We are all enamored with a few classics that tell stories of love and romance. Books and films like The Notebook and Titanic made us cry, but there are more tear-jerking novels or plays in history that played a huge role in the world of literature.
Indeed, love stories never go out of fashion. Some classic narratives may not have the usual happy ending, but the plot still pulls at the reader’s heartstrings. There are timeless pages that earned a degree of notoriety because of their romantic yet tragic storylines, such as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Some classic literary pieces are a mixture of happily-ever-afters and heartbreaks that continue to sweep us off our feet.
Here we list the best classic love stories of all time:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Written in 1813, this romantic novel by Jane Austen tells the story of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. Darcy is well known in town not only for his good looks and wealth but also as a snob. Repulsed by his ego, his neighbor Elizabeth Bennet confronted him during a pas de deux on the flooring. The tension between them resulted in an unexpected romance. Despite the odds, they fought for their love until the end.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Emily Brontë’s first and only novel was written under the pen name “Ellis Bell” in 1847. The plot takes us back to 1802, at a Yorkshire land dubbed Wuthering Heights. The leading man Heathcliff becomes best friends with his adopted sister (also life-long crush) Catherine until a careless comment heard at the Heights changes their lives to a huge degree.
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
As one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated works, this story has been interpreted time and time again in plays and movies. Romeo and Juliet centers on the tragedies that accompany true love. Lovers Juliet Capulet and Romeo Montague come from opposite sides of the town Verona, and their family’s disapproval of their relationship eventually leads to their demise.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
A bestseller and frequently an author’s choice, Anna Karenina is a literary soap opera that brought electricity into the hearts of readers. First published in 1878 and set in the Russian society, Anna Karenina visits Moscow to help her brother Stiva save his marriage. While there, she becomes infatuated with Count Vronsky. A married woman, she fights off her desires but ends up leaving her husband, Alexei. She is denied legal separation and spends her life looking for acceptance in her and Count Vronsky’s relationship.
Casablanca by Murray Burnett
Made popular in 1942 by actors Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, this romantic film was based on an unproduced play titled Everybody Comes to Rick’s, written by Murray Burnett. The script was recreated into a screenplay by brothers Philip and Julius Epstein and their good friend Howard Koch.
In the story, Rick Blaine makes investments in a gambling club called Rick’s Café Américain, in the city of Casablanca. Rick is a bitter man, having been rejected by his former lover Ilsa Lund. When Ilsa walks back into his life but is married to another man, Rick is forced to confront her with well-aged heartache.
Les Liaisons dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
First published in 1782, the classic novel, to de Laclos’ credit, is a dark tale of deception, greed, and romance. The story features the Marquise de Merteuil, who asks that her partner, the Vicomte de Valmont, lure Cécile de Volanges, the daughter of her cousin. Young Cécile, however, falls in love with her music tutor, Chevalier Danceny, while the Vicomte surprisingly falls for the married and virtuous Madame de Tourvel.
