Neo-classicism, as it applies to literature, is best understood by first identifying what is classic literature, otherwise known as vintage books. Both vintage literature and new classic books apply to fiction, as opposed to non-fiction. Examples of fiction include "Bleak House, " "Little Men" and "Tess of the D'Urbervilles." Non-fiction, on the other hand, are works like encyclopedias, dictionaries and biographies.

What, then, is vintage literature? It depends on whom you ask. Some people interpret this strictly as writings from ancient Rome and Greece, while others view it more liberally, as vocative of a particular style or time period. All of these works provoke strong emotion in some way. "Wuthering Heights, " "Pride and Prejudice" and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." Neo-classical works are more modern. "The Hobbit, " "Lord of the Flies, " and "The Road, " all stand out as new classics.

Homer's the "Iliad" is a perfect example of the hard-core definition of classical literature. It was written in ancient Greece by an ancient Greek (Homer was born circa 8th century B. C.). An example of epic literature, the "Iliad" had a massive influence on the history of literature. Epic literature is a long, narrative poem depicting heroic deeds.

"The Count of Monte Cristo " was written by Alexandre Dumas in 1845. The story takes place in Italy, France and islands in the Mediterranean. It details the wrongful imprisonment of a man who escapes from prison, earns a fortune and devotes himself to wreaking revenge on the people who helped land him in prison. A great read for people who love revenge stories.

"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" was written in 1876 by Mark Twain, nee Samuel Clemens. The book is an adventure story based on the character of a young boy, Tom, growing up alongside the Mississippi in the fictional town of St Petersburg. The story spawned five sequels, two of which were never completed. These were "Huck and Tom Among the Indians, " and "Tom Sawyer's Conspiracy."

George Orwell's "1984, " sometimes written as, "Nineteen Eighty-Four, " was written in 1949. It has been described as a dystopian novel. This genre of fictional literature portrays undesirable societies. It is the opposite of utopia. Other examples of dystopian literature include Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" and, more recently, "The Hunger Games, " written by Suzanne Collins.

"Lord of the Flies" by William Golding in 1954, is a dystopian novel. Dystopian novels tell stories of unpleasant societies, as compared with utopian novels, which depict ideal societies. Thomas More's "Utopia, " written in 1516, is an obvious example of a utopian novel. "Lord of the Flies" tells the story of a group of British lads stranded on an uninhabited island. The boys try to govern themselves, which ends in disaster.

"The Road, " by Cormac McCarthy, is a work of post-apocalyptic literature, a genre which deals with the aftermath of the end of civilization. In fact, in "The Road, " the cause of the cataclysm is of no importance. The story instead revolves around the survival of the destruction of human society and, ultimately, all life on Earth.