# Classic novels that have aged well. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 26, 2007, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-novels-that-have-aged-well/420599 "2007-09-26T21:09:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-novels-that-have-aged-well/420599/61 "2007-09-27T18:22:10Z")
[QUOTE=Dangerosa] My mother’s family is from Sauk Center, Minnesota and the towns around it - home of Main Street and I confess I’ve never read Sinclair Lewis. I’ll put it on my list. [/QUOTE] My sister actually lives in Sauk Centre, and until a few years ago lived right across the street from the Sinclair Lewis house (a fun stop if you’re ever in the area). When she first moved there, she insisted that the whole family read Main Street. I resisted for a long time but finally gave in and read it. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting. Now I’d consider Sinclair Lewis one of my favorite authors. On a side note, I find it humorous that Lewis is now Sauk Centre’s favorite son. After Main Street came out, everyone hated him because of his scathing depiction of the town. Apparently some of the characters were easily recognizable as having been based on real people. Now they celebrate Sinclair Lewis Days and the school’s athletic teams are nicknamed the “Streeters.” ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-novels-that-have-aged-well/420599/62 "2007-09-27T18:29:43Z")
[QUOTE=Dunawake] I’ll take a look at Wodehouse’s work, I almost always tend to lean towards humor in whatever genre I’m reading. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Absolutely you must. Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster novels are unparalleled. I think it is universally agreed that his Jeeves novels are better than most of his other stuff; and his early to middle stuff better than his late stuff. So if you can get your mitts on some of his Jeeves novels that were written during his prime you will be a happy man. Those books (The Mating Season; Thank You Jeeves; Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit; Joy in the Morning, etc) are absolute genius. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-novels-that-have-aged-well/420599/63 "2007-09-27T19:18:05Z")
600 or so years later, and **Sir Gawain and the Green Knight** is still a fantastic read. More modern, but **Poe, Stoker, and Lovecraft** are still wonderful, and I think even unintentionally benefit from their age since I think that we have been trained in modern times to equate Victorian to creepiness and suspense. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-novels-that-have-aged-well/420599/64 "2007-09-27T19:31:10Z")
The _Odyssey_ has aged well. The _Iliad,_ not so much. Monsters and action and clever tricks are exciting to every generation; the Wrath of Achilles pretty much requires you to get inside an aristocratic Hellene mindset. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-novels-that-have-aged-well/420599/65 "2007-09-27T19:36:15Z")
BTW, to read a lot of these, you don’t even need to get up from your computer – they’re available on [Project Gutenberg.](http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page) ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-novels-that-have-aged-well/420599/66 "2007-09-27T19:41:16Z")
I don’t know if “classic” fits, but how about Kurt Vonnegut? I have all his books, and occasionally reread him. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-novels-that-have-aged-well/420599/67 "2007-09-27T19:45:47Z")
Ooh, just thought of another one: Jack London. Try _The Sea Wolf_ or _The Call of the Wild_. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-novels-that-have-aged-well/420599/68 "2007-09-27T20:56:52Z")
Harper Lee’s _To Kill a Mockingbird_ Jack London’s _Call of the Wild_ Henry Fielding’s _Tom Jones_ Raymond Chandler’s _The Big Sleep_ Truman Capote’s short stories Jane Austen’s _Pride and Prejudice_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-novels-that-have-aged-well/420599.md?page=3)