The Best Classic Books
recommended by critics, novelists and historians
Last updated: July 16, 2025
Classic books are books written in the past that have stood the test of time and continue to be read today. They're popular because they still have resonance and shed light on the human condition, from the pain of war and missing home to wry observations of society's hypocrisies. Often, they're fun to read—because readers want to be entertained. Below, we've collected together some of our interviews recommending a range of classic books, from ancient stories to sci-fi—and from places around the world.
Short Classic Books | Classic Children's Books | Classic Fantasy Books | Modern Classics |
Classic Fantasy Books, recommended by Matthew Sangster
A fantasy ‘classic’ is a book that enables a new kind of story to be written, says fantasy scholar Matthew Sangster. He introduces five classics, and explains how they both build on and subvert our shared stock of stories to create wonderful new worlds – worlds that are not made to be admired from a distance, but rather to be lived inside, and shared.
Modern Classics, recommended by James Rebanks
It’s notoriously difficult to recognise great works of literature at the time of publication, but certain books come to the fore as ‘modern classics’: exceptional texts that will stand the test of time. We asked James Rebanks, the Lake District shepherd and celebrated author, to recommend five books that deserve the label.
Special Edition Books
Publishers regularly bring out special edition books to entice readers to buy a copy of a book they already own. Often, these are books that are either literary classics or more recent bestsellers with a cult following. Here, we’ve collected together five special editions that have come out recently. These are books that have been recommended on Five Books and are well worth reading.
Ten Classic British Novels
Since Five Books was set up in 2009, we’ve interviewed more than 2,000 experts on all manner of subjects. Here’s our roundup of the ten classic British novels that have been recommended most often, starting with Middlemarch, described by Virginia Woolf as “one of the few English novels written for grownup people”.
Five Beautiful Editions of Classic Novels
Some of the best novels ever written are also available in beautiful editions. Here we’ve selected five of our favourites, from the Jane Austen novel that many critics consider her best work to the novel of small-town provincial life that is highly rated by many philosophers.
The Best Classic Crime Fiction, recommended by Sophie Roell
Since the early stories of the 18th and 19th centuries, crime fiction has been an incredibly popular and enduring genre, the investigation of murder somehow capturing the imagination of millions of readers around the globe. Here, Sophie Roell, editor of Five Books, uses strict but simple criteria to pick out the best classic crime fiction, from the Victorian age through to the 1950s.
Science Fiction Classics, recommended by Adam Roberts
The best sci-fi explores humanity’s anxieties and concerns and is, in some sense, about the future—but it doesn’t try to predict what’s to come. Literature professor and sci-fi writer Adam Roberts, author of The History of Science Fiction, recommends five classics of the genre.
The Best Classic Thrillers, recommended by Lucy Atkins
Every week, dozens of new thrillers appear in bookshops. But, often, the classic ones are the best of all. If you haven’t read any of these five yet, you have a treat in store—recommended by British novelist Lucy Atkins, author of the brilliant Magpie Lane.
Classic Children’s Books
From the lessons in logic embedded in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to the lore that J.R.R. Tolkien tried to create in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, there is more to many iconic books than a good story for kids. Here’s our roundup of some of the children’s classics that have been recommended on Five Books over the years.
Classic Novels of the American Civil War, recommended by Craig A. Warren
The American Civil War (1861–1865) was a watershed moment in the history of the United States—and, as a result, has made an enormous impact on American literature, explains Craig A. Warren, author of Scars to Prove It: The Civil War Soldier and American Fiction. Here, he recommends five key texts: classic novels of the American Civil War that, together, offer a panoramic view of a country in crisis.