A Divisive Romance Novel Is The Most-Read Classic on Goodreads in 2026

A stormy, emotionally charged literary classic is having a major moment in 2026. According to Goodreads’ latest data on the most-read classics in the last few months, readers have been gravitating toward one famously debated novel above all others so far this year: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.

It’s probably no surprise that the 19th-century novel is topping the list. A new film adaptation released in February has reintroduced the story to audiences, sparking fresh discussion around its famously polarizing characters and bleak emotional landscape.

The Wuthering Heights adaptation directed by Emerald Fennell and starring Margot Robbieand Jacob Elordi has been just as controversial as the original book, but for different reasons, including the whitewashing of Heathcliff, the inaccuracy in the production design, and how it romanticizes a relationship that in the original book is arguably quite abusive. Despite any issues people had with the movie, it did well at the box office, bringing in $241.3 million worldwide.

Of course, the book was also polarizing when it came out in 1847, with The Telegraph sharing some original reviews of the novel years ago. In 1948, a critic for The Examiner wrote, “This is a strange book.”

“It is not without evidences of considerable power: but, as a whole, it is wild, confused, disjointed, and improbable,” they went on. “And the people who make up the drama, which is tragic enough in its consequences, are savages ruder than those who lived before the days of Homer.”

Related: Beloved Coming-Of-Age Novel Ranked Among Most “Disappointing” Books Ever on Goodreads

Because of all of this, and the timelessness of the classic novel, it makes sense that Wuthering Heights has soared to the top of the most-read classics on Goodreads so far this year.

As for the other most-read classics on Goodreads in 2026, the list includes plenty of familiar titles, with a few being 1984 by George Orwell, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

Related: Best-Selling Classic Novel Was Ranked ‘Darkest Book of All Time’ on Goodreads