2025 Books Reimagined: Why Rereading Classics Through Modern Retellings Is the Year’s Biggest Reading Trend

If you’ve found yourself reaching for Pride and Prejudice not in its original 1813 form, but in the TikTok-famous 2024 Afrofuturist retelling by author Ibi Zoboi, you’re not alone. One of the most exciting reading trends of 2025 , and one that’s only gaining momentum into 2026 , is the resurgence of classic literature, not as museum pieces, but as living, evolving stories reshaped by modern voices.

No longer confined to yellowed pages and academic footnotes, classics are being reborn. Contemporary authors are reimagining them with diverse perspectives, updated settings, and bold narrative twists. And readers? We’re devouring them.

Why We’re Rereading the Classics , Differently

There’s something comforting about returning to a beloved classic: the rhythm of Austen’s wit, the moral weight of Les Misérables, or the haunting gothic atmosphere of Wuthering Heights. But in an era that values representation, inclusivity, and cultural relevance, many readers are asking: Whose stories have been centered all along? And whose voices were left out?

Modern retellings answer that question with creativity and courage.

These adaptations aren’t replacements , they’re invitations. Invitations to see the same story through new eyes, to confront historical biases, and to explore themes of power, identity, and justice in contexts that resonate today.

The Rise of the Retelling: What’s Trending in 2025

From reimagined heroines to genre-bending updates, here are the types of modern retellings that dominated readers’ lists in 2025:

1. Diverse Reimaginings of Western Canon

Books like Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad paved the way, but 2025 saw an explosion of global perspectives on Eurocentric classics. Take Helen of Troy: A Myth Reclaimed by Australian-Greek author Emily Saso, which re-centers Helen not as a passive beauty but as a strategist navigating war, exile, and agency.

Similarly, Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, while not a direct retelling, channels the epic family collapse of The Iliad in a 1980s Malibu party gone awry , proving you don’t need ancient ships to tell timeless stories.

2. Gender-Swapped and Queer-Centric Versions

Shakespeare has never been more alive. Rosalind by Brynn Chapman flips As You Like It into a sapphic romance set in modern-day California, while Bros Before Bard by Leo Ramirez retools Much Ado About Nothing with two Latinx cops in Miami navigating love and rivalry.

These aren’t gimmicks , they’re affirmations. They show that love, rivalry, and identity transcend time and gender.

3. Genre Twists on Classic Plots

Want a thriller with the soul of a 19th-century novel? Try The Haunting of Hartford Mansion, a horror-tinged reimagining of Jane Eyre set in post-colonial Jamaica. Or dive into The Space Between Stars by Micaiah Johnson, which borrows the psychological depth of Frankenstein and transplants it to a generation ship light-years from Earth.

In 2025, readers didn’t just want familiarity , they wanted reinvention.

4. Graphic Novel and Verse Adaptations

Accessibility is key. A new wave of illustrated adaptations made classics approachable for reluctant readers and visual learners alike. Gatsby: A Graphic Novel by Nick Bertozzi and the verse rendition of The Odyssey by Gillian Clarke were praised in 2025 for their lyrical clarity and emotional resonance.

Even middle-grade audiences got in on the trend, with Middle School Shakespeare retellings turning Macbeth into a school election thriller.

How to Choose a Modern Retelling That’s Right for You

With so many options, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Here’s a quick guide:

• Love romance? Try Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner , a Great Gatsby reimagining with 1970s Long Island angst and messy, magnetic relationships.
• Into feminist themes? A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes retells the Trojan War from the perspectives of its silenced women , goddesses, queens, and soldiers alike.
• Thriller fan? Anthem by Jennifer Marie Brissett reworks The Odyssey into a dystopian sci-fi where identity is fragmented and survival is uncertain.
• Prefer something uplifting? Look for Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin , not a direct retelling, but a love letter to storytelling itself, echoing Shakespeare’s endless exploration of human connection.

You don’t need to read the original to enjoy the retelling , but if you do, prepare for a richer experience. Many readers in 2025 reported going back to the source material with fresh eyes after reading a modern version.

The Classroom Connection: Why Educators Are Embracing Retellings

Teachers are no longer asking students to just “get through” Moby Dick. Instead, they’re pairing it with Daniel Kraus’s Tin Star, a sci-fi reimagining of the white whale chase on an alien planet. Why? Because engagement soars when students see classics not as relics, but as living conversations.

Modern adaptations:

• Increase accessibility for neurodiverse and ESL learners
• Spark critical thinking about cultural context
• Encourage creative writing through comparison exercises

One high school English teacher in Portland reported that her students who previously avoided reading “ate up” Aerie: A Feminist Reimagining of D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover, calling it “shocking, honest, and weirdly relatable.”

The Future of the Classics: Inclusive, Global, and Ever-Evolving

The trend isn’t slowing down. In early 2026, we’re already seeing buzz around Kiko: A Japanese Pride and Prejudice, set in Kyoto’s tea house culture, and Cleopatra’s War, a speculative history that explores what if Cleopatra had ruled Rome.

Publishers are investing in diverse voices, and readers are responding. Because today’s “classics” aren’t just inherited , they’re being written now.

So this year, consider revisiting a classic , not in the version you first encountered in school, but through the lens of a storyteller who sees the world differently.

Whether you’re journaling your thoughts, discussing with a book club, or simply reading for pleasure, modern retellings offer a powerful way to stay connected to literature’s roots , while helping it grow in bold new directions.

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