Best Classics

The 200 highest-rated Classics, scored from 200K reader ratings.

Not sure where to start? What to read first →

Sort byDecadeMinimum ratingsAdaptation200 results

By year of first publication, 1321–1987. The busiest stretch is 1950–1999, with 98. Select a bar to narrow the list.

1
9.19.1 / 10
The Return of the KingJ. R. R. Tolkien2.1K ratings“The Return of the King” delivers the great battles, yet its lasting force lies in the quieter pages that follow.Our view
2
9.19.1 / 10
The Lord of the RingsJ. R. R. Tolkien2.1K ratings“The Lord of the Rings” is the fantasy quest at full scale.Our view
3
8.98.9 / 10
The Two TowersJ. R. R. Tolkien3.9K ratingsIn “The Two Towers” Tolkien turns a quest into a war and lets “The Lord of the Rings” grow darker without losing its sweep.Our view

Why The Return of the King is #1

The Return of the King (J. R. R. Tolkien) scores 9.1/10 from 2.1K ratings — level with The Lord of the Rings at one decimal, and ahead on the exact score.

The score is a weighted average across 3 independent rating sources. A title with few ratings is pulled toward the category average, so a handful of enthusiastic reviews cannot outrank a book that thousands of readers have judged. To keep the list varied, the top 20 holds at most two books from one series and three by one author; the rest follow further down. Method →

Why read an old book today?

Classics lasted not because schools assigned them, but because each generation kept finding itself in them. See whether you do too.

People have not agedJealousy, pride and fear of a wasted life look the same in a carriage or a bus.
Let it warm upNovels like “Middlemarch” start slowly. If nothing holds you a few chapters in, put it down.
Choose a good translationA translation can age a book by a century, or refresh it. Compare two editions’ first pages.

Frequently asked questions

Which title here has the most ratings?

Nineteen Eighty-Four (George Orwell) — 9.3K ratings and 8.5/10, which puts it at #13 on this list.