• Short Classic Books - Animal Farm by George Orwell
  • Short Classic Books - Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
  • Short Classic Books - Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk by Nikolai Leskov
  • Short Classic Books - Candide Voltaire, translated by Roger Pearson
  • Short Classic Books - Passing by Nella Larsen
  • Short Classic Books - The Abbess of Crewe by Muriel Spark

Short Classic Books

Classic books have stood the test of time and continue to appeal to new readers, but they can feel intimidating. Whether you want to ease your way into classic literature by starting with shorter books, don’t have much time to read, or simply admire writers who are able to say more with less, below is a list of short classic books recommended by experts on Five Books over the years.

  • Classic Historical Fiction Set in Ancient Rome - I, Claudius by Robert Graves
  • Classic Historical Fiction Set in Ancient Rome - Augustus by John Williams
  • Classic Historical Fiction Set in Ancient Rome - Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar, translated by Grace Frick
  • Classic Historical Fiction Set in Ancient Rome - The Death of Virgil by Hermann Broch
  • Classic Historical Fiction Set in Ancient Rome - The Last Days of Pompeii by E Bulwer Lytton
  • Classic Historical Fiction Set in Ancient Rome - Family Favourites by Alfred Duggan

Classic Historical Fiction Set in Ancient Rome

Ever since the ruins of an ancient civilization started to be discovered around Italy, ancient Rome has captured the imagination and inspired writers. Here we’ve collected together all the novels about ancient Rome and its empire that have been recommended on Five Books, from an 18th-century bestseller to the last novel by one of the great fantasy authors of our time.

  • Classic Horror Books - The Shining by Stephen King
  • Classic Horror Books - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
  • Classic Horror Books - Fledgling by Octavia Butler
  • Classic Horror Books - Frankenstein (Book) by Mary Shelley
  • Classic Horror Books - The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter
  • Classic Horror Books - Collected Ghost Stories by MR James

Classic Horror Books

Do you love scary stories? We put together a list of horror novels that have been recommended on Five Books over the years—books we think every horror fan should read before they die. How many have you read?

  • Classic Chinese Novels - Three Kingdoms: A Historical Novel by Luo Guanzhong & Moss Roberts (translator)
  • Classic Chinese Novels - The Water Margin by Shi Naian & translated by J M Jackson
  • Classic Chinese Novels - The Water Outlaws by S L Huang
  • Classic Chinese Novels - Monkey King: Journey to the West Wu Cheng'en, translated by Julia Lovell
  • Classic Chinese Novels - The Story of the Stone (also called Dream of the Red Chamber) by Cao Xueqin

Classic Chinese Novels

During China’s Ming and Qing dynasties, a number of novels were written which are regarded as classics of Chinese literature. Several of them have been recommended on Five Books, including one modern retelling.