The classics of sociology vary from country to country. They are represented by those authors classified as having superior status, practicing exemplary research, who have raised problems and proposed theoretical solutions that still elucidate aspects of contemporary societies. Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber became classics in Brazil. This was partly through the efforts of Florestan Fernandes, in the 1950s, who systematized the contribution of each of these authors to a theory of sociological research. The reception of these classics in the Brazil has traditionally been geared towards explaining the sociological problems of Brazil. Therefore, certain readings became routine, and particular versions of these classic authors were created. This text proposes a reflection on three textbooks written by French experts and published by Editora Vozes in its collection Pontos de Referência: A sociologia de Marx (The Sociology of Marx) by Jean-Pierre Durand; A Sociologia de Durkheim (The Sociology of Durkheim) by Philippe Steiner; and A Sociologia de Weber (The Sociology of Weber) by Catherine Colliot-Théléne.