7 must-read classics for the post-truth era

As the fake news machine whirrs and alternative facts abound, one thing is clear: we need classic literature more than ever. These are the books we can trust, the books that help us make sense of a mad world. As Italo Calvino put it, ‘a classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say’.

The themes of these 7 books – resistance against tyranny, censorship, freedom – may be timeless, but right now they’re as important as they’ve ever been.