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.
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!
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!