It’s a matter of going for a walk in any bookstore. On the counters, there are not only the new releases that publishers bring to the market month after month. Alongside the 2026 titles coexist volumes by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, Gabriela Mistral,Isabel Allende and, lately, Homer. And not only in the traditional pocket editions.
Is it a trend? A fad? The truth is that when consulting booksellers and people in the book world, the diagnosis is unanimous: readers are returning to the timeless classics. “It’s something that repeats constantly; they ask more about the classics than about the new releases, especially young people,” says Elena Bahrs, owner of the Ulises bookstore (Lastarria). This is confirmed by Gerardo Jara, from La Inquieta: “It’s something transversal. For different reasons or looking for certain editions, there is a return to the canonical novel of the 18th, 19th century or to Greek works.”
“Yes, I believe the classics are coming back quite strongly -comments the writer and one of the owners of the Catalonia bookstore, Catalina Infante-. In the bookstore, we see new readers eager to catch up with books they perhaps didn’t read at the time, or that they read in school and now want to return to from a different perspective.”
From the digital platform Buscalibre they confirm it. Daniela Méndez, category manager for books, explains: “We observe renewed interest, especially among young people. Although they never stopped being present, today they find new ways to connect.”
Why is this happening? There are several factors, inherent to the book world. Méndez assures that the very narrative nature of the classics has repositioned them. “Many of these titles continue to address universal themes such as love, ambition, human relationships, social conflicts, or identity, which remain recognizable to readers of different ages. This allows works written decades or even centuries ago to continue finding new readings and maintain their relevance.”
Catalina Infante shares her view: “I think there are several reasons. On one hand, there are new readers who want to discover those books that are part of a kind of common literary imaginary. But there is also something very important: the classics continue to speak about problems and emotions that we perfectly recognize today. Desire, jealousy, ambition, family, money, loneliness, power relations.”
Added to this is a fundamental shift in publishing production. Sergio Parra, from Metales Pesados, highlights the change in design: “Twenty years ago, the classics were rough, with academic covers. You couldn’t put a colorful cover on Dostoevsky because it seemed disrespectful. Now you can, and that is a great success.”
Larger size, hardcovers, and painted edges are part of the new editions of the classics. “I think painting the edges is very good. These editions are much more attractive to a younger audience,” adds Parra. Elena Bahrs confirms: “The public has received them delighted, they like a beautiful, well-made book, and they have also come at a good price. These are editions with excellent translations. Young people need to own something they find valuable in this world that seems so volatile.” And Buscalibre adds: “They have been very well received because today the book also has an object dimension. There are readers who especially value a carefully made edition, with hardcover, illustrations, painted edges, or special designs. These new editions have also helped bring traditional titles closer to younger audiences.” Although Gerardo Jara adds a nuance: “Some ignore them and others celebrate them haha. Yes, the painted edges are new and don’t leave anyone indifferent, but to each their own.”
What do the publishers say? Melanie Jösch, editorial director of Penguin Random House Chile, comments on the reasons behind these new formats: “It is a global trend. Many readers already own an edition of these works but seek more carefully made and attractive versions, either to give as gifts or to add to their personal libraries. These are books of enormous literary value that have also become collector’s items. They have had an excellent response. There is a growing appreciation not only for the content of the books but also for their aesthetic dimension: design, materials, binding, and overall quality of the edition.”
In the same vein, Juan Manuel Silva, fiction manager at Grupo Planeta, states: “We see that new generations of readers are very interested in the book as an object. Therefore, hardcover editions, with details on the edges, special bookmarks, illustrations, or any element that enriches the reading experience are highly valued by a segment of readers who, perhaps today, face these stories for the first time and are attracted by a more careful visual and material proposal. They have had a very positive response.”
Parra adds another technical element: translation. “The translation of the first two volumes of In Search of Lost Time by Proust has just been released, which is extraordinary, as well as new versions of The Odyssey.”
Which classics are being read the most? “They look for The Odyssey, Crime and Punishment, Anna Karenina, Wuthering Heights, etc.,” points out Gerardo Jara. Catalina Infante adds: “Dostoevsky is one of the best sellers. The Brothers Karamazov and White Nights have a lot of demand. Also, Anna Karenina, Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters’ novels, and Madame Bovary by Flaubert sell very well.” Elena Bahrs adds: “They are asking us for Dostoevsky, Mary Shelley, Emily Brontë, Tolstoy, Poe, Proust, Victor Hugo, Jane Austen, etc., and in recent weeks Homer.” At Buscalibre, the trend is similar, but they add a name: “Among the classics that today show the greatest interest on Buscalibre are The House of the Spirits as a Chilean classic, Wuthering Heights, and The Odyssey. We also see a significant presence of authors like Jane Austen, Franz Kafka, and the Brontë sisters, who continue to connect with new generations of readers.”
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Another factor that has contributed to pushing the classics is cinema. Recent big-screen adaptations of The Odyssey, by Christopher Nolan; or Wuthering Heights, by Emerald Fennell; as well as the Prime Video series The House of the Spirits are examples of this. Catalina Infante comments: “Adaptations put certain books back into circulation and make people who perhaps never thought about reading them interested. The Odyssey or Wuthering Heights, for example, reappear in conversation because of their adaptations. Often the path works the opposite of what one would imagine: someone sees a movie and then wants to read the book.” Sergio Parra adds: “The Odyssey has sold a lot due to the boost the movie gave. Several editions have also been released.”
Buscalibre also highlights that push, but not only for Homer’s classic: “It significantly influences since an audiovisual adaptation works as a new gateway to stories that the public often knows by name but has not yet read. When a work is reinstalled in conversation, interest is awakened to know the original text, compare both versions, or delve into characters and plots that are usually condensed on screen. We have seen this with titles like Wuthering Heights, The House of the Spirits, or One Hundred Years of Solitude, which circulate strongly again when there is an adaptation, an announcement, or a cultural conversation around them.”
Melanie Jösch shares a similar opinion, although she highlights that not only The Odyssey has positioned itself: “Clearly, we are seeing a happy return to the classics in bestseller lists, both old and contemporary. From The Odyssey, boosted by Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation, which has rekindled interest and debate about the work and its multiple interpretations, to Dostoevsky, the great Russian master.”
Elena Bahrs adds the element of social media: “My impression is that cinema has helped those that are trendy. It also has to do with TikTok and young people’s curiosity to read something foundational in both Western and Eastern culture. Many young people feel the need not to miss the milestones that have shaped the taste of what has been written in the 20th and part of the 21st century.” Sergio Barra adds: “Social media campaigns have helped a lot. BookTokers and influencers are recommending these books; I think it’s also interesting to see the reading they are giving to the classics.”
If we look at this trend with the three-time engine of history, by the famous Ferdinand Braudel, we could say that European and American classics would be within the conjuncture, and we would have to wait to see if they project to medium duration. However, in the case of Chilean classics, the line would correspond to long duration, that is, it is an interest that is more sustained over time, unrelated to the immediate. “Chilean classics have not had the same boost -notes Sergio Parra-. I think influencers are lacking there; they should look at Chilean classics.”
Anyway, in the case of nationals, booksellers point out that it is a permanent interest for readers. “More than a boost for Chilean classics, those who always have their audience are: María Luisa Bombal, José Donoso, Baldomero Lillo, and Manuel Rojas. And for foreigners, they ask us for Mistral and Neruda,” says Elena Bahrs. “I think it happens in a somewhat more limited way -says Catalina Infante-. There are titles with new editions, like Casa Grande, Martín Rivas, and El Socio. We also see interest in María Luisa Bombal and Marta Brunet. I find it especially interesting because many times our Chilean classics have been associated with school reading, and returning to them by one’s own decision allows discovering them in another way.” At Buscalibre, The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende recorded a 35% growth in recent months, consolidating as a permanent phenomenon.
The rescue work has been strongly pushed by independent and university publishers. Simón Ergas, editor of La Pollera, clarifies that their work goes beyond reprinting: “The books we have worked on are generally not just reprints of classics but disappeared editions with substantial modifications that were pending. Cavilaciones, for example, we transcribed from the author’s own hand; El compadre was missing a chapter that Droguett left for future reprints that was never included; the Poema de Chile by Gabriela Mistral was published halfway.”
At Ediciones UDP, the work has focused on poetry and narrative. Felipe Gana, their editor, mentions the rescue of authors such as Enrique Lihn, Gonzalo Millán, Rodrigo Lira, Martín Cerda, Claudia Donoso, or Germán Marín. Gana comments on the public reception: “We are struck by the excellent response to complex works like Patas de perro by Carlos Droguett, which is in its second edition, or the new visibility that Mauricio Wacquez’s work is having. But the case of Marta Brunet leaves me puzzled, a great novel like La mampara that after its first edition never had another that valued the book, does not perform better in sales. I think we owe her as an author; there are no editions of María Nadie, but I think she should be read much more.”
Attentive to this segment, the major publishers also bet on local heritage. Planeta has just launched a hardcover collection with engravings by the Caudal Gráfico collective and prologues by contemporary authors (Diamela Eltit, María José Navia, María José Viera-Gallo, and Daniela Catrileo) to renew Martín Rivas, El Socio, Sub Terra / Sub Sole, and Casa Grande.
Why are the classics read? Melanie Jösch attempts an answer: “Because they remain irreplaceable readings. They confront us with the great questions of the human condition and address themes that continue to be deeply relevant. The Odyssey, for example, reminds us that every act has consequences and that the essential conflicts of existence transcend eras.” Sergio Parra concludes: “It’s not that people are returning to read classics because current literature is bad. Classics have a narrative extension, a depth of characters, emotions, and guilt much more complex. That’s why they endure.”
To finish, some figures. Daniela Méndez assures: “Today, classics represent growth of around 30% on Buscalibre, and we have also seen that 10% of these purchases correspond to new editions of previously published works, which shows an interest that combines discovery, rereading, and collecting. Another interesting fact could be the category’s evolution over time: during 2026, classic sales were 30% higher than those recorded in 2025, showing that it is a demand that has managed to sustain beyond specific launches.”
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