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I feel that whenever a lot of people think about classic books, they only have one image in their minds.
That is an image of a book with indecipherable prose, long-running plots, and an incredibly boring storyline.
And I won’t lie; there are many books, whether classic or contemporary, that fit this description. But what you might not know is that there are many super romantic classic books.
Yes, I am talking about swoon-worthy, head-over-heels, heartwarming affection between two people who are soul mates.
And if you are a book lover like me, you know that some of the very best romantic classic books gave birth to the most popular tropes in literature.
Now, I don’t want to say a lot about them because I want you to read through this article and then pick a favorite, but regardless, I know that you’re going to see several familiar titles on this list.
I made the effort to mix in more popular options like Pride and Prejudice, Gone with the Wind, and Wuthering Heights with titles like The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Last of the Mohicans, which don’t usually enter the discourse.
And I know I’ve talked about how the couples in some of these books are very lovey-dovey and sweet, but what you should know is that the concept of love and affection is explored in very different ways in these books.
What I’m trying to say is that there is everything from heart-wrenching and painful love that never seems to reflect back on our protagonists to more calm and beautiful romances that you will swoon over.
Regardless, I feel that every single book on this list is very, very important reading that everyone in the world needs to read at least once to gain a deeper understanding of the many nuances and complexities of falling in love and receiving love.
1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Set in 19th-century England, this novel follows Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy’s effusive romance.
Characterised by witty dialogue and its sharp commentary, Pride and Prejudice is easily one of the most popular romantic classics everyone needs to read.
2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
This Gothic romance follows the orphaned Jane Eyre, who becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall and falls in love with the enigmatic Mr. Rochester.
Like Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre’s biting social criticism has endured through the years and it’s boosted by the eclectic blend of romance and mystery.
3. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
A dark and passionate story set on the Yorkshire moors, Wuthering Heights is the story of the tumultuous relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw.
This classic romance novel is perfect if you’re in the mood for an intense romance that will leave you scalding and complex characters who will burrow into your heart.
4. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh spearheaded the 1939 film adaptation of this beloved classic, so if books to movies are your jam, you should check that out.
Set during the American Civil War and Reconstruction era, this epic tale follows Scarlett O’Hara and her unrequited love for Rhett Butler in a time of great societal change.
5. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
This Russian classic depicts the tragic love affair between Anna Karenina and Count Vronsky, set against a backdrop of Russian society and its attendant issues.
I love a tome as much as the next girl and even better if the story keeps me flipping the pages – Anna Karenina is one of the biggest books I’ve ever read, but every page was absolutely worth it.
6. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Another Austen classic, this novel contrasts the temperaments of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne.
In this book, they make sense of newfound love, heartbreak, and societal expectations in early 19th-century England while trying to better their lives.
7. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Gothic romance is a sub-genre you’ll come across often if you look far enough into the classic genre and Rebecca is one of its bests.
Our female lead is a young bride who finds herself overshadowed by her husband’s first wife, Rebecca.
Being the other woman is crazy, but being othered by a dead person? The “romance” in this book is referenced at best, but it ultimately rests on the underlying concepts of identity and jealousy.
8. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Set in 1870s New York, this novel tells us about the constraints of high society through the story of Newland Archer.
He is torn between his fiancée, May Welland, and a passionate affair with Ellen Olenska, a socially unconventional woman, who is his fiancée’s cousin, in this story that redefines the politics of fidelity.
9. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Although this is primarily a coming-of-age story, we get a healthy dose of romantic relationships, which could very well stand on their own.
Particularly the relationship between Jo March and the reserved Professor Bhaer, which takes place in the years after the American Civil War.
10. Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
This novel spans the Russian Revolution and World War I and tells the story of Yuri Zhivago, a physician and poet, and his passionate love affair with Lara Antipova.
The political chaos of early 20th-century Russia is a primary theme and I believe you’re going to like seeing the impact of historical events on personal lives.
11. Persuasion by Jane Austen
Because of family pressure, Anne Elliot broke off her engagement to Captain Frederick Wentworth.
They reunite eight years later and this time around, they’re determined to get their happily ever after no matter what comes their way.
Austen’s characteristic wit and scathing social observation are in full force in this fantastic work and you’re going to enjoy it if you’re in the mood to read one of the best classic romance novels.
12. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
Set during the French Revolution, this adventure-romance follows Sir Percy Blakeney, an English aristocrat who secretly rescues French nobles from the guillotine under the alias The Scarlet Pimpernel.
This romantic classic is perfect if you like your romance with a side of heart-pounding intrigue and high stakes escapades.
13. The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
Arguably the most popular piece of classic romance on this booklist, The Bridges of Madison County is a reader-favourite that’s absolutely worth reading.
It is a poignant, short novel about a brief, passionate love affair between Francesca Johnson, a lonely Italian-American housewife, and Robert Kincaid, a National Geographic photographer.
Their connection profoundly changes Francesca’s life, and, in the book, she reflects on this once-in-a-lifetime romance in her later years.
13. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
This novel uses magical realism to chronicle the lifelong love between Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza.
After being separated for decades, they finally reunite in their old age and I love, love, love the message of an enduring love.
14. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Set in a small New England town, this tragic tale focuses on Ethan Frome, who is trapped in a loveless marriage with his sickly wife, Zeena.
His affair with her vibrant cousin, Mattie Silver, leads to devastating consequences, which is a painful reminder of the isolation, desire, regret that occasion the pursuit of happiness.
14. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
While primarily an adventure novel, it includes a romance subplot involving Edmond Dantès, who, after being wrongfully imprisoned, escapes and seeks revenge.
His love interests, including his idealised love, are central to his motivations and the story’s emotional depth and this book promises a super thrilling time.
15. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
I’m a huge sucker for books about unrequited love and Stevens’ romantic affections for Miss Kenton will make you feel warm all over.
This book follows his life and service to Lord Darlington as a butler and you’re going to love this if you’re in the mood for an easy read about duty and the far reaching consequences of every decision we take.
Related: Top 25 American Classic Books Everyone Needs To Read This Weekend
16. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
Lucy Honeychurch travels from England to Italy and falls in love with two very different men in this lovely, immersive Edwardian novel.
First, there’s the charming George Emerson and then there’s the conventional Cecil Vyse — Both have their own endearing appeal.
17. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
Set in the industrial North of England, this classic romance novel does a lot by way of exploring the love story between two beautiful individuals.
We get to see the unique experiences of Margaret Hale, who moves from the countryside to the industrial town of Milton, and John Thornton, a mill owner.
Their budding relationship touches on class conflict, social change, and personal growth in a touching yet airy way that feels incredibly sublime.
18. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
A Gothic romance through and through, this groundbreaking classic text tells the story of a love that gradually builds up to intense obsession.
Christine Daaé is a young opera singer, and her romance with the mysterious Phantom who lives beneath the Paris Opera House is the fulcrum of this atmospheric book.
19. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Emma Bovary is an ambitious farmer’s wife who escapes her mundane life through romantic fantasies and extramarital affairs.
What do you think about romantic idealism? How far do social constraints limit one’s eternal pursuit of happiness? This is just the book for you if you love nuanced stories in this vein.
20. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Set in the post-World War I era, this novel follows Jake Barnes and his unrequited love for Lady Brett Ashley.
Their complicated relationship, which is set against the backdrop of Paris and Spain, is the perfect setup for a romance inspired by a search for meaning in a changed world.
21. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
While primarily a dystopian novel, it contains a notable romantic subplot between Bernard Marx and Lenina Crowne.
Their relationship takes place in a society where traditional love and emotional bonds are suppressed and you’ll see the contrast between individual desires and societal norms.
22. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo
Quasimodo is a deformed bell-ringer in 15th-century Paris who loves the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda.
The iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral is pretty much a third protagonist in this expansive take on the twin issues of social justice and human deformity and I daresay it might be a new favourite.
23. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
This must-read classic romance novel follows Helen Graham, who leaves her abusive husband and tries to become more independent.
Through her relationship with the kind and honourable Gilbert Markham, we watch Helen gain a deeper understanding of gender roles, domestic abuse, and personal integrity.
24. Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence
Constance Reid, an upper-class woman, and Oliver Mellors, a gamekeeper, try to find fulfilment and genuine connection outside the constraints of their social classes in this book.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover is most notable for its unbridled exploration of sexuality and class in a society that tightens the noose ever so slightly at every point.
25. Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure by John Cleland
This early erotic novel follows Fanny Hill, a young woman who must make a way through love and lust in 18th-century London.
Candid in the ways that count, this blindingly insightful book critiques the societal norms of the Georgian Era and the politics of owning ones body in its entirety.
26. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
Set during the French and Indian War, this historical romance follows the relationship between the heroine, Cora Munro, and the noble Indian scout, Hawkeye.
This is just the classic romance novel to read if you’d like a strong, enduring romance coupled with cultural conflict that brings out the hero in every single character.
27. Evelina by Frances Burney
This epistolary novel follows Evelina Anville, a young woman making her debut in London society and everything she faces as she tries to find love.
Her experiences with various suitors and the romantic entanglements she faces is the most perfect satirical look at social norms and courtship.
28. Camille by Alexandre Dumas
This book chronicles the tragic romance between Marguerite Gautier and Armand Duval.
Marguerite is a courtesan and when she falls in love with Armand, who is a young nobleman, the both will be tested over and over again as they try to find their happily ever after.
29. Middlemarch by George Eliot
This expansive novel follows the lives and loves of the residents of the fictional town of Middlemarch.
In particular, we meet Dorothea Brooke, a young woman who marries the wrong man and later finds true love with the radical Will Ladislaw.
Let me tell you right that Dorothea is one of those characters you’ll be thinking of long after reading and I guarantee you’re going to love her.
Aside: George Eliot is the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, so this technically qualifies as a classic book written by a woman and you might enjoy this list.
30. The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia by Sir Philip Sidney
A pastoral romance set in an imaginary world, this novel features the love stories of the shepherds and nobles in the Arcadian realm.
And, I know I’ve said this before, but this book is definitely an epic in every sense of the world. We’re introduced to a host of characters and the purely comedic situations will make you smile all through.
After their father receives a grim prophecy, Philoclea and Pamela, as well as other members of their household, are transplanted and soon, Princes Pyrocles and Musidorus disguise themselves as women to woo them.
Chaotic? That’s just half of it. They still must contend with several minor plot problems and a host of other unexpected variables that totally change everything.
What do you think? Did you recognize any titles? How many of the books on this list have you read? Let me know your answers in the comment section.
That said, you probably noticed that I stuck to my promise of introducing diverse classic titles into the mix rather than the ones that are always repeated.
I will always be on the side of the underdog, and many of the classic romantic books on this list are quite unpopular, but I promise they are all worth the time spent reading them.
Let me know which one you think you’re going to read in the comment section, or if you think I missed a personal favorite that everyone might enjoy, drop a recommendation in the comment section.
