Best Classics series

The 32 best Classics series, scored across every volume.

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By year of first publication, 1868–1976. The busiest stretch is 1960–1969, with 9. Select a bar to narrow the list.

Why The Lord of the Rings is #1

The Lord of the Rings (J. R. R. Tolkien) scores 8.9/10 from 11.8K ratings — 0.4 points ahead of The Godfather in second place.

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. 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?

Dune (Frank Herbert) — 12.3K ratings and 8.3/10, which puts it at #3 on this list.