We said: Featuring perhaps one of the most famous opening lines in history, ‘Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again.’ Daphne du Maurier’s gothic masterpiece tells the story of a naive new bride whose idyllic life in her husband’s country-pile in Cornwall unravels, from a frosty welcome from the housekeeper to something more sinister.

You said: When I read the opening line I feel as though I’m visiting an old friend. From the sinister Mrs Danvers to the naive Mrs de Winter the suspense of the mystery and the atmosphere of Manderley is captured perfectly. Each time I read it I discover something new. 

 

We said: It received mixed reviews it was first published, in part because it challenged Victorian ideals of purity and sexual morals. But Thomas Hardy’s unflinching account of Tess’s bid for salvation in a society ready to condemn her is a harrowing and powerful read.

You said: This novel teaches us about the position of women in the past and their moments of frailty versus moments of strength. An important insight for everyone to have! 

 

We said: William Makepeace Thackeray’s satirical reflection of society on the whole embodied in a cast of characters who although flawed, we can’t help but love and root for as we follow their fortunes and downfalls throughout the Napoleonic wars.  

You said: Becky Sharp is the greatest female lead character in English literature. Bar none. 

 

We said: The iconic country house setting of Brideshead see a family consumed by its religious battle with their loyalties. A reflective and nostalgic novel by Evelyn Waugh about class, family and homecomings.

You said: I can never get over the melancholy that weaves its way through this novel. The beautiful writing, the damaged characters and the echoes of a dream that is broken - all add up to a story that stays with me long after I have finished reading it. 

 

We said: Emma Bovary, a beautiful young woman stifled by provincial life and in a loveless marriage, embarks of a string of passionate but disappointing affairs with devastating consequences.  

You said: This book was published in 1857 and yet her level of dissatisfaction is probably relatable to everyone in this era. 

 

We said: Maggie Tulliver is passionate, impulsive and intelligent but her desires clash against her family’s expectations and result in painful consequences. Eliot drew on the frustrations of her own rural upbringing to write one of her most powerful and moving novels.

You said: One classic everyone must read: The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot. A beautifully told story of an intelligent girl who yearns for more than society allows. 

 

We said: The second novel in Anthony Trollope’s series known as the ‘Chronicles of Barsetshire’, opens as the Bishop of Barchester lies on his deathbed; soon the battle for power amongst the town’s key players will commence. Told with plenty of wisdom and wit.

You said: This book has tremendous characters and a plot which sucks you into such a different world, about which you find yourself caring desperately. 

 

We said: The story of Lady Chatterley who starved of love from her husband, paralysed from the Great War, embarks on an affair with her groundsman Mellors is a captivating novel with an equally compelling story behind it. It became the first work of literary merit to be prosecuted under a new law, the Obscene Publications Act 1959, which Penguin went on to win and subsequently quickly sold three million copies.  

You said: There are so many themes and insights including gender and class in particular. The sex scenes are actually surprisingly sexy, from both perspectives, for a book of this age. 

 

We said: An epic novel by Alexandre Dumas that will have you feeling all the emotions – and a prime example of the old adage that revenge is a dish best served cold.

You said: The best classic tale! A story of innocence, romance, betrayal, suffering, revenge and more importantly, Man’s triumph over all life throws at him. 

 

We said: Perhaps John Steinbeck’s finest novel, this is a beautifully evocative and, by the end, devastating read.

You said: Migration in search of work and a better future. A modern-day story. Still makes my skin tingle. 

 

We said: Having survived censorship, controversy and even legal action, James Joyce’s most famous novel is renowned for its use of inner monologue and stream-of-consciousness technique. Whether it’s the greatest novel of the 20th century, or the most unreadable, is up for debate.

You said: Reading it as a person, an emotional journey. Reading it as a writer, is technically mesmerizing and inspiring 

 

We said: Mostly set in California, John Steinbeck’s most ambitious novel follows two families and their interwoven stories. The author himself said, ‘It has everything in it I have been able to learn about my craft or profession in all these years.’

They said: Brilliant writing, epic family saga, drills deep into human nature and how we think, feel and act toward one another. My all-time favourite novel.