135+ best quotes from classic literature
Famous lines and memorable passages from twelve classic novels — Frankenstein, The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice, Crime and Punishment, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and more. Every quote shows who said it, the chapter it comes from, and a short note on what the line is actually doing in the scene.
Most famous lines
One iconic line from each novel
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
“I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.”
“On an exceptionally hot evening early in July a young man came out of the garret in which he lodged in S. Place and walked slowly, as though in hesitation, towards K. bridge.”
“If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old!”
“The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when …”
By theme
Classic Love Quotes — From Famous Novels
The most quoted love lines from classic literature are often less romantic in context than they sound on a tote bag. The list below picks one or two lines from each of the classic novels that have shaped how love sounds in English, and adds a short note on what the writer was actually doing. Each entry links to the book's full quote page.
Classic Quotes About Reading & Books
Novelists tend to be sceptical readers of novels. Below: ten lines from the classics about reading itself, with the chapter, the speaker, and a short note on what each line is actually doing. The great novelists of the nineteenth century thought a lot about whether books were good for the people who read them; their answers were mixed.
Dark Academia Quotes from Classic Books
Dark academia, as an aesthetic, borrows the same anxieties the nineteenth century was inventing: ambition past its limit, knowledge that costs more than it gives, the lonely scholar, the beautiful young man with a secret. The list below picks one or two lines from each of the classic novels that built the mood. Each entry links to the book's full quote page with the chapter and a longer note.
By book
- Book 1 · 1925
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Book 2 · 1915
The Metamorphosis
Franz Kafka
- Book 3 · 1843
A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens
- Book 4 · 1892
The Yellow Wallpaper
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
- Book 5 · 1886
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Robert Louis Stevenson
- Book 6 · 1899
Heart of Darkness
Joseph Conrad
- Book 7 · 1818
Frankenstein
Mary Shelley
- Book 8 · 1899
The Awakening
Kate Chopin
- Book 9 · 1890
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde
- Book 10 · 1813
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
- Book 11 · 1856
Madame Bovary
Gustave Flaubert
- Book 12 · 1866
Crime and Punishment
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Frequently asked
What is the most famous quote in classic literature?
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." — Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, opening line. It is one of the most recognised first lines in the English novel and the template for thousands of imitations.
Which classic novel has the most quotable lines?
Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray is unusually dense with epigrams — Wilde wrote dialogue the way other writers wrote essays. Pride and Prejudice and The Great Gatsby follow closely, both packing big ideas into short, declarative lines.
Where do I find classical quotes about love?
See our curated collection of quotes about love drawn from Austen, Flaubert, Dostoevsky, Wilde and others. Each quote includes the speaker and the chapter it comes from, so you can find it in the novel.
Are these quotes verified against the original text?
Yes. Every quote on Classicly is matched to the original public-domain text of the novel, with the speaker and chapter recorded. We also add a short note on what the line is actually doing in the scene, so you do not just see a beautiful sentence floating without context.
Can I use these quotes in essays or social posts?
Yes — all twelve novels are in the public domain in most countries, so the lines themselves are free to quote. If you use a quote from Classicly in an essay, citing the chapter (we provide it) is the academic norm.
Read the books behind the quotes
Classicly is a free 12-month plan that takes you through all twelve classics, one chapter at a time. Daily page goals, a private reading tracker, a short quiz before each next book.
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