Wat makes a book classic?

Wat is the ingredient for the greatness of a book? What makes great literature? Sometimes I just find supposedly great books a tad dry and boring, so what is the secret?

I think it would be a book that appeals to people across all age groups, across all cultures and diff. people at different times can relate to.

And of course they have to be boring too, so when teachers/lecturers choose it for a set work, students are bored out of their skulls!

Well it should be something different. The story should be very engrossing and unique. It should contain elements of all genere. It should be more on the lines of being serious however it should be mysterious, romantic, war, tragdy etc etc. And ofcourse it shud be using very very difficuly english so that the traslation is really hard!!

In today's day, it's very hard to define a classic book. We have so many great authors that give us new books every now and then.  We tend to fall in love with them and forget about some of the old ones and the cycle goes on and on.

Sometimes a classic book is referred to as being what's taught in the educational systems. Shakespeare is considered a classic writer. A lot of his plays are studied in highschool/colleges.

But I think classic novels mean something deeper than that.  There are a few elements that make a book 'classic.'  Some interesting characters... that's the key.  Some kind of characters that we won't be able to forget even after a few years.  Like Harry Potter. People might forget the story but HP maybe not.

Another important thing is universal and timeless themes.  If a focus is just primarily on certain people (be it culturally, age groups etc.) Then the book is not really classic. But if it appeals to a whole variety of people and pleases them then yes.

The storyline needs to be appealing to all. As I mentioned Harry Potter above. It seems like a children's book but I know people as much as 50 years old who enjoy it. After all who doesn't want to do some magic and save himself and the world?

That's basically what my idea of a classic novel or book is but it is tricky and the definitions will vary from people to people.