Looking for approachable classics

I’m an avid reader but I mostly stick to books published in the last 20 years. I’d like to read more classics but I read a lot of dense stuff for my job so in my free time I’m looking for books that don’t feel like too much effort to read. (Generally <500 pages is better for me and I would consider Morrison approachable but Faulkner a bit too dense.)

Classics I have liked: I’ve read and loved all Jane Austen’s books. I liked Rebecca, Little Women, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and the few Shakespeare plays I’ve read. In terms of more recent classics, I’ve loved everything I’ve read by LeGuin and Butler, and I liked Beloved, The Joy Luck Club, and The Handmaid’s Tale.

Classics I didn’t like: I hated Wuthering Heights, although I read it as a teen so maybe as an adult I’d appreciate it more. I didn’t like Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, or Slaughterhouse V—in general I struggle with books where I can’t like or root for root for any of the characters. I DNF Howards End, I got about 25% through but never got sucked in.

I would love any recs for where to start, thanks!