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Great literature has gifted us some of the most meaningful and timeless quotes about life, love, and everything in between. Writers can put words to the feelings and experiences we can’t quite capture ourselves and leave us with quotes that resonate long after we’ve turned the page. Readers have found moving quotes in everything from gothic classics to contemporary young adult reads. 
Sometimes, we’re inspired by a quote that we didn’t even know came from a book. I’ve heard “Not all those who wander are lost” countless times but never knew it was from a beloved fantasy series. To create this list, I looked at some of the most memorable and moving quotes from literature throughout time. For readers looking for a new inspirational read or wondering where some of the greatest lines originated from, here are some of the best literary quotes and the books they came from.
“Beloved” by Toni Morrison, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $9.29
“Beloved” is a Pultizer Prize-winning historical fiction about Sethe, an escaped slave still running from her past 18 years later. Haunted both metaphorically by her memories and literally by the ghost of her baby, Sethe’s past and present collide when a mysterious teenage girl arrives with the same name engraved upon her child’s tombstone.
“Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $5.47
This adored classic is about four sisters — Jo, Beth, Meg, and Amy — who are struggling to survive in New England during the Civil War. First published in 1869, this novel has delighted readers for generations as they follow the sisters on each of their unique journeys to womanhood. 
“Slaughterhouse-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $14.99
First published in 1969, “Slaughterhouse-Five” is an anti-war novel about Billy Pilgrim, who becomes a chaplain’s assistant in the US. Army during World War II. While the story begins with Billy’s childhood and continues years after the war, Billy occasionally travels through time to reflect upon his life, humanity, and the devastating effects of war.
“The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $8.89
“The Alchemist” is a powerful and inspirational story full of wisdom about a boy named Santiago who travels to Egypt from Spain in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids. On his adventure, Santiago encounters numerous obstacles, meets interesting new people, and discovers so much more than the treasure he once sought.
“One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel García Márquez, available at Amazon and Bookshop, $14.49
This beautiful multi-generational story of the Buendía family begins with José Arcadio Buendía, the founding patriarch of the town of Macondo. Following seven generations of the family through feuds, friendships, and technological advancements, this novel uses magical realism to explore extraordinary moments through time.
“The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $12.98
“The Hate U Give” is a moving and timely young adult read about Starr Carter, a 16-year-old who witnesses her best friend, Khalil, get shot and killed by the police. When his death makes national headlines, everyone wants to hear what really happened, but Starr is fully aware of what telling the truth could mean as well as the consequences of staying silent.
“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous ” by Ocean Vuong, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $9.67
This stunning and poetic novel is a letter from a son to his mother, who cannot read. Little Dog is in his 20s, exploring and speaking frankly about sexuality, masculinity, grief, and race as he unravels his family’s history rooted in Vietnam, leading to an unforgettable conclusion in this powerful novel about humanity and language. 
“Catch-22” by Joseph Heller, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $12.22
Loved as a funny and realistic view on war, “Catch-22” is about Yossarian, a bombardier during World War II who is mad that thousands of enemies are trying to kill him while his army continues to increase the number of dangerous missions he’s required to fly. Yossarian finds himself in a Catch-22, a bureaucratic rule that says men who continue to fly dangerous missions should be considered insane, yet if they make a request to be removed, they are proven sane and ineligible for relief.
“The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $15
“The Bell Jar” is a semi-autobiographical novel and a haunting classic from Sylvia Plath. The book follows Esther Greenwood, a young woman in Boston who is consumed by depression and anxiety as her mental state worsens over time.
“The Color Purple” by Alice Walker, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $12.99
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, “The Color Purple” is a magnificent and important novel about the abuse silently suffered by Black women in the 20th century. Celie and Nettie are sisters who were separated as children but continue to communicate and share messages of hope through letters that sustain them through seemingly insurmountable pain in this story of strength and redemption.
“The Round House” by Louise Erdrich, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $10.25
This 2012 National Book Award winner follows a young boy on the Ojibwe reservation in North Dakota whose community and family is changed forever in the wake of a terrible crime. Richly layered, this profound mystery is about so much more than finding a criminal and seeking justice.
“Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $13.99
“Invisible Man” is a 1952 classic that shaped American literature as an unnamed man from the South who gets a scholarship to an all-Black school in Harlem but must participate in a horrifying and humiliating “battle royal” in order to claim his spot. Powerful and raw, this novel explores identity and belonging as the narrator continues to search for his individuality in a society that doesn’t want him to be himself. 
“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $5.52
First published in 1818, “Frankenstein” is a horror classic about a scientist named Victor Frankenstein who brings a monster to life and flees his laboratory in disgust, to return the next day and find that the creature is missing. In this novel that explores the dark power of alienation, Frankenstein’s monster tells the devastating story to his creator of his first challenging days in the world.
“The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $8.99
In this classic French children’s book, a young prince meets a pilot whose plane has crashed in the desert, who begins to tell him his story of traveling across various planets and all he had seen and learned along the way. One of the most translated books in the world, “The Little Prince” is for readers of all ages who wish to reminisce upon the nostalgic innocence of childhood.
“Don Quixote” by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $7.99
“Don Quixote” is a historical novel from the 1600s and one of the top-selling books of all time. Quixano is a young nobleman who decides to become a knight-errant after reading countless romances and falling in love with the idea of chivalry. Under the name “Don Quixote de la Mancha,” Quixano brings the witty Sancho Panza along as his squire on his quest for knighthood.
“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $7.36
“Wuthering Heights” is a classic, gothic novel from 1847 about two families — the Lintons and the Earnshaws — and their relationships with the Earnshaws’ adopted son, Heathcliff. Full of complex characters, this classic follows Heathcliff’s young friendship with his benefactor’s daughter, Cathy, as it grows and morphs into a passionate and twisted romance.
“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $7.35
“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” is Maya Angelou’s first book in her multi-volume autobiography series. This installment offers a glimpse at Maya Angelou’s early years as she struggles against racism when she and her brother are sent to live with their grandmother in a small Southern town. When she returns to live with her mother, a horrible attack changes Maya Angelou’s life forever in this memoir about identity, race, and hope in the face of impossible circumstances. 
“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $7.99
Offred can remember enjoying life with her husband and daughter not long ago. Now, trapped in a dystopian present where women are only valued if they have viable ovaries, Offred is the Commander’s handmaid, forced to lie down for him once a month and pray she gets pregnant in this devastatingly memorable read.
“The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $6.10
Hazel’s terminal cancer diagnosis has been extended by a few years when she meets a gorgeous boy named Augustus in her support group. Immediately drawn to one another, they agree to read each other’s favorite books, launching a whirlwind teenage romance that’s full of love and heartbreak.
“The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $10.98
“The Namesake” is Jhumpa Lahiri’s first novel and explores the immigrant experience through the Ganguli family, whose story begins as Ashoke and Ashima uproot their traditional life in Calcutta and move to America shortly after their arranged marriage so Ashoke can attend school at MIT. When Ashima names their child Gogol, the meaning of his name continues to follow him through his life as he navigates the expectations of a first-generation immigrant.  
“Perks of Being A Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $7.19
In this unique coming-of-age novel set in the 1990s, Charlie is a freshman in high school who is torn between passivity and a budding passion for life while also being stuck between childhood and adulthood. This book is a compilation of his letters to an unknown recipient, discussing the challenges he faces with his family, in school, and in his personal life.
“The Fellowship of the Ring” by J.R.R. Tolkein, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $8.27
“The Fellowship of the Ring” is the first novel in the classic fantasy “Lord of the Rings” series. In this book, the hobbit Bilbo Baggins entrusts young Frodo Baggins with an incredible and dangerous task: To take the powerful Ring to the Cracks of Doom and destroy it once and for all. Frodo sets off on an epic adventure across Middle-Earth in this beloved and revered novel.
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