I’ve always been a reader. Whenever presented with the dreaded “use one word to describe yourself” icebreaker, I say I’m a reader. Ever since I can remember, there’s been a book on my bedside table, waiting to be opened. Maybe it started with my father, whose voice lulled me to sleep each night as he brought stories to life. Maybe it started with my mother, who kept me and my brother’s bookshelves stacked with hand-me-downs. Whatever the cause, being a reader has consistently been a core part of my identity.
Despite this label, I still find myself (like many others) intimidated by classics. And honestly, I don’t even know why.
I’ve read hundreds of books and countless classics—but only when some external force pushed me too. I was the nerd in your AP English Literature class who couldn’t put King Lear down. The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Picture of Dorian Gray, classics by all definitions, are some of my favorite books of all time. Nevertheless, when scanning my bookshelf for my next read, I find myself skipping over these stories that have stood the test of time.Â
I know I’d like most of them; East of Eden sounds right up my alley, and Till We Have Faces has the mythology I’ve adored since middle school.Â
In 2025, I switched my major from English to Journalism, a decision I stand by for various personal and professional reasons. However, I found myself missing the required reading associated with studying literature.Â
For 2026, I decided to fill this void myself. Get over my fear and just pick up the novel. For anyone else scared of classics, a reader or not, I encourage you to do the same. These century-old works remain relevant for a reason; they hold knowledge that transcends generations.
Below is a list of classics I’ve enjoyed and some I plan to read next. If you’ve been intimidated by classics as I have, consider this your sign to start.
Classics for beginners
– The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
– Sula by Toni Morrison
– Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
– The Iliad by Homer
– The Odyssey by Homer
– Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
– The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
– Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
– To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
– Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
My want-to reads
– Metamorphoses by OvidÂ
– Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
– East of Eden by John Steinbeck
– Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
– Macbeth by William Shakespeare
– The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
– White Nights by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
– The Waves by Virginia Woolf
– Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
– Middlemarch by George Eliot
– Immortality by Milan Kundera
I hope this article inspires all of us to read more in 2026—whether it’s classics or something new. Just start somewhere!Â