Before we dive into the top choices that got a lot of love from Reddit users, let’s take a minute to define what constitutes a “classic.” One list of criteria comes from Italian writer Italo Calvino in his 1991 book Why Read the Classics? There are 14 items in the list, but a few major points indicate that the book must:
Exercise an influence over the reader, become unforgettable, be reread often, and “hide in the layers of memory disguised as the individual’s or the collective unconscious.” Constantly generate discussion, and always have something new to present to even those who have read it before. Doesn’t allow you to remain indifferent: Readers are profoundly moved by it. Have a timeless quality or, effectively capture a certain time period in a bottle, “trailing behind them the traces they have left in the culture or cultures through which they have passed.”
Basically a classic has a universal element to it, may influence works that follow it, and can constantly teach us new things through its rich storytelling, complex characters, and maintain its luster even after being reread numerous times. Now that we have our definition, here are the top books from the last 20 years (note: I omitted titles older than 20 years) that Reddit users identified as classics for future generations. Another important thing to note is that many of the most popular, upvoted titles were written by men, and so please read on to the end for the works by amazing women authors that were further down the list. Of the top titles listed, Reddit thread creator Shreya Sajankila has a few personal favorites, namely Pachinko, and Life of Pi. Shreya also runs an awesome book club called Read Between the Wines! Now we come to the section where we highlight some great titles written by women that were preceded by a slew of other titles written by men in the Reddit thread, but we want to highlight, because they are damn good candidates for future classics.
