro Manzoni'southward novel takes is the story of two young lovers trying to exist together, ready against a wider backdrop of 17th-century Italian life. The Betrothed is considered past many to be the greatest novel ever written in Italian.

Y'all said: This book is on the verge of existence forgotten past casual readers, but it's entertaining, socially and scientifically progressive for its fourth dimension, has incredibly moving, beautifully-written passages on bread riots and the plague, and it has the best surprise trope-subversion at the finish.

Shawna R, Facebook

60. Orlando by Virginia Woolf (1928)

We said: Immense yourself in the dazzling breadth of Virginia Woolf'south imagination in this short merely powerful novel and follow Orlando from the courtroom of Elizabeth I to a celebrated poet in the 20th century.

Yous said: What is information technology to be a woman? Woolf's modernist novel is then fresh even ninety or and so years subsequently. Gender fluidity earlier the term was even coined. And a history of literature as a backdrop.

Antonia One thousand, Facebook

61.Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (1957)

Nosotros said: Step into the dystopian USA and follow the saga of Dagny Taggart and Hank Rearden as they attempt to bring their Transcontinental railroad into existence, and uncover the secrets of a shadowy effigy called John Galt along the way.

You said: This book engages the reader through its characters and themes, allowing ane to exist entranced through this cautionary tale that can be practical to the modernistic earth.

Deanna H, Facebook

62. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells (1895)

We said: When a scientist and inventor creates a fourth dimension machine, he travels to the distant future to see what's in store for humanity. H. Thou. Wells' novel is the book that popularised time travel, simply read deeper and it'due south too a metaphor for the fractured society that we even so live in today.

You said: A story of knowledge, educational activity, and imagining a future.

Gultekin Due south, Facebook

63. The Fine art of War past Sun-Tzu

Nosotros said: Lord's day-Tzu, author of the world's oldest guide to military strategy, recognised that we live in a conflicted world. The layperson might not be involved in warfare but the advice inside is just equally useful for navigating the workplace or daily life.

You said: This should be called the piffling book of mutual sense. Information technology makes everything easier to understand.

Darren G, Facebook

64. The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy (1922)

We said: Nobel-Prize winning author John Galsworthy wrote this multi-generational saga which chronicles the Forsyte family unit's fortunes and downfalls as they live through dramatic social change, from the straight-laced Victorian era to the roaring 20s.

Y'all said: This volume gives you a wonderful impression of life in the 19th and early 20th century. It's both enthralling and touching.

Hildegard S, Facebook

65. Travels with Charley past John Steinbeck (1962)

We said: Almost 60 years later Travels with Charley still proves an eye-opening insight into a country that's so like shooting fish in a barrel to view as a monolith. Steinbeck and his French Poodle see everyone from migrant farmers to KKK members in this reminder of a complicated political mural that's no less disparate today.

You said: One of the true get-go 'road' books – a search for the spirit of the ordinary American people.

Edith Due south, Facebook

66. Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller (1934)

We said: It was banned in the United states of america and the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland for 30 years for being too 'pornographic,' and undoubtedly there are smutty moments, but Henry Miller uses this to annotate on the human condition. Told from a variety of kickoff-person characters in 1930s Paris – including Miller'southward own experiences as a struggling writer – the mutual thread between each graphic symbol is their sexual encounters.

You said: Loud, funny, sexual Paris in the 1930s. I read information technology when I was 20, and it inverse the mode I look at the globe.

Brendan P, Facebook

67. Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence (1920)

We said: Controversial during its time, D. H. Lawrence'south sequel to The Rainbow follows the lives of two women and the men they become involved with. Women in Dearest contains some of Lawrence'southward finest writing.

You lot said: This is Lawrence at his best… although I practise recollect Lady Chatterley's Lover is under-rated…

David P, Facebook

68. Staying On by Paul Scott (1977)

Nosotros said: Paul Scott passed away at the tiptop of his writing career and his concluding novel, Staying On – which won the Booker Prize in 1977 – gives us a unique insight into life just later on the stop of the British rule in India.

You said: A funny, tragic, beautifully written study of an English language colonial married couple left backside as an contained Bharat moves alee.

Catherine B, Facebook

69. The Current of air in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (1908)

We said:What began as a series of messages to Kenneth Grahame's sickly son evolved into ane of England's well-nigh honey children's books. A whimsical foray through the Berkshire countryside, the esprit between Ratty, Badger, Mole and Mr Toad still embodies traditional British eccentricities to a tee.

You said: You can enjoy this book at any age – and it's beautifully written.

Vicky A, Facebook

70. My Ántonia past Willa Cather (1918)

We said: The novel tells the story of Jim Burden, an orphan boy and Ántonia Shimerda who are brought as children to be pioneers in Nebraska in the late 19th century. This is Willa Cather'southward last book in the Nifty Plains trilogy and was praised for bringing the American Westward to life.

You said: Quite simply, a beautifully written volume.

Carolyn R, Facebook

71. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (1847)

Nosotros said: Controversial at the time of publication, Emily Brontë's classic beloved story between Catherine and Heathcliff yet resonates with readers today. Widely considered a staple of Gothic fiction and the English language literary canon, this book has gone on to inspire many generations of writers – and volition proceed to do so.

You said: Passion, heartbreak – this is the greatest novel ever written.

Tessa J, Facebook

72. Perfume by Patrick Süskind (1985)

We said: In 18th-century France, one man's greatest passion and souvenir leads him down a path of sensual depravity. After discovering he has no odour of his own – despite having a remarkable sense of smell – Jean-Baptiste Grenouille trains in the fine art of perfume-making so he can create the ultimate scent – one that is made from 25 immature virgin girls.

You lot said: A story of suspense and love, with beautiful narration.

Ivy Due west, Facebook

73. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1867)

We said: LeoTolstoy's sweeping epic of homo life in all its imperfection and grandeur is universally accepted as 1 of the greatest novels of all fourth dimension.

Y'all said:This novel is simply gripping and beautifully written. Kept me enthralled for weeks...

Angela T, Facebook

74. Of Homo Bondage by Somerset Maugham (1915)

We said: Considered every bit Somerset Maugham's most autobiographical of his piece of work, the author stated, 'This is a novel, not an autobiography, though much in it is autobiographical, more is pure invention.' Regardless, the story of Philip Carey, a man with ambitions who falls in dear with a loud just irresistible waitress is considered one of his finest books.

You said: A compelling story of unreciprocated love.

Rajan D, Facebook

75. Bleak Firm by Charles Dickens (1853)

Nosotros said: At the centre of Bleak House is the never-ending legal case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce which draws together a disparate grouping of people who promise in some way to profit from the instance. Dickens' scathing reflection of the legal profession went some way to support a judicial reform movement in the 1870s.

Yous said: An astonishing story, with and so many twists and turns

Jane E, Facebook

76. Lost Illusions by Honoré de Balzac (1837)

Nosotros said: Would-exist poet Lucien Chardon moves from the French Provinces to the glamorous beau monde of Paris where he speedily discovers a world far more dangerous than he e'er imagined. Honoré de Balzac paints a vivid and savage picture of the hypocrisy and moral history of his times.

You said: A magnificent story most human being nature, ambition and society (in any century).

Isabel Yard, Facebook

77. Breakfast of Champions past Kurt Vonnegut (1973)

We said: Role comedy, office searing satire, we're taken to the Midwest to follow Vonnegut's ageing writer Kilgore Trout on an absurd narrative. You may love it, you may not get the betoken. Either mode, you'll find it hard not to express mirth.

You said: Reading this blend of surrealism, sci-fi and other genres made me realise that sometimes, fiction can be more powerful than existent-life stories!

Kleber L, Facebook

78. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (1843)

Nosotros said: This is arguably Dickens' about famous tale. Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and exclamations of 'Bah Humbug!' are as synonymous with the festive seasons as Santa, turkey and Christmas pudding.

You said: A masterpiece. The ultimate story of hope and redemption.

Sergeant_Tibbs, Twitter

79. Silas Marner past George Eliot (1861)

We said: Silas Marner was Eliot's favourite of her novels. It tells the story of an isolated miser, who is given a second chance to transform his life when he adopts a immature orphaned child. With themes of organized religion, industrialisation and community, the volume as well provides us with a glimpse of a vanished rural world.

Yous said: Redemption and love. Beautifully written

Rhiannon C, Facebook

fourscore. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (1925)

We said: Ane of literature'south most famous parties - this groundbreaking postmodernist novel centres around Clarria Dalloway's preparations for a party she's hosting, exploring themes of mental wellness, modernity and time.

You said: A reminder that no life is too small-scale.

Marianna S, Facebook

81. Little Women past Louisa May Alcott (1868)

Nosotros said: In Little Women, Louisa May Alcott set out to write a book in which girls would come across them themselves accurately reflected. The March sisters, with their four very different personalities and ambitions, accurately embody both the challenges of growing up and the irreplaceable bail of sisterhood.

You said: A story of growing up and changing and the world set around a group of immature girls. This book is every bit timeless as it is beautiful.

Luke E, Twitter

82. The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch (1978)

Nosotros said: Winner of the Human being Booker Prize in 1978, Iris Murdoch'south book is the story of strange obsessions and reflection which haunt Charles Arrowby, who retires from London'south glittering theatre world to an isolated home past the sea. An unforgettable story, beautifully told.

You said: This book left me speechless, while reading and after reading and I still tin can't find the words to describe why it is one of the most impressive pieces of writing I have ever read.

H, Twitter

83. The Godfather by Mario Puzo (1969)

We said: Both Mario Puzo'southward book and 1972 film accommodation became global phenomena with this searing portrayal of New York'due south Mafia underworld. A powerful story of tradition, blood, award and of form, family unit allegiance.

You said: This novel teaches the reader about the strengths and failures of human nature.

Louisa J, Twitter

84. The Castle by Franz Kafka (1926)

We said:Taking the word 'Kafkaesque' to new levels, The Castle is a nightmarish reach into an autocratic globe. Bamboozling from get-go to the very unfinished end (the novel ends mid-sentence), this is Franz Kafka'southward finest commentary on oppression and bureaucracy.

You said: This book leads the reader into a maze of conundrums, defoliation, iciness and moral fog. Never to be forgotten one time read.

Arnold F, Twitter

85. I, Claudius by Robert Graves (1934)

You said: Written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius, Robert Graves' novel captures the madness and debauchery of ancient Rome. Both I, Claudius and Graves's sequel Claudius the God are regarded today as pioneering masterpieces of historical fiction, besides as gripping reads.

You lot said: A beautifully written novel near accented power. Very relevant.

Ian M, Twitter

86. Peter Pan by J.Thou. Barrie (1904)

You lot said:The story that made every child desire to dance on tiptoes over midnight rooftops and soar away to Neverland, J. Grand. Barrie's tale of the boy who could never grow up brought magic to bedtimes everywhere. From the Lost Boys to fearsome pirates, the enchanting take a chance of Peter Pan has, both literally and metaphorically, never grown old.

You said: A book that reminds anybody to never grow upwards within!

Jennifer Thousand, Twitter

87. A Confederacy of Dunces past John Kennedy Toole (1980)

You said: A medievalist protagonist encounters a serial of misadventures in a comedic exploration of the human condition. John Kennedy Toole'southward novel is widely regarded today as a tragicomic classic that exposes 'intellectualism'.

You said: I chose this volume merely considering the characters are fantastic, and it makes me laugh.

Sharon, Twitter

88. The Razor's Edge past Westward. Somerset Maugham (1944)

You said: Featuring Maugham himself as a grapheme and adapted twice for the big screen, The Razor'southward Edge tells the story of an American airplane pilot trying to accommodate back to normal life following the First World War. It'due south a gruelling look at the devastating effects of post-war trauma, and a philosophical journey to find pregnant in life.

You said: A profound story of one homo's journey to notice himself.

Holden M, Twitter

89. Distraction Rise to Candleford past Flora Thompson (1939)

You said: Many volition remember the recent BBC series of the same name; Lark Ascension to Candleford is author Flora Thompson's semi-autobiographical recollections of her youth and growing up in Oxfordshire, and paints a delightful portrait of country life at the end of the 19th century.

Yous said: Mayhap a lilliputian flake out of left field, but I beloved this book. It'southward unproblematic, information technology's beautifully written and it'due south all about capturing a vanishing fashion of life as countryside farming turns to Victorian towns... really eloquent, really moving!

Vicky, Twitter

90. The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy (1878)

We said: When proud and passionate Eustacia Vye marries Clym Yeobright, she believes she tin finally leave her rural life at Egdon Heath behind. But their unhappy marriage causes a chain of events culminating in tragedy, and their realisation that their destinies cannot be controlled.

You lot said: I chose this book because Eustacia Vye is misunderstood - as are many women.

Linda M, Twitter

91. A Portrait of the Artist as a Immature Man by James Joyce (1916)

We said: A Portrait of the Creative person as a Boyfriend was James Joyce's first novel and details the immature artist discovering his vocalisation, craft and identity through his literary alter ego, Stephen Dedalus. There are echoes of his techniques hither before they are refined in his subsequently works such as Ulysses and Finnegans Wake.

You said: Joyce is non merely the greatest stylist in English language, but the novel contains one of the almost complex discussions of aesthetics in the 20th century.

Donald Yard, Twitter

92. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (1902)

We said: JosephConrad's novella has been deemed by many as a 'difficult read', but this enigmatic and atmospheric piece of fiction of Charles Marlow's journey up the Congo river – which also provided the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now – will leave you unfolding its many layers for a long fourth dimension after.

You said: What an amazing piece of writing from someone who had to learn the language starting time...

Tracey L, Twitter

93. N and Southward past Elizabeth Gaskell (1854)

We said: A swooningly romantic book with an exhilaratingly combative pairing at the centre. The themes of wealth and gender inequality are woven in seamlessly, and are completely integral to the electric dynamic between Margaret Hale and John Thornton.

You said: This novel combines a cute love story and discussion of important economical and social bug of its fourth dimension.

Alina, Twitter

94. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (1985)

We said: 'When it start came out it was viewed as existence far-fetched,' said Margaret Atwood in 2017. The continued regression of ballgame laws and women's rights across the earth has merely made Atwood's dystopian all the more pertinent; and ensuring the book – and TV testify's – place in history as a lynchpin of the feminist resistance.

Y'all said: I chose this volume because information technology gives a feminist perspective on the world. Also, Atwood uses events from history to create the story, which I detect of import. History is a circle.

Emma H, Twitter

95. Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky (2004)

We said: A novel of two halves, Suite Francaise is about life and death in occupied France, and finding love and promise in the nigh unexpected of places.

Yous said: This is my favourite book. It is an extremely moving account of the kinds of things that actually happened in Nazi-occupied France during the 2d World War. It presents the dilemmas, fears and choices that were felt and had to be fabricated by ordinary people.

Jim H, Twitter

96. 1 Twenty-four hours in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn (1962)

Nosotros said: This deeply personal and unforgettable account of a day in the life at a Soviet labour military camp in the 1950s is highly considered to be i of the greats of contemporary literature.

You said: Solzhenitsyn'south writing from personal experience of life/existence in a forced labour camp under Stalin's communist regime is a stark, barbarous, masterpiece.

Brian T, Twitter

97. What A Separate! by Jonathan Coe (1994)

We said: The Winshaw family are the most powerful and cruellest family in England that is until their biographer Michael Owen starts investigating the family's corrupt and immoral activities. A dark and wickedly funny story which makes a profound statement on the Thatcherite era.

You said: This novel has and so much to say well-nigh human being nature, political power and the aristocracy, and always will do. Caustic, heartfelt, funny, devastating; a beautiful volume.

Declan C, Twitter

98. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance past Robert Pirsig (1974)

Nosotros said: Anyone looking for an introduction to philosophy need look no further. Information technology's also a touching portrayal of fatherhood and friendship.

Yous said: An astonishing philosophical chance that influenced a generation.

Jason F, Twitter

99. White Nights by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1848)

We said: 1 of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's underrated works, this short story is divided into six sections. With themes of loneliness and unrequited love told by a nameless narrator – it'southward quintessential Dostoyevsky.

You lot said: This is an incredibly cute and uplifting book. Everyone should read it!

Melly, Twitter

100. Hard Times pastCharles Dickens (1854)

We said: Dickens uses the fictional boondocks of Coketown and its inhabitants to explore the harsh realities of the Industrial Historic period and the importance of imagination in a world driven by fact.

You said: Pathos, humour, social comment, politic and incredibly well-fatigued, conceivable characters.

Angela, Twitter

What'due south your favourite classic read? Let us know at @penguinukbooks.

Books ranked in no particular lodge. Some answers have been edited for clarity and style.