We said: Austen’s last completed novel before her untimely death was one tinged with heartache and regret. Anne Elliot’s feelings for the handsome Captain Wentworth are re-ignited when he returns from sea. Will they get a second chance at happiness? 

You said: It's a beautiful evocation of longing against sense and reason, of forgiveness and second chances. 

 

We said: Vive la révolution! A sweeping epic and a completely satisfying read by Victor Hugo. Full of love, anger, drama and wit. Quite possibly the perfect novel.

You said: A beautiful story of the power of redemption and a good heart along with a backdrop of the socio-economic iniquities of 19th century France. Beautifully written, it tugs the heartstrings. 

 

We said: Every American writer since 1851 has been chasing the same whale: to somehow write a novel as epic and influential as Melville’s.

You said: The writing is sublime, the settings are vivid, and all the little sub-plots are riveting: an historical adventure revenge tale that stands up as a true classic. 

 

We said: To the Lighthouse is a daring novel with little regard for rules. There’s no consistent narrator, scant dialogue and almost no plot. With everything stripped away, we’re left with a breathtaking and lyrical meditation on relationships, nature and the folly of perception.

You said: You feel like you’re stood on top of a cliff with the sea breeze blowing right through your bones. 

 

We said: Considered Elizabeth Bowen’s masterpiece novel, this is the story of 16-year old Portia who is sent to live with her Aunt in London, after her mother’s death. There, she falls for the attractive cad Eddie. A devastating exploration of adolescent love and innocence betrayed.

You said: This book captures the awkward tension and anxieties of the interwar period through a deeply reflective, but oddly naive, unloved girl. 

 

We said: Written when Mary Shelley was just 18 years old, but don’t let that depress you. Frankenstein is a Gothic masterpiece with entertaining set pieces aplenty.

You said: Chosen for all the questions it raises about consequences and taking responsibility for your actions; nature versus nurture; the value of friendship. I could go on. 

 

We said: This spine-chilling story was censored by Stalin and sadly only published after Mikhail Bulgakov’s death.

You said: This is the masterpiece of Mikhail Bulgakov, his magnum opus. About life and death in Communist Russia, and also about greater things: the power of forgiveness and eternal life. 

 

We said: A moving exploration by L. P. Hartley of a young boy’s loss of innocence and a critical view of society at the end of the Victorian era.

You said: As a 17-year-old, I was completely absorbed by this story, wishing Leo was my brother so that I could protect him from the disappointment that awaited him. 

 

We said: It is one of the greatest and most influential epic poems ever written, and (alongside The Odyssey) the oldest surviving work of Western literature. Although the story centres on the critical events of the last year of the Trojan war, Homer also explores themes of humanity, compassion and survival.

You said: This is the ultimate war poem, filled with existential drama, heroic striving, death, and the meaning of life. 

 

We said: A psychiatric ward in Oregon is ruled by a tyrannical head nurse, but when a rebellious patient arrives her regime is thrown into disarray. A story of the imprisoned battling the establishment.

You said: A story that shows there is more to life than following rules. Having joy and being spontaneous are as important as anything else in life. 

 

We said: The definitive dystopian novel, George Orwell’s vision of a high surveillance society is gripping from the first page to the last. 

You said: A study in totalitarianism, it's as relevant today as when Orwell wrote it. It's a nightmare, also a work of pure genius. 

 

We said: Probably the least commented-upon aspect of J.D. Salinger’s masterpiece is how utterly hilarious it is. Holden is a character no one ever forgets.

You said: This novel’s main character, Holden, is coping with a tragic loss, as all of us do in our lives. As he wanders aimlessly around the city, he struggles to plan his next life move but finds happiness in small joys, such as his strong bond with his sister.