What is a classic? People often say a classic is a book still widely read and recommended after being published fifty or more years ago.
What books published within the last fifty years might be considered classics?
Here are some modern books that may achieve classic status.
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The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (1984)
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (1985)
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (1985)
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Maus by Art Spiegelman (1986)
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner (1987)
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (1990)
Possession by A. S. Byatt (1990)
The Secret History by Donna Tartt (1992)
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (1994)
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (1995)
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (2004)
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2006)
Ooh nice picks! I took my topic in a different route and went with books I consider classic that came from my early days of reading! They probably aren't well-known books but they're my classics. Lol.
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That is such a good and fascinating question. What book will make a classic? I often wonder what makes a book a classic.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that others will have their own ideas. I could not imagine, for example, not including “The Handmaid’sTale” and possibly a couple of other Atwood titles.
ReplyDeleteI’ve read most of those, and also David’s suggested Margaret Atwood titles, and I think many of them are definitely becoming classics already. However, if you would look at a list that a well-read person might have made in the 1940s or earlier, I think they would have included quite a few books that in fact are now forgotten outside of academia (along with some that are still remembered). In other words: you can’t easily guess what history will do with current tastes.
ReplyDeletebest… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
It's hard to know what will be considered a classic in the future.
DeleteHalf of a Yellow Sun is a good pick.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to read Lonesome Dove one day.
ReplyDeleteHere's a link to my TTT post
https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2025/11/18/%F0%9F%93%9A-toptentuesday-10-modern-books-that-might-be-future-classics-tuesdaybookblog-booktwitter-bookx
Nice picks! Here is my TTT. https://dmhoisington.wordpress.com/2025/11/18/top-ten-tuesday-10/
ReplyDeleteI agree that it's hard to know what a 'classic' will be in the future. Of your list, I've read A FINE BALANCE and THE REMAINS OF THE DAY. Enjoyed both of those very much.
ReplyDeleteI've read seven of the books on your list and I can definitely see any one of them becoming classics. In fact, I think they may already be!
ReplyDeleteI would think Lonesome Dove already rates!
ReplyDeleteI think Maus already is. What good bunch you have chosen. I suspect you are pretty much spot on.
ReplyDeleteVery nice picks. I sometimes wonder if an author has a hand in the designing of their own book cover. I am sure that not all writers are good at art? At any rate, I like the covers on several of these books.
ReplyDeleteI've been curious about Maus for quite a while. I'm hoping to read it soon.
ReplyDeletePam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/what-nonfiction-books-have-i-read-in-2025/
Seeing your choices I wish I hadn't trashed my stub of a post. I was thinking my choices were too old, but they are everywhere in posts today! Great work!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to predict, but you've probably picked at least several which will last for generations.
ReplyDeleteLonesome Dove is definitely a classic western!
ReplyDeleteI've only read two books from your list and I totally Maus will be a future classic! I also read The Remains of the Day but sadly I didn't love it as much as I hoped. Though I can still see it as a classic because of its themes and there's lots to discuss there, I read it in a book club! :) Here's my list: https://darkshelfofwonders.com/top-10-modern-books-that-could-be-future-classics/
ReplyDeleteThis is a tough question. I have seen The Secret History on so many lists for this meme!
ReplyDeleteI love this list, such a thoughtful mix of genres and voices. The House on Mango Street and The Secret History especially feel like future classics to me too. It’s exciting to imagine what books our generation will pass down.
ReplyDeleteI considered adding Gilead to my list but just decided to add other instead. Sigh. I am guessing some of these books are already considered modern classics: The Secret History; Possession; Maus; The House on Mango Street. I hope they are still reading Lonesome Dove in 100 years! My list: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2025/11/ttt-modern-classics.html
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