1. Anna Karenina

a renowned novel by Leo Tolstoy, is often regarded as one of the greatest works of literature of all time. First published in its entirety in 1878, this novel captivates readers by exploring complex themes such as adultery, gambling, marital intrigue, and Russian feudal life. The story revolves around two main characters: Anna Karenina, a housewife dissatisfied with her marriage who begins an affair with her younger lover, ultimately leading her life into tragedy, and Konstantin Levin, a landowner who is deeply in love but also grapples with questions of faith and philosophy, reflecting a search for life’s meaning. Through his profound writing style, Tolstoy masterfully portrays the inner conflicts of human nature, morality, and the social realities of his time, making Anna Karenina timeless and compelling for readers across generations.

2. To Kill a Mockingbird

A writer considered one of the most influential authors of all time. Harper Lee is best known for her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, published in 1960, which immediately became a classic of literature.

The novel addresses the issue of racism in the American South, seen through the innocent perspective of a clever young girl named Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. One of the story’s most iconic characters is Atticus Finch, a lawyer and father who is fair and empathetic, serving as a role model and inspiring many to view racial issues differently. At the time, racial tensions in America were very high, making the novel’s social impact significant.

To Kill a Mockingbird won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961 and was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film in 1962, further solidifying the story and its characters’ influence on American society. The novel is not only an important literary work but also a profound reflection on injustice and humanity.

3. The Great Gatsby

By F. Scott Fitzgerald, which is considered one of the greatest works for introducing students to the art of reading literature critically. This explains why the novel is often part of school curricula.

The story is told from the perspective of Nick Carraway, a young man who has recently moved to New York City. There, he befriends his eccentric, nouveau riche neighbor, Jay Gatsby, who has mysterious origins. The novel provides an insider’s look into the Jazz Age of the 1920s in U.S. history while simultaneously critiquing the concept of the “American Dream”—the idea that anyone can achieve success through hard work, despite the reality of inequality and illusion.

One of the most famous aspects of the novel is its cover art, featuring a piercing face projected onto a dark blue night sky with lights from a cityscape. This image also appears within the text itself in a slightly different configuration as a key symbol. The symbol adds layers of meaning and becomes an iconic element in the work, reflecting themes such as dreams, surveillance, and unfulfilled hopes.

4. Mrs. Dalloway

By Virginia Woolf, which is considered one of the most distinctive and unique, The novel depicts just one day in the life of a British socialite named Clarissa Dalloway.

What sets this novel apart is its use of the stream-of-consciousness writing style, meaning the story is told by capturing the flow of thoughts and feelings of the characters, often without clear structure. Third-person narration is used, but what is more interesting is the revelation of the thoughts of various characters through their own perspectives. This results in a deeply personal and intimate portrayal of what is going on in the characters’ minds, often filled with regrets, memories of the past, struggles with mental illness, and the impact of post-World War I trauma, as well as the influence of social pressures.

The novel doesn’t rely heavily on plot development but instead focuses on the characters and how their thoughts interact with each other in a very specific time and context. Because of its unique writing style, themes, and setting related to the post-war period, Mrs. Dalloway has become one of the most respected and revered literary works of all time.

Things Fall Apart,

A novel by Chinua Achebe, published in 1958 and considered one of the most important works of Nigerian literature. The novel follows the life of an Igbo man named Okonkwo, describing his family, the village in Nigeria where he lives, and the effects of British colonialism on his homeland.

The text also highlights how works of literature from Africa, like Things Fall Apart, had to overcome bias from the Western literary world, which often focused on writers from North America or Europe, while neglecting great works from other parts of the world. Despite these challenges, Achebe’s novel gained global recognition and became a key example of African postcolonial literature—a genre that has grown since the mid-20th century, as African people have been able to share their often unheard stories of imperialism from the perspective of the colonized.

Things Fall Apart is frequently assigned reading in world literature and African studies courses, showing the novel’s importance in portraying colonial experiences from the viewpoint of the colonized.