I love classics, and I'm 11. I like The Swiss Family Robinson, Robinson Crusoe, 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Time Machine, The War Between the Worlds...almost any classics by H.G. Wells. (My best friend is from India.)

I don't quite know if Jack Kerouac would be considered a classic writer, but his works are very good. I highly recommend "Wuthering Heights" by Charolette Bronte, "The Catcher in the Rye" by Salinger, "The Bell Jar" by Plath, and "Flowers for Algernon" the author's name escapes me at the moment though. Oh and "Brave New World" by Huxley.

I absolutely loved "To Kill a Mockingbird", it's one of my favorite books ever. Just bought a new copy of "The Grapes of Wrath" becuase I wore out the old one.

IndieQueen,

Flowers for Algernon was written by Daniel Keyes. It is one of the few truly great Science Fiction stories. One of my treasured possessions is the original magazine version of the story.

Kerouac is good, Steinbeck is better but I think one of the best books I have read about being on the road and migrant labour is "The Autobiography of a Supertramp" by W. H. Davis.

Thank you so much Tielhard. I have that book in my collection, but my bookshelf seems to have swallowed it. I couldn't remember the author's name to save me.

You're right about Steinbeck, I too prefer him to Kerouac. I'm a big Neal Cassady junkie, so I like to read Kerouac knowing that many of his characters are based on Neal.

I haven't read any classics in awhile, "Frankenstein" a few years back was the last. I love "Catcher In the Rye", "Great
Expectations", "The Great Gatsby", "The Phantom of the Opera", "A Native Son" "Lost Horizon" and the Sherlock Holmes series.

I think some Mark Twain would make for good summer reading. *makes mental note to pick some Twain for July reading pile*

One of my favorite books of all time has always been "The Secret Garden", which surely is also a classic, isn't it?
Some other classics I loved were "Pride and Prejudice", "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and "Rebecca". I still haven't gotten around to read Melville and Verne, although I had planned that for years. And I certainly will read them! If you consider "The Lord of the Rings" to be a classic as well, then of course I'll include this in my list - I read it first when I was ten yers old, and I recently read it for the third time. I'm ashamed to tell, however, that I haven't read "The Hobbit" yet... But I've read "The Silmarillion". My favorite Sherlock Holmes novel is "The Hound of Baskerville", but to be honest, that's the one I remember best. I've read about seven or eight Holmes novels, but I can't even remember the titles now, must have been ten years ago or so.
Then there's Hugo - I preferred "Les Misérables" over "Notre-Dame de Paris", (hey, my favorite character is also Eponine, and I was very annoyed that they left her out of the Bille August movie!) but no doubt both of them are equally brilliant. I just found it hard to finish "Notre-Dame" because of all the Latin quotes and the very long descriptions of a rather simple thing...
Leroux' "The Phantom of the Opera" was great, too. And then there's Shakespeare, of course - my favorites are "Hamlet" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

Agree generally with what you say but several other 'classics' author can send a chill down the spine, Sheridan La Fanu, M R James, Algernon Blackwood and R L Stevenson to name only four. One of my favourite 'classics' authors is the wonderful and now rather neglected Sir Walter Scott, and someone who should be considered is the historical author G A Henty. Regards, Tin

"The Carpetbaggers" was written by Harold Robbins and cannot really be considered a 'classic' others of his are "Hotel" and "Wheels". If 'sagas' are what you like you might try Anthony Trollope or Arnold Bennet. Regards, Tin