Jonathan Swift Adventure Fantasy Satire Gulliver’s Travels – Jonathan Swift (1726) Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift follows Lemuel Gulliver’s satirical adventures in fantastical lands, critiquing human nature and 18th-century society.
Charles Dickens Classics Romance Satire David Copperfield – Charles Dickens (1850) David Copperfield by Charles Dickens is a semi-autobiographical novel chronicling David’s journey from childhood to maturity, facing love, loss, and personal growth.
Fyodor Dostoevsky Psychological The Idiot – Fyodor Dostoevsky (1869) The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky follows Prince Myshkin, whose pure-hearted innocence clashes with the corruption and cynicism of Russian society.
William Shakespeare Satire The Merchant of Venice – William Shakespeare (1596) The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare blends comedy and drama, examining themes of justice, mercy, and prejudice through the story of Shylock and Antonio.
Fyodor Dostoevsky Psychological Notes from the Underground – Fyodor Dostoevsky (1864) Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky is an existential monologue exploring the bitterness, contradictions, and self-destructive impulses of its isolated narrator.
John Milton Fantasy Psychological Paradise Lost – John Milton (1667) Paradise Lost by John Milton is an epic poem recounting Satan’s rebellion, the fall of man, and the battle between good and evil.
Dante Alighieri Fantasy Psychological The Divine Comedy – Dante Alighieri (1320) The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri follows Dante’s journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, exploring sin, redemption, and divine justice.
John Steinbeck Cannery Row Adventure Classics Historical Cannery Row – John Steinbeck (1945) A quirky community of misfits in Depression-era Monterey, California, finds beauty in life’s imperfections in this humorous and heartfelt novel.
Emmuska Orczy The Scarlet Pimpernel Adventure Historical Romance The Scarlet Pimpernel – Baroness Emma Orczy (1905) The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emma Orczy is a swashbuckling adventure about an English nobleman secretly rescuing aristocrats from the French Revolution.
William Makepeace Thackeray Satire Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray (1847) Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray follows Becky Sharp’s rise and fall in 19th-century high society, contrasting her ambition with Amelia Sedley’s virtue.
