I know predicting the future is always a challenge and full of uncertainties, but I’m still curious to see if you have any predictions of any modern books that might one day be regarded as a classic.
I personally haven’t read any that falls under this category. When I think of classics like To Kill A Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, Animal Farm, or even childrens classics like The Velveteen Rabbit, it’s difficult for me to see exactly what actually made them classics. But maybe you’re better at this than I am. And I would love to hear your guesses on which you think will be a classic one day.
If I had to choose one, I’d hesitantly say The Hunger Games, as it’s easy to read but also has a lot to say about challenging a Communist regime. It was assigned in high school back in 2010. So at least one English teacher saw some literary value in it.
Predicting which modern books will become classics is a challenging task because it often takes time for a work to be recognized as a classic. However, as of my last knowledge update in January 2022, there were several books from the late 20th and early 21st centuries that were receiving critical acclaim and seemed to have the potential for long-lasting significance. Some examples include:
“The Road” by Cormac McCarthy (2006): A post-apocalyptic novel exploring the relationship between a father and son as they journey across a desolate landscape.
“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini (2003): A novel that spans decades and continents, exploring themes of friendship, betrayal, and redemption against the backdrop of the changing political landscape in Afghanistan.
“The Corrections” by Jonathan Franzen (2001): A family saga that delves into the complexities of contemporary American life, addressing issues such as identity, relationships, and societal expectations.
“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Junot Díaz (2007): A multi-generational novel that weaves together themes of love, family, and the impact of dictatorship on the Dominican Republic.
“The Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt (2013): A coming-of-age novel centered around a young boy who survives a terrorist attack at an art museum and becomes entangled in the world of art forgery.
“The Underground Railroad” by Colson Whitehead (2016): A historical novel that reimagines the Underground Railroad as a literal railroad, exploring the horrors of slavery in a unique way.
Remember that literary tastes vary, and what might be considered a classic is often subjective. Additionally, new books may have gained acclaim or become influential since my last update, so it’s worth checking more recent sources for the latest perspectives on potential modern classics.