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Genre · 47 reviews

Classic

47 Classic reviews on The Bookish Elf. Classic here most often crosses with Literary Fiction, Horror and Gothic. The authors we review most are John Steinbeck and Ray Bradbury.

The 10 best Classic books we’ve reviewed

Ranked by our score
01
A Rose for EmilyWilliam Faulkner · 1930

Even though it was written a long time ago, the story is still relevant. It talks about things everyone can understand, like how people act and want to control things. It reminds us that…

5.0★
02
Anne of Green GablesL. M. Montgomery · 1908

A beloved classic that has captured the hearts of readers for over a century. It tells the story of a young orphan girl named Anne Shirley, who is adopted by the Cuthbert siblings and…

5.0★
03
Animal FarmGeorge Orwell · 1945

Animal Farm is a novel that completely shook me. A novel that will haunt and accompany for the rest of my life, and that I will continue to dread and look forward to picking…

5.0★
04
The ExorcistWilliam Peter Blatty · 1971

Blatty builds his possession story like a case file, sending a frightened mother through neurologists, psychiatrists and a homicide detective before a doubting Jesuit is asked to help. The method makes the horror feel…

4.5★
05
DraculaBram Stoker · 1897

Stoker tells his vampire story through journals, letters, cuttings and recordings, and the method is the masterstroke: the reader assembles the danger before the characters do. The castle chapters and the Whitby storm are…

4.5★
06
The Picture of Dorian GrayOscar Wilde · 1890

Wilde's only novel turns a vain young man's wish into a portrait that records every sin while its sitter stays flawless. Lord Henry's dialogue is still the funniest in Gothic fiction and the horror…

4.5★
07
The Bell JarSylvia Plath · 1963

The Bell Jar remains a remarkable achievement in American literature, offering readers an uncompromising look at mental illness while functioning as a sophisticated work of social criticism. Plath's ability to transform her personal suffering…

4.5★
08
Giovanni’s RoomJames Baldwin · 1956

If Giovanni's Room has limitations, they lie perhaps in its somewhat narrow social focus and its occasionally melodramatic plot turns. The world Baldwin creates sometimes feels hermetically sealed, with little attention to the broader…

4.5★
09
Brave New WorldAldous Huxley · 1932

This is a book that will burrow under your skin long after reading and rattle the way you view technology, comfort, individual liberty and, ultimately, what it means to be alive. Read it, analyze…

4.5★
10
Lord of the FliesWilliam Golding · 1954

The significant symbolism which is rather easy to comprehend, made it one of the most popular and admired books in history. Lord of the Flies by William Golding presents a memorable and haunting account…

4.5★

Frequently asked questions

What are the best Classic books The Bookish Elf has reviewed?

A Rose for Emily, Anne of Green Gables, Animal Farm, The Exorcist, Dracula are our highest-rated Classic reviews.

Which Classic authors do you review most?
How many Classic books have you reviewed?

47 so far.