What makes a novel "a classic"?

Classic is defined by the New Oxford American dictionary as, "Judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind." To me in order for a novel to be considered "a classic" it has to be written several years ago. In my mind there is no way a book written yesterday and read tomorrow can be considered a classic. Multiple readers have to give their opinion on the book. They have to be able actually analyze the structure and meaning of the novel. A classic also has to be helpful and give the reader meaning.