Our Literary Classics collection sits within Fiction & Literature and spans nearly 3,700 titles. Here are ten must-reads to start with, from Orwell to Murakami to Satyajit Ray.
1. 1984 — George Orwell
George Orwell's 1984, published in 1949, imagines a totalitarian future ruled by the Party and its omnipresent leader, Big Brother, where independent thought itself is a crime. Protagonist Winston Smith works at the Ministry of Truth rewriting history to match the Party's ever-changing narrative, while secretly harboring doubts about the regime. The novel introduced concepts and terms that have entered everyday language worldwide — Big Brother, doublethink, thoughtcrime, and Room 101 among them. Orwell wrote the book while seriously ill with tuberculosis, completing it shortly before his death in 1950. It remains one of the most frequently cited works of political fiction, regularly invoked in real-world debates about surveillance, propaganda, and authoritarianism. It's consistently ranked among the most important novels of the 20th century and remains widely taught in schools globally. The novel's central romance between Winston and Julia offers a glimmer of human connection against the regime's total control. Its bleak, unresolved ending has made it a subject of ongoing literary and political discussion since publication. Alongside Animal Farm, it cemented Orwell's reputation as one of the defining political novelists of his era. A genuinely essential read for understanding 20th-century political fiction and its continued relevance.
2. 1Q84 — Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami is one of the most internationally celebrated contemporary Japanese novelists, known for blending everyday realism with surreal, dreamlike elements. 1Q84, published in three parts between 2009 and 2010, follows two protagonists — Aomame and Tengo — whose lives become entangled in a Tokyo that has subtly, uncannily shifted from the world they knew. The title is a play on George Orwell's 1984, with the Japanese pronunciation of '9' sounding like the letter 'Q', gesturing toward the novel's own preoccupation with alternate realities and control. At over a thousand pages in its complete English edition, it's one of Murakami's most ambitious and expansive works. The novel weaves together a mysterious religious cult, a ghostwriting conspiracy, and two moons hanging in an altered sky. Murakami's recurring themes — isolation, fate, the porous boundary between reality and dream — are present throughout in heightened form. It became a major bestseller in Japan upon release and was subsequently translated and published to strong international reception. Long stretches of the novel unfold with the patient, atmospheric pacing characteristic of Murakami's style rather than conventional plot momentum. It's frequently cited among his most significant works alongside Norwegian Wood and Kafka on the Shore. A substantial commitment, but one of the essential entry points into Murakami's body of work for serious readers.
3. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World — Elif Shafak
Elif Shafak is a Turkish-British novelist and one of the most widely translated and internationally acclaimed authors writing in English today. This novel, shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2019, unfolds during the final ten minutes and thirty-eight seconds of consciousness after death — a span of time some scientific research suggests the brain may remain active. As the protagonist Leila's mind replays fragments of her life, the novel reconstructs her story through vivid, sensory memory rather than straightforward chronology. The book also centers the friendships Leila formed on the margins of Istanbul society, giving voice to characters often overlooked in mainstream literary fiction. Shafak's writing frequently engages with Turkish politics, gender, and social taboo, and this novel continues that thread while remaining deeply personal and character-driven. Its unconventional structure — built around a single, expanded moment rather than linear plot — sets it apart stylistically within contemporary literary fiction. The Booker Prize shortlisting significantly raised its international profile upon release. Shafak has faced both acclaim and controversy in Turkey for her willingness to address politically sensitive subjects directly. The novel balances difficult, often painful subject matter with genuine warmth toward its characters. A powerful, structurally inventive novel for readers drawn to literary fiction that takes real formal risks.
4. 13 Reasons Why — Jay Asher
Jay Asher's 2007 young adult novel follows high schooler Clay Jensen as he listens to a series of cassette tapes left behind by his classmate Hannah Baker after her suicide, each tape explaining one of thirteen reasons that contributed to her decision. The novel was groundbreaking for its direct, unflinching engagement with teen suicide, bullying, and sexual assault in YA fiction at a time when these topics were less commonly addressed head-on. Its structure — Clay listening to Hannah's voice while retracing the physical locations she references — creates a distinctive dual narrative running in parallel. The book became a major bestseller and was later adapted into a widely watched, and equally widely debated, Netflix series. That adaptation intensified public conversation, including significant debate among mental health professionals about how the story portrays suicide. Asher's novel remains a frequently assigned and frequently challenged book in schools due to its difficult subject matter. It helped open space in YA publishing for more direct treatment of serious mental health topics in subsequent years. The book's structure has been widely imitated in the YA genre since its release. It continues to prompt discussion about how fiction should responsibly depict suicide and its warning signs. An important, if difficult, read — particularly valuable alongside conversations about mental health awareness.
5. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea — Jules Verne
Jules Verne's 1870 novel follows Professor Pierre Aronnax as he's taken aboard the Nautilus, a technologically advanced submarine commanded by the mysterious and vengeful Captain Nemo. Verne is often credited, alongside H.G. Wells, as one of the founding figures of modern science fiction, and this novel remains one of his most enduringly popular works. Written decades before functional submarines existed, the book's technical imagination — describing underwater exploration, marine biology, and submarine engineering — was remarkably prescient for its time. Captain Nemo remains one of literature's most enigmatic antiheroes, driven by a mysterious personal vendetta that's only gradually revealed. The novel combines adventure, scientific speculation, and philosophical reflection on isolation and vengeance. It has been adapted numerous times for film, most famously in Disney's 1954 live-action version. Verne's meticulous descriptive detail about marine life and underwater geography reflects his broader commitment to grounding speculative fiction in real scientific knowledge. The title's 'leagues' refers to distance traveled underwater over the course of the voyage, not depth, a common point of reader confusion. It remains a staple of classic literature curricula and a foundational text for the science fiction and adventure genres alike. A genuine classic that still holds up as both an adventure story and an early landmark of speculative fiction.
6. Love Over Scotland (44 Scotland Street, Vol. 3) — Alexander McCall Smith
Alexander McCall Smith is a prolific Scottish author best known internationally for The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, though his 44 Scotland Street series has built its own devoted following. This is the third volume in that series, which follows an ensemble cast of residents living in a single Edinburgh apartment building. The series originated as a serialized newspaper novel published in daily installments in The Scotsman, giving it an episodic, character-driven pacing distinct from a typically plotted novel. McCall Smith's writing is known for gentle humor, warmth, and close observation of everyday social life rather than high drama or suspense. The ensemble format allows the series to explore many small, interconnected storylines across its recurring cast of neighbours. Edinburgh itself functions almost as a character in the series, with McCall Smith's affection for the city evident throughout. The series has continued for many volumes beyond this one, reflecting sustained reader affection for its characters. It's often recommended to readers who enjoy comfort reading with genuine wit rather than plot-driven page-turners. McCall Smith's broader bibliography spans several long-running series, making him one of the most commercially successful living authors of episodic fiction. A warm, gentle pick for readers wanting character-driven fiction over high-stakes plotting.
7. 19 Love Songs — David Levithan
David Levithan is a prominent YA author and editor known for groundbreaking LGBTQ+ representation in young adult fiction, including his earlier novel Boy Meets Boy, among the first mainstream gay YA romances published. This collection gathers nineteen short stories, each corresponding roughly to a different holiday across the calendar year, exploring love in its many forms. The 'love songs' framing reflects the collection's episodic, emotionally varied structure rather than a single sustained narrative. Levithan's writing consistently centers diverse and inclusive relationships, a throughline across much of his broader body of work. As a longtime editor at Scholastic, he has also played a significant behind-the-scenes role in shaping contemporary YA publishing. The short-story format makes the collection easy to read in pieces rather than requiring sustained narrative commitment. It sits comfortably alongside his other genre-defining LGBTQ+ YA fiction for readers building out that reading list. The collection's emotional range spans joy, heartbreak, and everything between, true to its 'love songs' conceit. It's a good entry point for readers newer to Levithan's work before committing to his longer novels. A warm, varied short-story collection for readers who enjoy YA romance in bite-sized form.
8. 3 Rays: Stories from Satyajit Ray — Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray is widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of world cinema, best known for the Apu Trilogy, but he was also a celebrated author of fiction, particularly beloved detective and science fiction stories in Bengali literature. This collection gathers short stories from Ray's substantial body of prose fiction, offering readers a window into his literary work beyond his filmmaking legacy. Ray's fiction, much like his films, is known for its humanism, precise observation, and quiet emotional depth. He created several recurring characters across his fiction, including the detective Feluda and the scientist Professor Shonku, both hugely popular in Bengali literary culture. His dual mastery of film and prose fiction is relatively rare among major cultural figures, making his literary output a genuinely distinct body of work worth engaging with separately from his cinema. Many of his stories have themselves been adapted into films, sometimes by Ray himself. This collection offers an accessible entry point into Ray's fiction for readers who may only know him as a filmmaker. His writing carries the same careful attention to character and atmosphere that defines his cinematic work. Ray remains a towering figure in both Indian cinema and Bengali literature, with an influence that extends well beyond either medium alone. Essential reading for anyone wanting to understand Ray as a complete artist, not only a director.
9. 8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster — Mirinae Lee
Mirinae Lee's debut novel takes a genre-bending, structurally ambitious approach to a single extraordinary life, telling it through eight interconnected but distinct stories. The novel follows a Korean woman across roughly a century of dramatic historical upheaval, using shifting perspectives and forms across its eight sections. This structural approach — treating a life as a series of near-standalone stories rather than one continuous narrative — reflects a growing trend in literary fiction toward fragmented, multi-perspective storytelling. The novel engages with major events in 20th-century Korean history as a backdrop to its protagonist's shifting identities and survival strategies. As a debut, it received notable critical attention for its formal ambition and the sheer range of voices and genres it moves through. The 'trickster' framing in the title suggests a protagonist defined by reinvention and resourcefulness rather than a single fixed identity. It sits within a wider wave of contemporary literary fiction exploring Korean history through inventive narrative structure. The book demands active reading, rewarding readers willing to piece together a life across its fragmented sections. It's a strong pick for readers who enjoy literary fiction that takes genuine formal risks. A distinctive, ambitious debut for readers drawn to structurally inventive historical fiction.
10. A Book of Books — Sonali Bendre Behl
Sonali Bendre Behl is a prominent Indian actor who has also become known publicly as an avid, vocal reader, running a well-followed book club and social media presence centered on reading. This book compiles her reflections on the books that have shaped her personally, blending memoir with literary appreciation. It's part of a growing genre of celebrity-driven reading advocacy, where public figures use their platform to promote books and reading culture. Behl has been notably public about her own health journey in recent years, and reading has featured prominently in how she has discussed resilience and coping. The book is likely structured around individual books or authors that mattered to her at different life stages, rather than a single continuous narrative. It's published by HarperCollins India, reflecting mainstream domestic publishing interest in her reading advocacy. For fans of Behl specifically, it offers a more personal, reflective side beyond her acting career. For general readers, it functions as a curated, personality-driven reading list and reflection on why books matter. It sits at an accessible intersection of memoir and reading culture. A warm, personal pick for readers who enjoy books about the experience of reading itself.
