Top 10 Classics You've Never Heard Of!

10 underrated novels by Classic Authors that you should definitely read immediately

1. Our Mutual Friend (Charles Dickens)

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Dickens' take on a murder mystery, OMF is full of mistaken identities, dead bodies, conmen, and even buried treasure!

REASONS TO LOVE IT: Satirically on-the-nose character names (hello, Bradley Headstone and Mrs. Veneering), a lot of anti-Society (with a capital S) sass, and an unexpected twist ending.

FILM ADAPTATIONS? Yes, a 1998 BBC miniseries (6/10; a solid period drama, but it lacks the sarcasm and playfulness of the original)

2. The Princess Bride (William Goldman)

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"Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Revenge ..." If you regularly quote the film, but have skipped the book, you're missing out. The only blunder worse than not reading TPB immediately would be going in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line.

REASONS TO LOVE IT: “Life isn't fair, it's just fairer than death, that's all.”

FILM ADAPTATIONS? Obviously (10/10; #asyouwish).

3. The Gambler (Fyodor Dostoevsky)

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Dostoevsky's "short story" (i.e. 200 pages vs. 850) is a great intro to Russian literature for anyone who is intimidated by the absolute brick that is Crime and Punishment. TG follows Alexei as he spirals through the highs and lows of romance (and addiction) at the roulette table.

REASONS TO LOVE IT: Dostoevsky's powerful prose, fascinating characters, and devastatingly perfect ending.

FILM ADAPTATIONS? Yes, a 2014 feature starring Mark Wahlberg, which I've never seen. But if you have, let us know what you think! (?/10).

4. Northanger Abbey (Jane Austen)

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Austen was having way too much fun when she wrote this one! A spoof on Radcliffe's gothic novels, it's a delightful ride full of inside jokes, satirical wit, and the ever charming Henry Tilney. *swoon*

REASONS TO LOVE IT: A super-relatable tomboy heroine, multiple 4th wall breaks by the narrator, an (almost) murder mystery--and did I mention Henry Tilney?

FILM ADAPTATIONS? Yes, the 2007 BBC film starring JJ Feild and Felicity Jones (8/10; while it takes some liberty with the novel, this adaptation is absolutely adorable).

5. The Big Sleep (Raymond Chandler)

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Okay, so you may have heard of this one, but have you ever read it? TBS is Chandler at his best--a complex crime with destructive emotional consequences for everyone involved, even our hardboiled P.I.

REASONS TO LOVE IT: Chandler's razor-sharp prose (“Dead men are heavier than broken hearts" and “As honest as you can expect a man to be in a world where its going out of style") plus a sucker-punch of an ending.

FILM ADAPTATIONS? Yes, the 1946 classic, adapted by William Faulkner (9/10; a great film with lightening fast dialogue; 2/10 for accuracy to the book though).

6. Leave It To Psmith (P. G. Wodehouse)

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LITP is all the best parts of a jewelry heist, an Agatha Christie novel, and a battle of the sexes combined. It's nothing but non-stop twists and turns as the assorted guests of Blandings Castle attempt to steal (and steal back) a priceless diamond necklace.

REASONS TO LOVE IT: A cast of absurd but insanely lovable characters, more mistaken identities than a Shakespeare comedy, and a happy ending all round.

FILM ADAPTATIONS? No, but the Classic Tales Podcast has a great audiobook version available on Spotify.

7. Ender's Shadow (Orson Scott Card)

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For anyone who had to read Ender's Game in high school, ES is the same story told from the perspective of the child-soldier Bean. And for anyone who's new to Ender's world, ES can stand on its own two feet.

REASONS TO LOVE IT: Problem solving geniuses who could give Sherlock Holmes a run for his money, and a loner protagonist who realizes he has friends every bit as loyal as Dr. Watson (wait, is ES just Sherlock Holmes set in space?)

FILM ADAPTATIONS? No, but Bean does show up in the 2013 Ender's Game (4/10; despite a great cast, the film just doesn't capture the soul of the original).

8. Eight Cousins and Rose In Bloom (Louisa May Alcott)

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This duology takes the feminism of Little Women to a whole other level, exploring female independence and vocation along with a love story (for us diehard romantics) that is the perfect dissection of toxic vs. positive masculinity.

REASONS TO LOVE IT: Remember that quote you went crazy for in Greta Gerwig's Little Women? "I'm so sick of people saying love is all a woman is fit for." Well, that came straight from the pages of RIB.

FILM ADAPTATIONS? Sadly no. Somebody phone up Greta, please.

9. Rilla of Ingleside (L. M. Montgomery)

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The final (often overlooked) book in the Anne of Green Gables series, ROI follows Anne's youngest daughter through all the comedy and heartache of life on the homefront during World War I.

REASONS TO LOVE IT: A heroine who's every bit as precocious and hapless as her mother--plus close sibling relationships and a unique coming-of-age story.

FILM ADAPTATIONS? Unfortunately not.

10. Around The World In 80 Days (Jules Verne)

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So yeah, you've heard of this one, but has anyone ever told you to read it? Because you totally should! Come travel the world with the unshakeable Phileas Fogg and his irrepressible valet, Passepartout.

REASONS TO LOVE IT: The triumph of independent thinking over group think, heart over head, and adventure over Victorian cautionary values!

FILM ADAPTATIONS? More than one; the most recent was in 2004 (6/10, a fun if ridiculous Jackie Chan adventure, which had almost nothing to do with the book).