Who comes to mind when you think of classic authors? From Louisa May Alcott to Eric Carle, here are some of the most-searched-for authors on the Internet and the books that made them famous.
These authors span centuries, from 1698 to 1973, and genres, from allegory to adventure. Some write for children and others for adults. Some write delightful tales to warm your heart while others write chilling stories that will keep you awake, staring at your ceiling late at night.
Some of these names you will recognize from the movies that have been made based on their books, and others are so recognizable that it’s hard to imagine a time when you hadn’t heard of them. (Can you remember the first time you heard about The Little Mermaid?)
Though these are all commonly search-for books, they just scratch the surface of what classic authors have to offer readers, even today, nearly 350 years after the first book on this list was published.
How many of these most-search-for classics have you read?
20 Classic Authors and the Books They are Known For
Little Women (1898) by Louisa May Alcott
Madame Bovary (1857) by Gustave Flaubert
Great Expectations (1861) by Charles Dickens
The Princess Bride (1973) by William Goldman
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969) by Eric Carle
The Wizard of Oz (1900) by Frank Baum
The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678) by John Bunyan
The Neverending Story (1979) by Michael Ende
The Little Mermaid (1837) by Hans Christian Andersen
Wuthering Heights (1847) by Emily Bronte
Charlotte's Web (1952) by E. B. White
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) by Mark Twain
The Three Musketeers (1844) by Alexandre Dumas
The Birds (1952) by Daphne du Maurier
Pride and Prejudice (1813) by Jane Austen
Treasure Island (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson
Peter Pan (1911) by J. M. Barrie
The Swiss Family Robinson (1812) by Johann David Wyss
The Secret Garden (1911) by Frances Hodges Burnett
Fahrenheit 451 (1953) by Ray Bradbury
Looking to get more familiar with other classic authors? Consider reading through a list of classics or trying out one of their famous short stories, some of which are available here on Penny Magic. Check out your local library or Bookshop.org for more classic authors and the books they are known for.
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