Reading it for the first timeThe editions and translations that make a classic easiest for a beginner, without losing what makes the book worth reading. Two picks: The Iliad, The OdysseyFor a classThe student editions a high school or college course is likely to assign, or the ones that will serve you best in one. Four picks: Pride and Prejudice, The Iliad, The Odyssey, Wuthering HeightsA cheap copy to mark upThe cheapest copies with a reliable text, built to be read hard, written in and carried around. Three picks: Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby, Wuthering HeightsA quick-read paperbackLight, comfortable paperbacks for reading the book once, all under $20. Three picks: Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby, Wuthering HeightsTo read and keep for decadesWell-made hardcovers that will still be in one piece, and still pleasant to read, in thirty years. Three picks: Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby, Wuthering HeightsA keepsake giftSpecial, deluxe and collector's editions that feel like a present the moment they're unwrapped, and last long after. Three picks: Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby, Wuthering HeightsBeautiful on the shelfThe editions people photograph: pretty covers, sprayed edges, a spine that looks good on a bookshelf. Three picks: Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby, Wuthering HeightsTo carry in a pocketSmall hardbacks and paperbacks, sized for a coat pocket or a bag, that don't feel cheap. Three picks: Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby, Wuthering HeightsReading it aloudTranslations and editions that work when spoken, for reading to children, to a partner or to yourself. Two picks: The Iliad, The OdysseyThe easiest to readThe most accessible translations and editions, easy to read and easy to understand. Two picks: The Iliad, The OdysseyFor a young readerChildren's versions, retellings and full texts that a child or teenager can read and enjoy on their own. Two picks: The Iliad, The OdysseyClosest to the originalThe most literal versions, closest to the original line by line and word for word. Two picks: The Iliad, The OdysseyThe most poetic versionThe most beautiful verse translations, chosen for the sound and force of the English. Two picks: The Iliad, The OdysseyWith notes that explain everythingEditions for the curious reader and the rereader, with the history, references and vocabulary explained as you go. Two picks: Pride and Prejudice, The Great GatsbyAn illustrated editionEditions where the pictures are a reason to buy the book. Three picks: Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby, Wuthering Heights