Culture and Anarchy – Matthew Arnold

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

★★★★★

One of the most famous Christmas stories was published in 1843. Christmas Carol managed to portray the atmosphere of Victorian Christmas celebrations. Furthermore Charles has inspired many when it comes to celebrating this holiday and most importantly highlighted what is most important, and that is humanity.

The Confessions – Jean Jacques Rousseau

★★★★★

An autobiographical work by Jean-Jacques Rousseau is a well-known creation, in which he describes a self-portrait that wants to be faithful to nature and not hide anything.

Emma – Jane Austen

★★★★★

Emma is a novel about romantic misunderstandings and youthful arrogance. The story follows relationships between people from several families. The action takes place in the vicinity of Donwell Abbey, Randalls, Hartfield, and the fictional place of Highbury.

The Man in the Iron Mask – Alexandre Dumas

★★★★★

Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas is the latest episode in a series of several novels in which Alexandre celebrates famous musketeers. Who is the mysterious prisoner in the Bastille? What is the nature of the threat it poses? All this and more is found in the popular work of the French writer.

Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

★★★★★

This is the thirteenth novel by Charles Dickens depicting the education of the orphan Pip. Great Expectations is the second novel after David Copperfield told to end in the first person.

The Hairy Ape – Eugene O'Neill

★★★★★

Hairy Ape is an expressionist work by Eugene O'Neill. Furthermore, this work from 1922 describes a reckless worker as the main protagonist in the drama, who all the time wants to have a sense of belonging in a society controlled by the rich.

The Canterbury Tales – Geoffrey Chaucer

★★★★★

Canterbury Tales is a collection of 24 stories spanning over 17,000 lines, written between 1387 and 1400 by Geoffrey Chaucer.

The Prince and the Pauper – Mark Twain

★★★★★

Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain is a novel first published in 1881. The story follows two young boys who were born on the same day and who are identical just like twins. One of them lives with an alcoholic father, and the other is the son of King Henry VIII of England.

A Doll's House – Henrik Ibsen

★★★★★

Doll's House is a three-act drama by Henrik Ibsen. This play premiered at the Royal Theater in 1879. The story follows characters from a Norwegian city.

The Great Gatsby – Francis Scott Fitzgerald

★★★★★

Great Gatsby is a 1925 work that traces the time of jazz on Long Island. The novel depicts the interaction of narrator Nick Carraway with millionaire Jay Gatsby and his obsession to get his ex-lover Daisy back.

The Waste Land – T. S. Eliot

★★★★★

The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot is one of the most important collections of poems of the 20th century, which is also considered an integral and unavoidable work of modern poetry.

The Brothers Karamazov – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

★★★★★

Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky was first published in 1879. It is the last work by a Russian author who spent almost two years writing this novel. The story follows Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov and his three sons in a series of conflicts and love affairs.

The Enormous Room – E. E. Cummings

★★★★★

The Enormous Room by E. E. Cummings is an autobiographical novel published in 1922 about a temporary stay in prison during the First World War.

The Secret Agent – Joseph Conrad

★★★★★

Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad was a novel first published in 1907. The story follows Mr. Adolf Verloc in London in 1886 and his work as a spy for an unknown country.

The Way of the Bow – Paulo Coelho

★★★★★

The Way of the Bow is a work first published in 2017. In Sagittarius we meet Tetsuya, a man who was once known for his skill with the bow and arrow, but who has since retired from public life, and a boy who goes looking for that man. The boy has a lot of questions for Tetsuya, and while answering to the boy he simultaneously outlines the principles of a meaningful life.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles – Agatha Christie

★★★★★

Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie is a famous detective novel written during the First World War, which was first published in the United States in 1920.

The Marvelous Land of Oz – L. Frank Baum

★★★★★

Marvelous Land of Oz is a sequel to the adventures of the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow. Furthermore, it is the second book by L. Frank Baum set in the land of Oz and a sequel to one of the most famous stories of all time.

Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen

★★★★★

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen were initially published anonymously By A Lady. The story follows sisters Marianne and Elinor on their path to adulthood.

Culture and Anarchy – Matthew Arnold

★★★★★

Culture and Anarchy by Matthew Arnold was a series of essays first published in Cornhill Magazine between 1867 and 1868, and a preface was added in 1869.

Paul Verlaine – Stefan Zweig

★★★★★

Paul Verlaine by Stefan Zweig is a collection of short stories in which the author highlights the best and worst in people.

The Voyage Out – Virginia Woolf

★★★★★

Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf is the first novel published in 1915. The story follows Rachel Vinrace with a group of people traveling by boat to South America.

The Importance of Being Earnest – Oscar Wilde

★★★★★

Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde is a trivial comedy first performed in 1895. It is a comedy where the main characters rely on fictional characters to avoid social obligations.

The Age of Innocence – Edith Wharton

★★★★★

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton is the twelfth novel originally published in 1920. The story follows a young lawyer engaged to May Welland, who soon meets her cousin, a woman surrounded by scandal and unbound by conventions.

The Aeneid – Virgil

★★★★★

Aeneid by Virgil is an epic poem written between 29 and 19 BC. It is the story of a Trojan who escaped after the fall of Troy and traveled to Italy. The song consists of 9,896 lines.

The Mysterious Island – Jules Verne

★★★★★

Mysterious Island by Jules Verne is a novel published in 1875. The story follows a period during the American Civil War when five prisoners from the north decided to escape with the help of hot air balloons. Flying through the night, they suddenly wake up on a deserted island, but they are not alone.

Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

★★★★★

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy was a novel first published in 1878. According to Tolstoy, it was his first real novel. It is one of the greatest works ever written.

Walden – Henry David Thoreau

★★★★★

Walden by Henry David Thoreau is book as part of a social experiment and to some extent a handbook for self-confidence. It was originally published in 1854.

Gulliver's Travels – Jonathan Swift

★★★★★

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift is a prose satire from 1726 that depicts human nature in a somewhat satirical way. The story is divided into four parts like Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, Captain of Several Ships.

Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson

★★★★★

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is an adventure novel about buried gold. Furthermore, the novel is best known for its plot, characters, and atmosphere.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman – Laurence Sterne

★★★★★

Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne is a novel published in nine volumes. The first two appeared in 1759, while the other seven came out over the next seven years. It is assumed that it is a biography based on the character of the same name.

Hamlet – William Shakespeare

★★★★★

The tragic story of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare from 1599 and 1601. This is the longest known drama from a famous playwright with 29,551 words.

Ivanhoe – Walter Scott

★★★★★

Ivanhoe is a romantic story about a Saxon knight whose love for Lady Rowena as well as his loyalty to King Richard negatively affect his relationship with his father. Furthermore, the family has given him up and must find a way to re-enter society. This is a historical novel by Walter Scott published in three volumes.

Eugene Oneguine – Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin

★★★★★

Eugene Onegin is a novel written in verse. The famous work by Alexander Pushkin is considered a classic of Russian literature that appeared in series between 1825 and 1832. The story follows a selfish hero who lives for a moment to regret rejecting a woman's love and thus encouraging a duel with a best friend.

The Yosemite – John Muir

★★★★★

It is clear how strong the connection was between Yosemite National Park and naturalist John Muir who helped draw the proposed boundaries. He also founded the Sierra Club to protect the park. In the work John initiates a dialogue that led to the acknowledgement of a beautiful park in 1890. Furthermore, Muir inspired many travelers to recall the park.

Moby Dick – Herman Melville

★★★★★

Moby-Dick is a novel by Herman Melville. The book is the story of sailor Ishmael about Captain Ahab's quest to take revenge on Moby Dick, a large white whale who bit off the captain's leg on one of his previous voyages.

The Jungle Book – Rudyard Kipling

★★★★★

The Jungle Book is a wonderful story about a special friendship between boys and animals. Most of the characters in the book are animals like the Baloo bear or the Shere Khan tiger. The story follows a boy Mowgli who was raised by wolves.

The Trial – Franz Kafka

★★★★★

The Trial is a novel by Franz Kafka, one of his most famous works. The story follows Josef K, a man arrested by an inaccessible authority, but the nature of his crime is not revealed to him, nor the reader.

Hedda Gabler – Henrik Ibsen

★★★★★

This is a drama by Henrik Ibsen premiered in 1891. The story follows Hedda, the daughter of a general who returned to her villa after their honeymoon. Her husband George Tesman is a young academic. Although Hedda never loved him, she married him thinking that her youth was over.

The Iliad – Homer

★★★★★

The Iliad was written sometime around the 8th century BC. It is divided into 24 books and is written in Homeric Greek. The story follows the events during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city, and the events during the quarrel between the warrior Achilles and King Agamemnon.

The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne

★★★★★

The theme of Scarlet Letter is social stigma and shame. On the one hand, Dimmesdale is ashamed, and on the other, there is Hester's public humiliation. The relationship between the two characters was not talked about, not even the circumstances that led to the pregnancy, so the affair never became part of the conspiracy.

The Sorrows of Young Werther – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

★★★★★

Sorrows of Young Werther is a story about a young man's response to unrequited love, presented as a collection of poems dedicated by Werther to his friend Wilhelm. This novel by Wolfgang von Goethe appeared as a revised edition in 1787.

The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas

★★★★★

This adventurous French novel is one of the most famous books, according to which several films have been made. The novel abounds in chivalrous fighters or skilled swordsmen who fight for justice.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Arthur Conan Doyle

★★★★★

A collection of 12 short stories also known as Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was first published in 1892. Each of the stories seeks to correct social inequalities, and Sherlock as the main character seeks to show a sense of justice.

A Princess of Mars – Edgar Rice Burroughs

★★★★★

The Princess of Mars is an example of 20th-century pulp fiction. In other words, it is a sci-fi novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs first from the Barsoom series.

Beowulf – Anonymous

★★★★★

Beowulf is a poem consisting of 3182 lines. Furthermore is one of the most frequently translated works written according to Germanic heroic legend.

The War of the Worlds – H.G. Wells

★★★★★

The War of the Worlds is a novel by H. G. Wells. This sci-fi work was first published in 1897, and a year later it first appeared on a hardcover.

Around the World in 80 Days – Jules Verne

★★★★★

The adventure novel by Jules Verne was first published in 1872. A journey around the world in 80 days is the story of an attempt by Phileas Fogg and a French valet to sail the world in 80 days.

War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

★★★★★

War and Peace is a work on philosophy and history by Leo Tolstoy. This work was published in its entirety in 1869 and is considered one of the best literary achievements!

Macbeth – William Shakespeare

★★★★★

Macbeth is a famous work by William Shakespeare. This tragedy was first shown in 1606 and shows the negative psychological as well as the physical effects of political ambitions.

Dante – The Divine Comedy

★★★★★

The divine comedy began c. 1308 and was completed in 1320, a year before the death of Dante Alighieri. This is one of the most special works of Italian literature.

Don Quixote – Cervantes

★★★★★

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes is a Spanish novel originally published in two parts, 1605 and 1615.

Peter Pan – JM Barrie

★★★★★

Few have not read or at least heard of the story of the boy who does not want to grow up. The book was published as a drama in 1904 and a novel in 1911.

Love and Friendship – Jane Austen

★★★★★

The famous story of Jane Austen from 1790 ... Jane wrote from the age of eleven to eighteen in three notebooks. These notebooks have been preserved, two are in the British Museum and one in the Bodleian Library.

Nicomachean Ethics – Aristotle

★★★★★

Aristotle - Nicomachean Ethics is a work that plays an important role in defining ethics. It contains ten books and is believed to be based on notes from a famous lecture in the Lyceum.

Metamorphosis – Franz Kafka

★★★★★

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is an allegorical novella first published in 1915. The story follows the salesman Gregor Samsa who wakes up as an insect one day. In the continuation of the plot, Gregor tries to adapt to a new, life after he transformed into a big cockroach.

Totem and Taboo – Sigmund Freud

★★★★★

The Totem and Taboo by Sigmund depict the similarities between neurotics and savage life. The book was originally published in 1913.

This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald

★★★★★

This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a debut novel by a famous writer published in 1920. The story follows the time after the First World War and explores the morals of American youth.

The Descent of Man – Charles Darwin

★★★★★

Descent of Man by Charles Darwin is a work on the origin of man and choice about gender. The book was first published in 1871, through which Charles describes his theory of sexual choice.

The Red Badge of Courage – Stephen Crane

★★★★★

Red Badge of Courage by is a war novella. The story follows young Union soldier Henry Fleming fleeing the battlefield during the American Civil War.

Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad

★★★★★

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad was a short story first published in 1899. The story follows Charles Marlow, a sailor who takes over from a trading company as captain of a ferry.

The Secret Adversary – Agatha Christie

★★★★★

Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie is the second detective novel first published in 1922. It was first published in the United Kingdom and later in the United States.

Uncle Vanya – Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

★★★★★

Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov is a drama first published in 1898. The story follows a visit to the estate of Professor Serebryakov and his wife Yelena. It is this property that supports their lifestyle in town.

Through the Looking – Glass by Lewis Carroll

★★★★★

Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll is a novel published in 1871. The story follows Alice and the continuation of her adventures in Wonderland. Alice once again enters the world of fantasy, but this time through a special mirror.

Father Goriot – Honoré de Balzac

★★★★★

Father Goriot by Honoré de Balzac is a novel originally published in a series from 1834–35. The action takes place in Paris in 1819, in a dirty boarding house on the left bank of the Seine.

Bhagavad-Gîtâ – Sir Edwin Arnold

★★★★★

The Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is a Hindu scripture of 700 verses, dating from the second half of the first millennium BC. It is also considered one of the scriptures for Hinduism. The work reveals how human beings can achieve liberation through knowledge and devotion. This book is an English translation by Sir Edwin Arnold.

Theresa Raquin – Émile Zola

★★★★★

Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola is a novel originally published in 1867. It was only the third novel by this author, but the first to gain fame. The story follows a young and embittered woman married to cousin Camille.

To the Lighthouse – Virginia Woolf

★★★★★

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf is a novel originally published in 1927. The main focus is on the Ramsay family and their visits to Skye Island between 1910 and 1920.

Leaves of Grass – Walt Whitman

★★★★★

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman is a collection of poetry published in 1855. Walt spent most of his time reworking Leaves of Grass, revising it several times until his death. The collection celebrates the philosophy of humanity and life and at the same time glorifies the role of the individual within that society.

The Island of Doctor Moreau – H. G. Wells

★★★★★

The Island of Doctor Moreau is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells originally published in 1896. The story follows Edward Prendick a shipwrecked man who was rescued by a passing boat crew and who was then left on Dr. Moreau's island.

Candide – Voltaire

★★★★★

Candide by Voltaire is a French satire originally published in 1759. The story follows Candide, the illegitimate nephew of a German baron who grew up in the baron's castle under the Pangloss.

The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana – Vatsyayana

★★★★★

This book represents a new standard for translation. The Kama Sutra is a unique work of sociology and psychology

The History of the Peloponnesian War – Thucydides

★★★★★

The history of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides is a depiction of the battles fought between Delian and the Peloponnesian League. Thucydides is a historian who also served as a general during the war.

Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray

★★★★★

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray was originally published in July 1848. The story follows the lives of Amelia Sedley and Becky Sharp during and after the Napoleonic Wars.

Dracula – Bram Stoker

★★★★★

Dracula by Bram Stoker is a novel published in 1897. Although there is no protagonist, the story begins with a lawyer Jonathan Harker who goes on a business trip so he can stay at the castle of the nobleman Count Dracula. This epistolary novel is connected with newspaper articles and diary entries.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson

★★★★★

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson is a Gothic novella published in 1886. The work is also known as Jekyll and Hyde.

Tender Buttons – Gertrude Stein

★★★★★

Tender Buttons is a three-part book by Gertrude Stein. The short book consists of several poems related to everyday life. However, the experimental use of poem language makes these themes unorthodox.

Studies in Pessimism – Arthur Schopenhauer

★★★★★

Studies in Pessimism by Arthur Schopenhauer have been declared a culturally important work that is part of the civilization we know. This work is reproduced from the original artifact and strives to remain faithful to the original work.

The Republic – Plato

★★★★★

The Republic is one of the oldest works. The author Plato wrote a work on the righteous man and the relationship between man and society around 375 BC. Furthermore, he was focused on the character of the city-state as well as the order in society.

Beyond Good and Evil – Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

★★★★★

Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche is Prelude to a Philosophy, which encompasses his ideas from Thus Spoke Zarathustra. However, in this book, there is a greater focus on the polemical approach. The work was first published in 1886.

Utopia – Saint Thomas More

★★★★★

Utopia is a famous work by Thomas More. This combination of socio-political satire and fiction was written in Latin and published in 1516. The work describes island society and its political, social as well as religious customs.

The Call of the Wild – Jack London

★★★★★

Call of the Wild is an adventure novel by Jack London, published in 1903. The story follows Buck's dog in Yukon, Canada during the 1908 gold rush.

The Critique of Pure Reason – Immanuel Kant

★★★★★

Critique of Pure Reason is a book by Immanuel Kant in which the author tries to determine the scope of metaphysics as well as boundaries. It was originally published in 1781.

The Turn of the Screw – Henry James

★★★★★

The Turn of the Screw is a short novel by Henry James. This horror novel was published in 1898. The story begins on Christmas Eve when an unknown narrator begins the story according to a manuscript written by his sister's late governess.

Notre-Dame de Paris – Victor Hugo

★★★★★

Hunchback of Notre Dame is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo. The novel has been adapted several times for film, with this story Victor sought to preserve the value of French culture. The story follows Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer of Notre Dame, and his unrequited love for the dancer Esmeralda.

The Odyssey – Homer

★★★★★

The Odyssey is one of the oldest literary works, and just like the Iliad, it is divided into 24 books. The story follows Odysseus, the Greek king on his way home after the end of the Trojan War.

Grimms' Fairy Tales – Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm

★★★★★

Grimms' Fairy Tales is one of the most famous German collections of fairy tales first published in 1812. The first volumes were not well received, because although they were children's stories, many did not consider them suitable for children. Changes were made in later editions, but violence remained, especially when villains were punished.

The Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas

★★★★★

The Count of Monte Cristo is an adventure novel published in 1844. The plot takes place on islands in the Mediterranean, Italy, and France. The story follows a young Frenchman, Edmond Dantès, who is falsely accused of treason and then imprisoned without trial. Edmond ends up in the Château d’If, a dark fort of a small island near Marseille.

Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

★★★★★

Crime and Punishment is a Russian novel that describes the moral dilemmas of poor student Rodion Raskolnikov who develops a plan to kill an immoral pawnbroker. Before the murder, Rodion hopes with the help of money to get rid of poverty. The novel was first published in 1886.

The Wizard of Oz – L. Frank Baum

★★★★★

In a children’s novel Baum, L. Frank describes the adventures of a young girl who is torn by a tornado together with her pet Toto, to a magical land. As soon as she arrives in Oz, Dorothy realizes that she can't return home until she defeats the Evil Witch from the west.

Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde

★★★★★

Dorian Gray is a philosophical novel by Oscar Wilde. In the center is the artist impressed by the beauty. Realizing that his beauty could fade, Dorian expresses a desire to sell his soul to make sure he stays young while only the paint gets old.

The Time Machine – H.G. Wells

★★★★★

A science fiction novel by H. G. Wells was published in 1895. The story served to popularize the idea of time travel using forward or backward travel devices.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain

★★★★★

The famous story of a boy who grew up along the Mississippi River is a novel by Mark Twain from 1876. The story is based on the place of Hannibal, Missouri, where the writer spent his childhood.

Romeo & Juliet – William Shakespeare

★★★★★

The tragedy of a loving couple is a story written by William Shakespeare at the beginning of his career. It was one of the most popular dramas of his life and one of the most performed, besides Hamlet.

The Raven – Edgar Allan Poe

★★★★★

This narrative poem by Edgar Allan Poe was first published in 1845. It is the story of a visit from a raven who addresses a lover, following a man's slow departure into madness.

The Lady with the Dog – Anton Chekhov

★★★★★

A short story by Anton Chekhov was first published in 1899 and describes an affair between a married woman and an unhappily married banker from Moscow.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll

★★★★★

The famous children’s novel by Lewis Carroll is a wonderful story. The novel from 1865 is the story of a girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into the wondrous world of strange creatures.

Pride & Prejudice – Jane Austen

★★★★★

The novel of 1813 is a well-known story that is classified as a romantic novel, but also a satire.

Youth – Isaac Asimov

★★★★★

A science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov was first published in 1952. This is one of the few stories of the famous writer about aliens.

The Clouds – Aristophanes

★★★★★

This is a Greek comedy by Aristophanes about the ridicule of the fashion in Athens in 423 BC.