The Best Classic Books That Feel Surprisingly Contemporary
Sometimes celebrated classics end up collecting dust on a shelf for good reason. They may have their place on the bookcase of literary history, yet feel too rooted in their own time to resonate with the present. But some books speak across decades, centuries and even millennia in ways that remain strikingly clear today. Their themes—power, ambition, love, betrayal and the search for meaning—have a way of resurfacing in every era, often with surprising urgency. To that end, here are eight classic titles worth revisiting today.
Put these books on your reread list:
- The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
- Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
- 1984 by George Orwell
- The Iliad and The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson
- No-No Boy by John Okada
- Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
- Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins
- Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
This year brings the 100th anniversary of the publication of Hemingway’s debut, which heralded one of the most dramatic evolutions in the history of the novel. Before The Sun Also Rises, novels tended to emphasize elaborate description, whereas Hemingway (through no shortage of communal inspiration and a little bit of theft) introduced the world to minimalism and inference—what wasn’t on the page became just as important as what was on it, if not more so. And not only does its narrative form feel strikingly contemporary, but its story of a generation lost amidst the chaos of the world feels particularly apt today.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
At just over 30 years old, Butler’s post-apocalyptic tale of a world ruined by climate change and inequality has aged into classic status not only because of its years but because the issues it confronted still loom. Suggesting that change is inevitable and that society must adapt to the collapse, this acclaimed work of sci-fi has much to say about our present reality. Beyond its relevant thematic considerations, it’s also a gripping page-turner that stays with you long after you’ve put it down.
1984 by George Orwell
For a book that has been so widely read, it’s rather astounding that we have failed to heed its warnings to such a profound degree. Set in what was for Orwell the near future of 1984, this dystopic tale predicted mass surveillance, digital propaganda and misinformation, doublespeak and much more that we take for granted here in 2026. It’s worth a revisit not only because its themes are so frighteningly relevant but because it’s still such a gripping, well-told, ultimately shocking story.
The Iliad and The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson
For many, the Homeric epics are dusty things you had to read in school, and that may be especially so if you were forced to read a particularly dusty translation. Some translations are notoriously stilted, and there has been no small amount of debate over the years as to which is most readable. There are good and bad points to any translation, but I think Emily Wilson’s translations of both The Iliad and The Odyssey really brought the legends to the 21st century. She was also the first woman to produce a widely published English translation, which added a much-needed perspective to the celebrated texts.
No-No Boy by John Okada
Though published in 1957 and set in 1946, Okada’s story of a young man shunned by society after refusing to fight in the Second World War feels incredibly contemporary today, with its gritty portrayal of downtown Seattle, raging racial and political identity politics and atmosphere of burnout and nihilism. The book was a major flop when it was first published, selling less than 1,500 copies by the time Okada—heartbroken at the lack of recognition—died in 1971. It was only after its rediscovery in a used bookstore and republication that it exploded in popularity, and it is today known as an essential classic in Asian-American literature.
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
When you’re living in interesting times—and I mean that in the negative, Chinese proverb sense—it can help to remember that the world has been crazy before. Few books capture the drama of living through historic events with quite the precision and impact of Suite Francaise, which follows a handful of people as they attempt to navigate the chaos of the Nazi invasion of France. It all feels so authentic, no doubt because it was written in real time as the Nazis were approaching Paris and Nemirovsky—destined to die in Auschwitz—saw it all firsthand. While Nemirovsky was a famous writer during her lifetime, Suite Francaise wasn’t discovered and published until 50 years after the war.
Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins
These are serious times, and I’ve made some serious recommendations, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t space for something that leans hard the other direction, and there are few authors who can deliver an escape into whimsy quite like Tom Robbins. Spanning centuries and continents, history, mythology and comedy, with no shortage of mysticism and witty wisdom along the way, Jitterbug Perfume is an epic love story that explores the importance of play, the cyclical nature of fate and the power of beets.
Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.
In this slim volume, King shared many of his most influential ideas, arguing that people have a moral obligation to disobey and take nonviolent action in the face of unjust laws and that waiting is tantamount to acceptance. King’s words soar as high here as at any point in his life, and it is difficult to read them without feeling inspired toward involvement. Persistently relevant over the decades, it feels especially so today.