Classic books worth reading

Classics have a reputation for being difficult, but many read as easily as a contemporary novel. This selection brings together titles with compelling stories, a manageable length and themes that still resonate.

How the books were chosen

Each book can be understood without prior context and holds the reader's interest from start to finish. Essential but more demanding titles, such as the full Don Quixote or Ulysses, have been left out.

International classics

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The novel is far funnier than its reputation suggests. Dialogue full of irony carries a story of misunderstandings and mistaken first impressions.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The original novel has little in common with its film adaptations. The creature speaks, reasons and raises questions that remain strikingly relevant.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Gregor Samsa wakes up transformed into an insect, and his family's reaction proves more unsettling than the transformation itself. It can be read in an afternoon.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

The animals on a farm drive out the farmer and set up their own government. Short and sharp, it works both as a story and as a political allegory.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

This is the longest book on the list, but also one of the most addictive. Edmond Dantès's quest for revenge moves at the pace of a serial, chapter by chapter.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Brief and suitable for any age, it reads differently at every stage of life.

Classics from the Spanish-speaking world

Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez

The outcome is revealed on the first page, yet the tension never fades. It is one of the best ways into the author's work.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold book review

Nada by Carmen Laforet

A young woman arrives in post-war Barcelona to study and moves in with relatives. The narrator's perspective and the stifling atmosphere of the flat keep the novel surprisingly fresh.

The Tunnel by Ernesto Sabato

A painter confesses in the very first line to killing a woman. The novel, short and intense, explores obsession from the inside.

Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo

A man travels to Comala in search of his father and finds a village inhabited by voices. The opening pages can be disorienting, but the reward comes as the pieces fall into place.

Lazarillo de Tormes, anonymous

A boy survives by serving a series of masters, each more eccentric than the last. It is short, funny and far more readable than its age suggests. A modern translation with notes helps with the period references.

The House of Bernarda Alba by Federico García Lorca

After the death of her second husband, Bernarda imposes eight years of mourning on her daughters. The play can be read in one sitting and leaves a lasting impression.

Marianela by Benito Pérez Galdós

A poor young woman acts as guide to a blind young man. It is one of Galdós's most accessible novels and a good introduction to the author.