Journal: What makes a novel a classic?

A novel is a classic when it inspires people during the time of its publication, but is still relevant tens and even hundreds of years later. If the author writes a really compelling story, it can be related to different time periods and never seems out of touch. 

Specific authors can also make a book a classic. If an author writes one novel that is a classic (based on the above criteria), then other books written by him or her are more likely to also become classics. Once the author has gained recognition as a great writer, people are more likely to view his or her subsequent works as classics as well.

Classic novels never go out of style. They relate to everyone in all time periods. And so they will be read for hundreds of years.