The forgotten book that, rediscovered, takes its place among venerated classics is an age-old trend; "Don't call it a comeback," quoth LL Cool J. But if one end of the spectrum exists, the other must as well, right? What books were considered "classics" but are now largely ignored?

In a recent thread on the r/books subreddit, user -methane- asked, "What are some novels that were once considered classics that have been largely forgotten?" Redditors began flocking with suggestions of books fallen by the wayside. And folks, I was unfamiliar with, like, almost half of them.

"You always hear about authors who died neglected and unknown, only to be revived later in history," wrote -methane-. "Melville's Moby-Dick is a famous example of this. Surely the opposite of this has taken place, as well." The redditor also asked for any theories regarding the decline in popularity for certain novels. What causes a fall from grace? Is it gradual, or is there an identifiable turning point? Among the redditors arose an additional discussion as well: Where is the line between "classic" and "bestseller"? After a substantial amount of time has passed, is there any line at all? No real conclusion was reached, but it will certainly be present in the back of my mind the next time I note that a book is a New York Times bestseller, for example.

Now, full disclosure: The majority of writers mentioned in the following list are white, European men. There are several explanations for this, mainly that the voices of white men have been amplified by the media, by publishing houses, by fellow white men, for years.

1 'Telemachus' by Francois de Fenelon Amazon Considered a masterpiece of French political theory, Telemachus reportedly influenced Montesquieu and Rousseau in its retelling of the education of Ulysses son, Telemachus. Click here to buy.

2 'Of Human Bondage' by W. Somerset Maugham Amazon Though Of Human Bondage is considered, by some, to be the Catcher in the Rye for adults (specifically, British adults), it currently sells on Amazon for under $2.00. Published in 1915 and believed to be largely autobiographical, Of Human Bondage follows orphan Philip on a bildungsroman through Europe. Click here to buy.

5 'The Moonstone' by Wilkie Collins Amazon One would think, in creating what is believed to be the first modern English detective novel, you would solidify your place among the literary greats; that seemingly is not the case for Wilkie Collins, whose 1868 epistolary novel The Moonstone pioneered a new genre. Though he was well-loved in the Victorian era, Collins was overshadowed by BFF Charles Dickens following his death in 1889. Click here to buy.