Top Ten Classic Novels
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Today I’m linking up with The Broke and the Bookish’s Top Ten Tuesday again. This week, the
subject is the top ten classic books I’ve read. There are some truly amazing
classic books out there, from the works of Charles Dickens, to the books by Elizabeth Gaskell. I enjoy reading books written in different historical
periods, and I’m fond of many of the classic novels I’ve read. Many of my
favourite books come from the same group of authors, and most of them have
amazing movie adaptations too. Here are my top ten favourite classic novels.
1. Pride
and Prejudice
Jane Austen
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This book is one of the ultimate classics for me. I’ve read
all of Jane Austen’s novels, and I really enjoyed them all. Pride and Prejudice is one of my very
favourites. The dialogue is witty, the time period is enthralling, and the
story lacks neither drama nor humour. This book takes Regency England and
really brings it to life.
2. Bleak
House
Charles Dickens
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Bleak House wasn’t
a book I originally expected to love. It was thick, the writing on the page was
dense and altogether it looked like it was going to be a lot of work to get
through. But I was quickly caught up in the story, chasing down the answer to a
mystery and following the many tangled threads of the characters’ lives. It’s
one of my favourites of Charles Dickens’ books. I also love the descriptions in
this book. There are many of them, but they’re so rich that they just add to
the story.
3. The
Moonstone
Wilkie Collins
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Wilkie Collins is a master of the classic mystery, and his
books are sometimes narrated by very unusual characters. This book takes a
mystery, and twists it so that the ending is quite a surprise, and the journey
there is unexpected. I loved this book the first time I read it, and I’ve read
it a few times since then, enjoying it more every time. I’ve read three of his
books, and I’ve enjoyed them all.
4. North
and South
Elizabeth Gaskell
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I was first introduced to this book by the mini-series
actually. I borrowed the series from the library, and after watching it, I wanted to
try the book too. Despite the amount of politics in the book, I found that I
really enjoyed reading it. The world of the mill town was enthrallingly
different from the settings of most of the classic books I’ve read, and the
constant friction between the characters kept the book interesting.
5. Little
Dorrit
Charles Dickens
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This is my other favourite book by Charles Dickens. Again, I
was first introduced to this book by watching the BBC mini-series adaptation.
I’ve always enjoyed the BBC adaptations of classic books, and I enjoyed this
one so much I watching it through twice in a row and promptly went on to read
and love the book as well. The story of Arthur Clennam and Amy Dorrit, two
genuinely good people, is even better in the book.
6. The
Woman in White
Wilkie Collins
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This is another great novel from Wilke Collins. I originally
read this one immediately after The
Moonstone, having just discovered how amazing Wilkie Collins’ writing
actually was, and loved it at once. This book has it all; mystery, romance,
adventure, danger, and, as one can always expect from a book by this man, a cast
of very interesting characters.
7. Persuasion
Jane
Austen
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This is my favourite Jane Austen novel. I’ve read it many,
many times, and I still love it as much as ever. It’s very different from Pride and Prejudice. The writing is
still sharp, and the dialogue is snappy, but Anne Elliot, the main character,
is more of the strong, quiet type of girl, overlooked by everyone, but still
working in the background to help others and eventually find her own happy
ending.
8. Jane
Eyre
Charlotte Bronte
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I have to admit, I’m not a massive
fan of the Bronte sisters’ books. I prefer Jane Austen’s society stories to
their darker dramas, but Jane Eyre
caught my imagination the first time I read it, and quickly joined the list of
my favourite classic books. It’s got dark secrets, a romance (historical
romances are the best kind in my opinion), and a main character with a sad past
that is almost enough to cry over. It’s a beautiful book.
9. Sense
and Sensibility
Jane Austen
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I know I’ve now got three of Jane Austen’s novels on my
list, but her books deserve their spots. They’re all so entertaining and well-written,
and I love all her characters, from the wittiest, to the meanest, to the
downright silly ones. What I like most about Sense and Sensibility is the differences between the sisters
Eleanor and Marianne. They’re so different, and they hold such different views
on love, but in the end, they both get their happy endings.
10. The
Law and the Lady
Wilkie Collins
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This is the only other Wilkie Collins book I’ve read, and it’s
my absolute favourite. It’s another mystery, but the person solving the mystery
is a woman, determined to find the real culprit behind a murder her husband was
tried, but never convicted for because of lack of evidence. It’s an intriguing
mystery with a very likeable main character. I’ve read this book many times,
and right now I’m starting to feel the need to read it again.
Have you read any of these
books? What’s your favourite classic novel? Got any recommendations as to other
classic authors I should try?
18 comments
I'm seeing Pride and Prejudice around quite a lot this week. I do think it's one of those books that everyone feels like they should read. I've read it and found it enjoyable, but it didn't blow me away.
ReplyDeletePride and Prejudice seems to be one of those books that everyone automatically thinks of when they think of classic books. I'm sure most people have had a go at reading it too. She's a great writing, but I actually like Persuasion better than Pride and Prejudice, which I wasn't expecting. Something a writer's most famous book isn't always their most enjoyable. Thanks for stopping by Chrissi.
DeleteI have never heard of Moonstone before. The cover looks fascinating .. I am going to look for that book at my library!
ReplyDeleteAngie
Top Ten Tuesday
I hope you enjoy it. The way the mystery was solved was just genius. I love every word of this book. Thanks for visiting my blog.
DeleteJane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice were on my list too. They definitely are showing up a lot, like chrissireads said, but I think it's for a good reason. :)
ReplyDeleteI think so. Jane Austen is a very good writer, and I love most of her books to bits. They're just so well written and so witty, and they make a great comment on issues in her time also. Jane Eyre is darker, but no less powerful, and I think it definitely deserves all the fame it has.
DeleteYour picks are right up my alley! I've never heard of The Law and the Lady though. I need to read more Wilkie Collins.
ReplyDeleteIf you've enjoyed an of Wilkie Collins' other works, then I'm sure you'll love this book too. It's a great mystery, and it's a riveting story as well. I think he's one of my very favourite classic authors. Loved your top ten list by the way. It was such a creative twist on this week's prompt.
DeleteI would like to read all of Jane Austen's books. I am sad to admit that I have only watched movies on her books, not actually read her books. I loved Jane Eyre and can appreciate Dickens. Great list! Here is mine: Top Ten Favorite Classics
ReplyDeleteThere are some very good adaptations of Jane Austen's books, especially the ones done by the BBC. The Pride and Prejudice mini series for example is almost as good as reading the book. I hope you enjoy her books when you do get around to reading them.
DeleteA lot of our favorites match up. I haven't heard of The Law and the Lady before, I'll have to check it out. Armadale is another great Wilkie Collins book. There's a character named Lydia Gwilt who appears half way through and is just awesome!
ReplyDeleteBetween Bookends
They do indeed. We much just have excellent taste in books. I haven't heard of Armadale before. I shall have to see if I can find a copy of that for my Kindle and read that. I love Wilkie Collins books, but I'm afraid to say I've only read three of them so far. I'll be sure to look out for Lydia Gwilt!
DeleteHave you read Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell? It might be right up your alley; I picked it up after seeing the miniseries and fell in love!
ReplyDeleteNo I'm sad to say I haven't yet. I saw the mini series not long ago and absolutely loved it but I haven't yet got around to reading the book, which I am most ashamed of. I shall have to hunt it out at once. Thanks for stopping by!
DeletePride & Prejudice is one of my all-time favourite classics (and just books generally!) I really enjoyed the BBC Little Dorrit, but I could not get into the book when I tried it, unfortunately. Perhaps I'll try again at some point!
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough that when I read Little Dorrit I was already starting to like Dickens' works and was very enthusiastic about them, which helped. I don't know if you've read any of his books before, but his is definitely a writing style one needs to get used to before one can appreciate it. Took me a while to enjoy his books I must say, and I don't like Oliver Twist much still.
DeleteGreat list! I'm glad to see Jane Eyre on so many lists. It should have made mine.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very popular book it seems. I think it deserves all the recognition it gets. I haven't tried many of the Bronte sisters books (and sadly I haven't really enjoyed many of them either, though I would probably like them more if I tried them now), but this book blew me away the first time I read it, and I had to read it quite a few times after that. Thanks for stopping by!
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