The Mayor of Casterbridge - Great tragic novel: Probably the best tragic novel ever. Though, it can be classified as a high school read, it is interesting for adult readers as well. The many unexpected twists and turns makes it as exciting as some books that are actually in the suspense genre and some of the incidents are very controversial for the 19th century time-line. This has everything, jealousy, success, rags to riches, riches to rags, romance, tragedy, suspense. It is a good introducti...

The Pickwick Papers - outright comedy: This is the first novel written by legendary Charles Dickens. Unlike the heavy social theme of his other famous works, this is an outright comedy full of British humour, which is very funny even 170 years after it was first published. The story comes to life when Sam Weller enters the story as the man servant of Mr. Pickwick. Sam's mangling descriptions and anti-proverbs that came to be known as "wellerisms" are a great source of light hearted hu...