What is a classic?

To me, what makes a novel "a classic" is the fact that the story is powerful and moving, which causes the novel to remain relevant throughout time. If a novel came out and was good, but not great, I think the likeness factor would wear off and the book would not stay as popular. With novels such as Wuthering Heights, the stories we call "classics" captured the hearts and minds of people in the time that it first came out, and are still doing the same now. I think books that tell the classic story of struggles between social classes and love can be considered classics because everyone loves a good story that touches their soul.