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Which 21st Century Books Will Become Classics?

In January, Zoë @ ReadingByTheMoonlight wrote about modern books she thought might become classics. Her post made me think and when a similar topic appeared in TTT, I decided to join in.

Before starting out, I should say, I think it’s difficult to predict, which books will become classics. Per definition, it’s impossible to abstract yourself from the context of current society and personal experience, hence it’s impossible to do the same with the books you are reading.

As Zoë pointed out, some classics weren’t even particularly popular when first published, which makes it even more difficult. Still, TTT is meant to be a bit of fun, not an academic thesis, so let’s give it a go. I have split my suggestions into different categories, which aren’t mutually exclusive, but may indicate some of the reasons books become classics.

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Universal Themes

Some themes will remain relevant across time and space. Examples include good vs. evil, love stories and what it means to be human.

1. Never Let Me Go [2005] by Kazuo Ishiguro

Like all Ishiguro’s novels, Never Let Me Go deals with human themes such as identity, loss, love, missed opportunities. Besides from the universal themes, Ishiguro has a unique ability to create a poignant atmosphere of beauty and sadness, which goes straight to the heart. Surely, this will appeal to future generations as well?

2. Convenience Store Woman [2016] by Sayaka Murata

Convenience Store Woman revolves around another timeless aspect of humanity. Why is it so important that we fit in? And is adhering to the norms of society more important than the happiness of the individual? Murata manages to discuss this in a short novella, which packs a punch. I still think about it years after reading it.

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Uniqueness

Admittedly, all books are unique, but some are more unique than others. From time to time, you come across a book which is different from everything you’ve read before. When Piranesi won Women’s Prize last year, uniqueness was listed as one of the reasons.

3. Life of Pi [2001] by Yann Martel

Life of Pi is a story about a boy stuck on a boat in the company of a tiger. Or is it? Just as we think we have firm ground under our feet, the reader is thrown out on the deep water again. Packed with philosophical musings on faith and beliefs, this is a fantastic story, which ultimately allows the author to make his point in a unique and highly surprising way.

4. Kafka on the Shore [2002] by Haruki Murakami

Love it or hate it, Murakami undoubtedly has his very own writing style. Kafka on the Shore is like a surreal dream, where fish raining from the sky and talking cats are just the beginning. Beautifully written and filled with symbols and metaphysics, it’s a book you can read again and again, possibly without ever figuring out what it all means… 😉

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Influential

Once in a while a book appears, which will influence a whole genre, make its way into modern pop culture and serve as a point of reference in discussions. The Harry Potter series is probably the best example in modern time.

5. Gone Girl [2012] by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl might be the most influential thriller of the century so far. It kick-started a wave of psychological thrillers, often with unreliable female protagonists and frequent 180 degrees twists. Various aspects of it, such as its take on women, have been discussed in the media. Unless this sub-genre dies out, Gone Girl could remain on the radar.

6. The Hunger Games [2008] by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games gave the YA genre a massive boost and inspired a whole generation of YA writers. The protagonist Katniss also made way for more realistic and flawed heroes and heroines. The novel has enough social commentary to appeal to older readers as well and the problems discussed will most likely continue to be relevant.

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Solid Storytelling

Looking at modern prize lists, one could get the impression, that old-fashioned solid storytelling has gone out of style. However, I don’t think a good story ever goes out of style. After all, we still read the old fairy tales today.

7. The Amber Spyglass [2000] by Philip Pullman

The Amber Spyglass is a perfect example of a great story. It includes rich and imaginative world-building, complex characters, good character development and a spellbinding, unpredictable plot. Furthermore, it’s layered with underlying discussions of heavy themes, including some controversial views on the church. This has to become a classic!

8. Hamnet [2020] by Maggie O’Farrell

Without actually having read Hamnet, I still dare to include it. From what I’ve heard, this novel is another example of great storytelling. The link to one of the best known English writers should secure interest with future generations. Add to that Maggie O’Farrell’s excellent writing. And it has a surprisingly broad appeal even outside the more literary community.

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Modern Classics

The concept of a modern classic is a bit vague, but I think the two below qualify. Having made it to a status of modern classic, the odds of making it into a *real* classic should be good.

9. Atonement [2001] by Ian McEwan

According to Yorknotes, Atonement “seemed to achieve ‘classic’ status almost immediately. It was an instant bestseller around the world, it won many awards, was quickly regarded as a text worthy not just of turning into a film, but also of academic study at A Level and beyond”. Impressive! See my review here.

10. The Road [2006] by Cormac McCarthy

Like Atonement, The Road has won a number of awards (including the Pullitzer Prize in 2007) and also seems to have made it to modern classic status quite quickly. They both feel like relatively safe bets to become classics, but who knows?

There you have it, my take on which 21st century books will become classics. Do you agree? And which ones would you suggest?

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by ThatArtsyReaderGirl. Thanks to HopeWellsLibraryofLife for suggesting this week’s topic.

62 comments

    • Atwood is a great suggestion. I haven’t read any of her books besides from The Handmaid’s Tale, which isn’t 21st century, but The Testaments would qualify.

      • I think The Testaments was very popular initially but suspect it won’t be one of the books that will be remembered in years to come. Maybe The Blind Assassin? I think it was 21st century, was extraordinarily well read when it came out and is still popular. Anyway, time will tell 🙂

        • Time will tell! I would love to be able to see into the future though (at least when it comes to books…).

          • Agreed. I’ve come across that genre as well and given the increased focus on climate, I wouldn’t be surprised if it gains traction as an independent genre.

  2. Hi. Something that amazes me is the huge number of well-written novels out there. We’re fortunate to have so many good books to choose from. Most of them don’t become classics, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t as good as the ones that do. I enjoyed your essay and put a few of the books on my TBR list. Take care.

    • Very true, I completely agree. It isn’t enough to write a good book, it also needs qualities, which are timeless and will appeal to future generations. Some books, which are very popular at the moment (No One Is Talking About This or the Seasonal Quartet) are so closely linked to events and trends in the present, so they may not survive the test of time. Thanks!

    • Glad to hear that. It certainly made me think as well and I’ve even continued to ponder after finishing the post. 😁

    • I guess the problem is, which ones will become classics? I would recommend all of the above though, classics or not…

  5. I like your different categories which I think reflect really well the features that make something a classic. Although I haven’t read it, I have The Road on my list but not Hamnet which I didn’t think was that great although I’m aware I’m in a tiny minority there.

    • Thanks Cathy. No books appeal to everyone and I am sure you are not the only one, who didn’t get on with Hamnet. I’ve seen The Road on quite a few lists this week, so there seems to be relatively high consensus about that one.

  6. Weirdly enough, I actually think about this from time to time – which of the books we are reading that will stand the test of time and become a classic. Excellent post!

    • Thanks Tessa! Actually, I think it’s even more difficult to predict future classic status for the books we are currently reading. For books written in the beginning of the century, we’ve already gained some perspective and seen some staying power of the book. But for very recent books, it’s just impossible. Still interesting, though.

  8. Oooh, what a tough question. Yes to Hamnet. Some others I might include are Colson Whitehead – The Nickel Boys: Maylis de Karangal – Mend the Living; Alice Zeniter – the Art of Losing; Javier Marías – Berta Isla. These are more or less of the top off my head. I, by the way, am just about the only reasonably literate person who doesn’t enjoy Kazuo Ishiguro or Haruki Murakami, so they wouldn’t be on my list. I’ll have to have another think.

    • Ah yes, Colson Whitehead has been on other lists this week as well. I haven’t read any of his novels though. Murakami is a marmite writer, lots of people don’t get on with his style. I haven’t heard about too many readers, who don’t like Ishiguro, but maybe they just keep quiet… 😉

  9. Interesting, Half of a yellow sun is almost a classic already and I think Piranesi might become one too, but beyond that I really don’t know. I guess I ought to read more modern fiction.

    • Yes, I agree about Half a Yellow Sun. Piranesi is a tricky one, but I think it may be too much of a lightweight, even if I loved it.

      • Half of a Yellow Sun feels like a safe bet, it is brilliant and old enough to have stood the test of at least some time. I agree that Piranesi is trickier, but mostly because t is so new. I read it last autumn and am still thinking about it, so I don’t feel that it is too lightweight, but whether it will still be remembered in a hundred years, or even ten years, is a much more open question…

        • As I said to another commenter, I feel it’s even more difficult to judge the qualities in the books we are currently reading compared to books from the beginning of the century, because we have no distance and it’s difficult to obtain a neutral perspective. Piranesi does have many timeless qualities though and I wouldn’t mind if it became a classic.

  10. Great topic. The only book on your list that I’ve read in the first of the Hunger Games. Now you’ve inspired me to take a look at the books I have read to see if any might be possible classics.

    • Thanks! Good choice only to read the first in the Hunger Games trilogy. The other two couldn’t live up to the first one.

  12. Awesome list. I like that you broke yours down into categories. I also love that His Dark Materials made your list. I almost put it on my list, but decided to keep it off. 🙁

    • Thanks, the categories presented themselves naturally. I realised afterwards, that not even the third book in the trilogy qualify for 21st century. But actually it’s amongst the books on the list, I feel most certain about.

  13. A very difficult question to answer. Atonement and The Road I’d tend to agree might make it, but I’d be surprised if Gone Girl or Hamnet make the cut – they are too much “of the moment”, I think. I reckon Gilead might make the list, and perhaps The Luminaries.

    • Yeah, Gone Girl may be a bit of a stretch. I for one, wouldn’t be sad if the dominance of that kind of psychological thriller will be relatively short-lived. Hamnet on the other hand – I could see it. But of course it’s all guesswork, it may be a completely different set of books. Perhaps, some of the experimental ones, pushing the limits for literature or the ones dealing with topics not seen too much in books before (Detransition, Baby, The Death of Vivek Oji, etc)? Would be fun to be able to see into the future (at least in relation to books).

      I am not familiar with Gilead or The Luminaries, but I’ve seen Gilead on other lists as well.

  14. Awesome selection! I have to admit that many of these could indeed be regarded as classics in the near future, especially when you can still see how they’ve impacted countless new stories today. I do want to read The Road now that I’ve seen the movie adaptation and was mesmerized by it all!

    • Thanks so much, Lashaan! Glad to hear you enjoyed the adaptation of The Road. I found it visually impactful. In a strange, depressing way, it had some aesthetic scenery. Let’s see if the novel gains classic status, I hope it will.

  15. I agree with you on The Road, Atonement, Never Let Me Go, and Life of Pi. These are all excellent books … that have a lasting impact! Or at least they did on me. My mind is a blank right now on suggesting any others. Hmm. I’ll have to ponder it. Something will come to me … when I’m out walking … ha

    • I think “a lasting impact” is a good criteria for a classic, although there are probably a wide range of factors, which come into play. The way I created my list was to think about books, I’ve enjoyed and then analysed whether they had some timeless qualities, which may be relevant for future generations as well.

  17. Super interesting choices, some of which I have read. Very difficult to predict, I think, what will have enduring appeal but definitely a lively topic for debate.

    • Thanks! It is indeed difficult and probably impossible to predict. But that’s what makes it so much fun. I keep thinking about it, even after finishing the post.

    • Exactly, that was my reasoning as well. And I think the discussion about beliefs and religions will continue to be relevant.

  20. Really interesting topic… no way of knowing really what will survive to be considered classics. Would not include Hamnet though. Interestingly I think thrillers rarely become classics, probably because they are very contemporary to the times they were written in and readers tend to remember that the book was twisty and fast paced without remembering the characters or plot so much (in my opinion anyway).

    • Very true about thrillers and I don’t feel any certainty about Gone Girl (or any of them for that matter). But I think Gone Girl was such a groundbreaking thriller, which may be read and remembered as one with a lot of “firsts”. Also, I think the type of books which become classics change over time. We don’t have any YA classics today, because YA is a relatively new “invention”.

      • I haven’t actually read Gone Girl, for some reason I just never felt I wanted to! The first psych thriller I remember reading was Before I Go To Sleep. You’re right about the YA classics, if we stretch the definition then maybe Little Women could be included, otherwise we can start with Catcher in the Rye and The Outsiders, although YA itself wasn’t considered a separate audience until quite recently.

        • I picked up Gone Girl by coincidence, when it was still relatively unknown. It was quite fun and surprising, but doubt it would have the same effect today, because the ideas have been copied to death by now. I am not an expert in YA, but there seems to be certain qualities and tropes which are specifically connected with that genre. Also, it’s typically less complex and nuanced than adult fiction, but more mature than children’s fiction. You are right though that books like Catcher in the Rye could be considered a YA classic, even if the genre didn’t exist back then.

  21. Never Let Me Go is a no-brainer. I’d add The Testaments or the MaddAddam trilogy by Atwood. I think well-written dystopias generally have a huge potential to stand the test of time—Atwood’s stories are a perfect example of timely literature.

    • Atwood is a very good suggestion, I believe her books should have a good chance of achieving classics status. You may be right about dystopias, although some are probably more timeless than others.

  22. Loved hearing your take on what books might become classics! Absolutely agree with Never Let Me Go and I would absolutely love for The Amber Spyglass to become a classic – I recently finished the His Dark Materials series and the books really deserve their place on your list.

    • Thanks for inspiring me in the first place! I really enjoyed writing this post. His Dark Materials series is amongst the choices, I feel most certain about. It fits really well with what I expect from a classic and the fantasy setting makes it fairly timeless.

  23. A fabulous list, and an excellent description of why these incredible titles are destined to be classics! Thanks for sharing.

    • Thanks so much, I had a lot of fun thinking about and writing this post. Glad you enjoyed it!

  24. Your list is really great, but I guess I am just not impressed at all by the vast majority of books that are coming out, have come out recently or in the past years (even these two last decades, come to think of it). It’s astonishing to hear that Piranesi was said to be “unique” to win the Women’s Prize because – did it not borrow much from previous English writers, including Peake, and Clarke practically rewrote her own Jonathan Strange in terms of the characters? Speaking of future classic, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is a definite future classic. How could it not be? It’s pure Dickens meet pure Harry Potter, full stop.

    • Interesting thought. I guess, I don’t read enough new releases to comment on the overall quality compared to previous times. Many of my favourites are older books, but of course there is a strong survival bias which makes it difficult to compare (i.e. only the best and more popular books survive, hence the quality of past literature may automatically seem better in retrospect). I haven’t read Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell – I guess the length put me off. But now you’ve made me curious to give it a try. Dickens / Harry Potter combo? Sounds like a winning concept.

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