American writer Mark Twain joked that classics are “books that everyone praises but no one reads.” But seriously, classics are works that are considered the gold standard of their genre or best reflect their era. The 21st century is keeping up and already has its own list.
Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch (2013)
What the book is about: It all starts with a tragedy. Thirteen-year-old Theo goes with his mother to an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. They have barely had time to look around when disaster strikes. The boy has a difficult road ahead of him to recover from the psychological trauma he has suffered.
Why it will become a classic: Donna Tartt has been awarded numerous prizes for her 10 years of work, including the Pulitzer Prize. Critics from around the world have welcomed The Goldfinch. Stephen King praised Tartt’s work and called her an incredibly good writer. The novel was translated into Russian by literary critic Anastasia Zavozova, editor-in-chief of Storytel. She compared the writer to Dickens and Nabokov.
Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007)
What the book is about: The novel tells the story of the amazing power of female solidarity. Mariam and Leila are the main characters of the novel. They are completely different from each other: Mariam felt like an outsider from childhood because she was born out of wedlock, while Leila grew up in a loving and caring family. The women would never have become friends if it weren’t for the terrible events of the civil war in Afghanistan.
Why it will become a classic: Critic Lev Grossman of Time magazine ranked Hosseini’s work third in his list of the ten best fiction books of 2007. And in 2019, BBC News included A Thousand Splendid Suns in its list of the 100 most inspiring novels.
Ian McEwan, Atonement (2001)
What the book is about: The events take place against the backdrop of World War II. Celia is the daughter of a successful politician. She falls in love with the gardener’s son, Robbie. Their rapidly developing relationship is observed by Celia’s younger sister, Briony. The girl does not like Celia’s lover, so she slanders him, and the boy is taken to prison. Briony will have to work on atoning for her guilt for the rest of her life.
Why it will become a classic: Time magazine called McEwan’s work a modern classic, the best fantasy novel of the year, and included it in its list of the 100 greatest novels of all time.
Marcus Zusak, The Book Thief (2005)
What the book is about: It all begins in 1939 in Nazi Germany. At the center of the story is the fate of little Liesel Meminger. The girl lives in Munich with her anti-fascist foster parents, and she has to face things that no child should ever have to face.
Why it will become a classic: In 2006, Publishers Weekly magazine named Zusak’s novel the best children’s book. Sixteen million copies have been sold worldwide. The Book Thief has received numerous awards in the children’s and young adult fiction category.
Yann Martel, Life of Pi (2001)
What the book is about: This is a philosophical adventure novel. Pi is the son of a zoo director, so from an early age he has been familiar with the habits of animals. One day, his father decides to move, so the family, along with most of the zoo, boards a ship and sets off on a journey. But the ship sinks, and Pi miraculously manages to survive. He has to fight for his life for 227 days.
Why it will become a classic: the book won the Booker Prize in 2002. Two years later, it won the Best Fiction for Adults award for 2001–2003.
Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 (2009–2011)
What the book is about: This is a multi-volume novel. A man and a woman accidentally travel from 1984 to 1Q84 (“One Thousand Nine Hundred Eighty-Four”). They search for a way out of this unknown reality, and along the way, they transform and find themselves.
Why it will become a classic: In a review in The Japan Times, the novel was called a great work and it was written that Murakami’s book is a must-read for anyone trying to understand contemporary Japanese culture. A critic from Newsweek considers 1Q84 a symbol of Murakami’s mastery and compares him to Charles Dickens.
Of course, this is far from a complete list. Which contemporary book do you think will become a classic?