Christine at Better Novel Project put out a request on Twitter for a post on the 10 best classics someone could begin reading. I developed some criteria:

• The book must be short enough to sustain interest and momentum.
• I must have read it. This is why your list would look different from mine.
• Teenagers in my classroom must read it by choice (rather than as an assignment).

Caveats:

• Shakespeare has been omitted from this list because of its obviousness.
• Texts range up to the modern era, but none are contemporary, because they must be time-tested.
• I’m defining classic as a book that has had a lasting impact (or represents the collective impact of many authors over time) on culture, media, and literature.
• While I have read texts from around the world, most of them are contemporary. Due to generations of language and publishing barriers, as well as systematic oppression and censorship, I am not qualified make this list more representative of the international community. Please share more international classics below.

Category 1: Staying Power

1. Beowulf

This classic hero tale inspired many fantasy authors.

2. The Perils of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

These stories are hilarious, and a must-read for any fan of mystery, the Sherlock TV series or movie franchise, or retelling (House, Elementary).

3. Grimm’s Fairy Tales by The Brothers Grimm

Because of how we are inundated with fairy tales as children, reading this gritty, page-turning source material will keep you interested.

Category 2: Love Stories

4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Both sweet and hilarious, this classic romance will have your heart fluttering by the end.

5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

People might argue that this is not really a love story, and in the sense of “happily ever after,” it’s not. But it is about what we are willing to do for love, as well as why we love what and who we love.

Category 3: Social Commentary

6. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

This classic African novel tells the tragic story of Okonkwo, a revered and ruthless leader, whose village is forever changed by missionary colonists.

7. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

In this play, a family’s dream collides with the racism involved in real estate.

8. Animal Farm by George Orwell

With the dystopia craze in YA, this is my go-to recommendation to enter into dystopia as a social critique.

Category 4: Thrills and Chills

9. The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories by Edgar Allen Poe

Start with “The Tell-Tale Heart” or another one you’ve heard of before, like “The Raven.” You’ll be able to use what you know to figure out the confusing parts and enjoy the rhythm of the language in the process.

10. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

This nonfiction piece created a genre. Follow Capote as he narrates the true story of a homicide from the perspective of the victims–and the killers.

What would you recommend to someone who wants to dip into classic reading?