Interested in reading classic books but don’t have the time to commit to reading a long book? Well guess what—not all classic books are 500+ pages and joyless devourers of your free time. In fact, there are plenty of short classics that are not only delightful but are also able to be read in a day or even just a few hours!
All the classics on this list sit at around the 200 page* length or shorter, meaning you can give them a try without worrying you’re committing to a book that will take you the next few years to get through 😉 And after reading some of these books, you’ll feel accomplished, more well-educated, and will likely even find that you’ve enjoyed yourself and may want to try reading longer classics too!
*The number of pages for each book obviously differs across various editions, but the page numbers listed here are taken from popular editions on Goodreads.
1. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (152 Pages)
Looking for a whimsical short classic to read? Then Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is the book for you!
When Alice notices a white rabbit taking a watch out of its waistcoat pocket, she finds this strange and decides to follow it. In doing so, she soon finds herself falling down a rabbit hole into an entirely different world. Things are the same, but not…and everything is topsy-turvy and completely unexpected. From growing and shrinking by eating and drinking food, to swimming in her own tears, to meeting strange characters like the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat, Alice never knows what will happen next!
This is a beloved tale and has been retold in books and movies across the years, but if you haven’t yet read the original then now is the time! It’s short, easy to get through, and will be an entirely memorable read.
Buy Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland now on Bookshop or Amazon!
2. A Room of One’s Own by Viriginia Woolf (112 Pages)
A Room of One’s Own is an essay more than a story, but it is definitely still worth a read! This short classic is based on a series of lectures that Woolf gave at women’s colleges at Cambridge and advocates for both literal and figurative space for women writers.
Woolf ponders the question of what it means to be a woman in the writing profession dominated by men, and asks how can women—the women equal in talent and genius to the leading men in the field—develop their talent and give voice to their own voices. What is required for a genius woman writer to be able to share her talent with the world?
This exploration of women as writers and characters in fiction strives to give women the freedom to create, and is an excellent read for anyone interested in writing, in books, in literature, or the like!
Buy A Room of One’s Own now on Bookshop or Amazon!
3. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (93 Pages)
This classic book may be super short, but it packs a punch! The Little Prince is one of my favorite books and follows the story of the narrator (the Aviator) as he encounters a little boy who lives on an asteroid in space.
With darling illustrations and gentle narration, this story draws you into the world of the little prince as he journeys across the universe and meets different types of people. But he soon finds that all these people don’t understand the meaning of life, and are instead preoccupied with trivial things.
Eventually the prince meets the aviator who shares his childlike wonder in the world, and in the end this cute story offers a little bit of life philosophy as it strives to teach us to focus on the important things in life like friendship and love alongside the mingling of sadness and hope that is always present in life. It’s a great short read that you should definitely pick up!
Buy The Little Prince now on Bookshop or Amazon!
4. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (76 Pages)
The Importance of Being Earnest is written in play form, but don’t let that stop you! This short classic is a hilarious tale of mistaken identity, secret engagements, and plenty of fun, and it is well worth a read when you want to laugh.
Cecily Cardew and Gwendolen Fairfax are rivals in love with the same man—Ernest. But what they don’t know is that both Jack Worthing and Algernon have posed as “Ernest” to win their love; Jack hoping to win Gwendolen and Algernon wooing Jack’s ward Cecily. It’s a tangle! And the tangle doesn’t improve when all four end up at Jack’s country home on the same weekend, with the rivals hoping to win the hand of Ernest and the “Ernests” trying to get themselves out of the lies they’ve told and into the good graces of the women they love! How can they solve the pandemonium they’ve set loose?
This short play will have you laughing and entertained throughout with the antics of each of the characters and the wit of Oscar Wilde. Be sure to add it to your list of short classics to read!
Buy The Importance of Being Earnest now on Bookshop or Amazon!
5. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (118 Pages)
If you’re interested in science fiction, then The Time Machine is a short book that you should read. It’s a famous story, and a beloved time travel classic!
The Time Traveller steps out of his time travel machine after his first journey, and finds himself in the year 802,700. Everything has changed and now the world is living in a utopian age with everyone living in perfect harmony. So he leaves his machine and goes out to study these beings and their society…but when he returns, his time machine has been stolen! Now his only avenue of escape is gone…
This famous novel captured minds and attention immediately when it was published, and has remained a popular favorite even today. So if you’re looking for a short sci-fi classic to read, this is the book to pick up!
Buy The Time Machine now on Bookshop or Amazon!
6. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster (119 Pages)
A Room with a View is one of the best romantic classics to read, and is also delightfully short which makes it an easy read as well! It’s both a romance and a critique of English society at the same time, and is a great book to give a try if you’re looking for short romantic classics to enjoy.
Charming young Lucy visits Florence, Italy with her conventional and uptight cousin Charlotte, and while she longs to see the sights and experience the freedom of Italy she soon finds her world upended when she witnesses a murder and then faints into the arms of an Englishman named George Emerson. But George is entirely unsuitable, for many reasons, and soon Charlotte forces Lucy to flee to Rome to escape his attentions.
But now she’s home and engaged to a young, boring, and proper man named Cecil…will she truly give up the vibrancy of life she found in Italy to spend the rest of her life with this proper but boring Englishman?
This book is filled with unusual and sometimes eccentric characters, whom you may or may not like at all (in fact, it’s my personal opinion that you can’t really like any of the characters in this story). Yet it’s an amusing social critique with a sweet if somewhat odd love story that will have you starting to feel for the plight of Lucy and George. If you’re looking for a short romantic classic to read, this is a great one to give a try!
Buy A Room with a View now on Bookshop or Amazon!
7. Animal Farm by George Orwell (141 Pages)
Animal Farm is a well-known classic book, but did you know it’s also a short classic that shouldn’t take you very long to read? Well, now you do!
In this satiric fable, a farm is taken over by the mistreated and overworked animals who live there. With slogans and idealism, the animals set out to create a world they want to live in…a world of justice and equality. What could possibly go wrong in a revolution from tyranny?
Especially because this is such a short book, you really have no excuse not to read it…and next time someone brings it up in conversation you’ll know exactly what they’re talking about!
Buy Animal Farm now on Bookshop or Amazon!
8. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (144 Pages)
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of those books that nearly everyone is familiar with on some level, but that not so many people have actually read. Now’s the time to change that!
This book explores human nature through the case of Dr. Jekyll (the kindly scientist) and Mr. Hyde (the evil self he turns into at night), and follows the lawyer Mr. Utterson as he tries to uncover the mystery of Mr. Hyde’s connection to Jekyll and to the murders and atrocities being committed all across London.
If you enjoy horror and suspense or want to finally read the original story of Jekyll and Hyde, then this is a book you should definitely read!
Buy The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde now on Bookshop or Amazon!
9. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (98 Pages)
The Metamorphosis is a bizarre and somewhat startling story, but this short classic is also funny in places and is considered to be one of the most influential works of 20th century fiction.
The tale follows Gregor Samsa as he awakes one morning to find himself transformed into a gigantic beetle-like insect! At first, Gregor thinks he must still be dreaming so he goes back to sleep. But slowly the evidence mounts up and he discovers he is, in fact, a giant beetle. How will his life change because of this? And what does his family think of him now that he’s no longer a man?
This story is at once both absurd and comic, and explores themes of guilt, isolation, inadequacy, and more. Plus it doesn’t take long to read, which makes it a great addition to your list of short classics!
Buy The Metamorphosis now on Bookshop or Amazon!
10. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie (176 Pages)
Peter Pan is a one of the most popular classic children’s stories and is beloved by adults as well, so if you haven’t yet read the original book then you should add it to your list now!
The mysterious Peter Pan visits the Darling children—Wendy, John, and Michael—in their room at home, and Peter asks Wendy to come along with him to Neverland. When Wendy and the boys agree to come, Peter teaches them to fly and takes them on a journey to this strange place filled with fairies, pirates, and more adventures than they could ever have dreamed! But will the Darling children give into the lure to become a part of Neverland and members of the Lost Boys…or will they remember the life and mother they used to know and love?
This classic story is a classic for a reason, and is short enough that you should easily be able to read and enjoy it if you haven’t already!
Buy Peter Pan now on Bookshop or Amazon!
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