Best Books of the 20th Century

The best books published during the 20th century (January 1st, 1901 through December 31st 2000)

See also
Most Rated Book By Year
Best Twentieth Century American Novels
Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century
Best Fantasy of the 20th Century
Best Forgotten Fantasy of the 20th Century
Best Romance Novels of the Twentieth Century
Best Science Fiction of the 20th Century
Best Forgotten Science Fiction of the 20th Century

Best Books By Millennium:
1000-1999

Best Books by Century:
21st, 20th,
19th, 18th, 17th, 16th, 15th,14th, 13th, 12th, 11th, 10th,
9th, 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th, 4th

Best Books by Decade:
2020–2029, 2010–2019, 2000–2009,
1990–1999, 1980–1989, 1970–1979, 1960–1969, 1950–1959,
1940–1949, 1930–1939, 1920–1929, 1910–1919, 1900–1909,
1890–1899, 1880–1889, 1870–1879, 1860–1869, 1850–1859,
1840–1849, 1830–1839, 1820–1829, 1810–1819, 1800–1809

Lists for all books by Number of Ratings:
10,000 to 15,000, 15,000 to 20,000, 20,000 to 25,000, 25,000 to 30,000,
30,000 to 40,000, 40,000 to 50,000, 50,000 to 60,000, 60,000 to 70,000,
70,000 to 80,000, 80,000 to 89,999, 90,000 to 99,999, 100,000 to 149,999,
150,000 to 199,999, 200,000 to 499,999, 500,000 to 999,999, 1,000,000 and more

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All Votes Add Books To This List

101	And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 4.28 avg rating — 1,561,714 ratings score: 61,578, and 716 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
102	The Princess Bride by William Goldman 4.27 avg rating — 939,772 ratings score: 53,686, and 627 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
103	The Call of the Wild by Jack London 3.91 avg rating — 463,908 ratings score: 52,940, and 644 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
104	The Trial by Franz Kafka 3.94 avg rating — 380,995 ratings score: 51,353, and 600 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
105	She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb (Goodreads Author) 3.91 avg rating — 358,745 ratings score: 50,435, and 571 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
106	Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein 4.35 avg rating — 1,489,407 ratings score: 48,703, and 588 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
107	Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind 4.04 avg rating — 536,086 ratings score: 47,712, and 545 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
108	Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (Goodreads Author) 4.18 avg rating — 632,631 ratings score: 45,072, and 520 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
109	Catch-22 by Joseph Heller 3.99 avg rating — 876,938 ratings score: 43,148, and 496 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
110	The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom by Corrie ten Boom 4.48 avg rating — 350,469 ratings score: 42,530, and 482 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
111	Watchmen by Alan Moore (Goodreads Author) 4.39 avg rating — 588,636 ratings score: 42,336, and 486 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
112	Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf 3.78 avg rating — 346,237 ratings score: 42,293, and 499 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
113	The Crucible by Arthur Miller 3.61 avg rating — 454,784 ratings score: 41,484, and 507 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
114	Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy 4.16 avg rating — 208,574 ratings score: 40,601, and 441 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
115	The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 4.24 avg rating — 1,961,790 ratings score: 40,491, and 453 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
116	Calvin and Hobbes (Calvin and Hobbes, #1) by Bill Watterson 4.61 avg rating — 148,759 ratings score: 40,338, and 473 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
117	The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco 4.31 avg rating — 270,061 ratings score: 39,160, and 486 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
118	Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1) by Anne Rice 4.02 avg rating — 637,445 ratings score: 39,013, and 471 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
119	Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1) by Chinua Achebe 3.74 avg rating — 405,466 ratings score: 38,087, and 449 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
120	Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse 4.13 avg rating — 209,048 ratings score: 37,735, and 437 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
121	How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss 4.38 avg rating — 440,934 ratings score: 37,304, and 480 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
122	The Shining (The Shining, #1) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.28 avg rating — 1,662,309 ratings score: 36,563, and 454 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
123	The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran 4.23 avg rating — 323,168 ratings score: 36,027, and 434 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
124	As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner 3.72 avg rating — 183,690 ratings score: 35,598, and 419 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
125	The Plague by Albert Camus 4.02 avg rating — 304,024 ratings score: 34,701, and 429 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
126	Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown 4.32 avg rating — 391,008 ratings score: 34,476, and 432 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
127	Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie 4.03 avg rating — 369,999 ratings score: 34,001, and 433 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
128	The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot 4.11 avg rating — 58,160 ratings score: 33,966, and 408 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
129	The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough 4.25 avg rating — 362,146 ratings score: 33,783, and 416 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
130	Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley 4.45 avg rating — 163,934 ratings score: 33,229, and 401 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
131	One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 3.98 avg rating — 123,072 ratings score: 33,168, and 407 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
132	Outlander (Outlander, #1) by Diana Gabaldon (Goodreads Author) 4.26 avg rating — 1,137,243 ratings score: 32,533, and 377 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
133	Matilda by Roald Dahl 4.33 avg rating — 1,084,356 ratings score: 31,922, and 397 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
134	Shōgun (Asian Saga, #1) by James Clavell 4.41 avg rating — 208,347 ratings score: 31,626, and 379 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
135	I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography, #1) by Maya Angelou 4.30 avg rating — 572,314 ratings score: 31,525, and 397 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
136	A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry 4.38 avg rating — 157,737 ratings score: 30,388, and 335 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
137	Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein 3.92 avg rating — 324,256 ratings score: 30,337, and 371 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
138	Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett 4.25 avg rating — 814,051 ratings score: 30,125, and 352 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
139	Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie 3.98 avg rating — 131,278 ratings score: 29,869, and 348 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
140	The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami 4.14 avg rating — 308,967 ratings score: 29,814, and 338 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
141	Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl 4.37 avg rating — 843,269 ratings score: 29,625, and 352 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
142	Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace 4.25 avg rating — 99,415 ratings score: 29,485, and 314 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
143	The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis 4.27 avg rating — 504,512 ratings score: 29,282, and 358 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
144	Dubliners by James Joyce 3.84 avg rating — 171,584 ratings score: 28,916, and 357 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
145	His Dark Materials (His Dark Materials #1-3) by Philip Pullman 4.29 avg rating — 167,137 ratings score: 28,466, and 332 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
146	Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick 4.09 avg rating — 500,170 ratings score: 28,377, and 353 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
147	A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams 3.98 avg rating — 330,427 ratings score: 28,301, and 375 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
148	The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (Goodreads Author) 4.29 avg rating — 308,834 ratings score: 28,197, and 358 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
149	The Cider House Rules by John Irving (Goodreads Author) 4.17 avg rating — 193,478 ratings score: 28,016, and 352 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
150	Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3.77 avg rating — 147,555 ratings score: 27,965, and 333 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
151	Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot, #10) by Agatha Christie 4.20 avg rating — 709,979 ratings score: 27,849, and 369 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
152	Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak 4.01 avg rating — 101,637 ratings score: 27,301, and 355 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
153	The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 319,080 ratings score: 27,259, and 322 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
154	The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury 4.16 avg rating — 281,303 ratings score: 27,250, and 353 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
155	The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.03 avg rating — 327,783 ratings score: 26,823, and 326 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
156	The Mists of Avalon (Avalon, #1) by Marion Zimmer Bradley 4.13 avg rating — 211,701 ratings score: 26,564, and 325 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
157	It by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.24 avg rating — 1,236,615 ratings score: 26,471, and 326 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
158	Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. 4.06 avg rating — 276,399 ratings score: 26,410, and 326 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
159	Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom (Goodreads Author) 4.20 avg rating — 1,166,300 ratings score: 26,260, and 320 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
160	The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton 3.97 avg rating — 104,185 ratings score: 25,845, and 305 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
161	Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach (Goodreads Author) 3.86 avg rating — 268,681 ratings score: 25,745, and 329 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
162	Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond 4.04 avg rating — 448,132 ratings score: 25,605, and 309 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
163	The Once and Future King (The Once and Future King, #1-5) by T.H. White 4.07 avg rating — 116,820 ratings score: 25,480, and 322 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
164	Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon, #1) by Dan Brown (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 3,356,613 ratings score: 25,479, and 318 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
165	The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X 4.37 avg rating — 286,812 ratings score: 25,475, and 313 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
166	Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller 3.59 avg rating — 254,231 ratings score: 25,377, and 341 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
167	The Clan of the Cave Bear (Earth's Children, #1) by Jean M. Auel 4.10 avg rating — 279,811 ratings score: 24,072, and 304 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
168	The Jungle by Upton Sinclair 3.78 avg rating — 152,924 ratings score: 23,983, and 318 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
169	The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame 4.02 avg rating — 236,686 ratings score: 23,915, and 321 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
170	Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri 4.18 avg rating — 203,964 ratings score: 23,403, and 268 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
171	Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt 3.92 avg rating — 290,919 ratings score: 23,263, and 311 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
172	My Ántonia by Willa Cather 3.84 avg rating — 145,573 ratings score: 23,187, and 293 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
173	The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers 3.99 avg rating — 117,530 ratings score: 23,157, and 295 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
174	Swann’s Way (In Search of Lost Time, #1) by Marcel Proust 4.16 avg rating — 66,839 ratings score: 23,072, and 276 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
175	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4) by J.K. Rowling 4.57 avg rating — 4,100,265 ratings score: 22,995, and 286 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
176	The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton 3.97 avg rating — 191,574 ratings score: 22,612, and 292 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
177	The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje 3.86 avg rating — 137,941 ratings score: 22,456, and 293 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
178	Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel 3.95 avg rating — 389,285 ratings score: 22,442, and 296 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
179	A Separate Peace by John Knowles 3.60 avg rating — 230,211 ratings score: 22,284, and 282 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
180	A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf 4.22 avg rating — 250,206 ratings score: 21,935, and 280 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
181	If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino 4.02 avg rating — 109,154 ratings score: 21,879, and 256 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
182	The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon 4.18 avg rating — 210,623 ratings score: 21,670, and 252 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
183	Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values (Phaedrus, #1) by Robert M. Pirsig 3.78 avg rating — 242,534 ratings score: 21,615, and 274 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
184	Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges 4.40 avg rating — 76,779 ratings score: 21,429, and 245 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
185	A Room with a View by E.M. Forster 3.89 avg rating — 198,801 ratings score: 21,380, and 292 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
186	Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History (Maus, #1) by Art Spiegelman 4.39 avg rating — 368,107 ratings score: 21,305, and 258 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
187	Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee 3.86 avg rating — 115,003 ratings score: 21,208, and 252 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
188	Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 124,531 ratings score: 21,195, and 264 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
189	Cannery Row (Cannery Row, #1) by John Steinbeck 4.06 avg rating — 150,873 ratings score: 21,142, and 284 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
190	James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl 4.04 avg rating — 508,566 ratings score: 20,995, and 279 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
191	Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon 4.01 avg rating — 47,226 ratings score: 20,719, and 234 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
192	I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 322,166 ratings score: 19,996, and 241 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
193	Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg 4.28 avg rating — 322,943 ratings score: 19,918, and 263 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
194	Neuromancer (Sprawl, #1) by William Gibson 3.89 avg rating — 356,888 ratings score: 19,868, and 238 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
195	The Cat in the Hat (Cat in the Hat, #1) by Dr. Seuss 4.19 avg rating — 578,138 ratings score: 19,810, and 286 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
196	The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster 4.20 avg rating — 303,210 ratings score: 19,730, and 244 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
197	The Notebook (The Notebook, #1) by Nicholas Sparks (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 1,817,623 ratings score: 19,583, and 242 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
198	Anne of Avonlea (Anne of Green Gables, #2) by L.M. Montgomery 4.23 avg rating — 220,638 ratings score: 19,427, and 248 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
199	The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes, #5) by Arthur Conan Doyle 4.14 avg rating — 379,312 ratings score: 19,421, and 275 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
200	A People’s History of the United States: 1492 - Present by Howard Zinn 4.08 avg rating — 261,329 ratings score: 19,354, and 236 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Ruth 2646 books
382 friends

Sherry 1441 books
351 friends

Maria 3768 books
227 friends

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message 1: by Gary (new)

Jun 14, 2008 08:30PM

Jane Austen? Oscar Wilde? Louisa May Alcott? Charles Dickens? William Shakespeare? Alexandre Dumas? Bram Stoker's Dracula?

None of those are 20th century.

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message 2: by Laura (new)

Jun 17, 2008 02:49PM

Uh, yeah, what Gary said. Hello?

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message 3: by Dottie (last edited Jun 20, 2008 08:13PM) (new)

Jun 20, 2008 08:07PM

Picture of Dorian Gray first published 1891 doesn't belong in 20th century books. 19th century

Oops -- you guys already caught these. Another one -- Bronte.

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message 4: by Mark (last edited Feb 25, 2009 03:38AM) (new)

Jun 23, 2008 06:32PM

Similarly, Three Cups of Tea was published in 2006... is there an easy way to delete these? Or should this list take a Braudelian view of the "long 20th century"? ;)

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message 5: by [deleted user] (new)

Jun 24, 2008 04:04AM

Some of those definitely aren't 20th century

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message 6: by Ashley (new)

Jun 24, 2008 08:31AM

There are a lot of those 19th century books, but now there are also many that are 21st century as well i.e. The Host and the most recent Harry Potter books. Is there any way to delete them?

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message 7: by Laura (new)

Jun 25, 2008 08:38AM

I was getting all annoyed because they had a couple books that were published after 2000, but then I realized that I had just voted for Pride and Prejudice....I wish that there was a way to delete books that didn't fit the critieria...or maybe if the list was programmed to automatically check the publication date and tell you whether or not you could add it to the list...

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message 8: by Wifey (last edited Jun 25, 2008 08:48AM) (new)

Jun 25, 2008 08:46AM

Why isn't Celine or Saint Exupéry or Borges on this list? I call bullshit. Or i don't know... Vonnegut?

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message 9: by Kelly (new)

Jun 25, 2008 10:49AM

Um, people? Jane Austen novels and/or Jane Eyre are in NO WAY 20th century novels, whatever thousandth reprinting that they're on right now that happens to have taken place in that century.

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message 10: by Bryan (new)

Jun 25, 2008 11:09AM

It's called the "best books" of the 20th century, so why does everyone seem to be restricting themselves to novels?

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message 11: by jessica juniper (new)

Jun 25, 2008 12:39PM

There are several books on here that are not from the 20th Century...Jane Austen, The Brontes, and Joyce plus many more...can someone fix this please!

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message 12: by Bebe (new)

Jun 25, 2008 09:09PM

Um, Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre are not 20th c reads. Come on guys!

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message 13: by [deleted user] (new)

Jun 26, 2008 04:00AM

Dracula was written on 1897, not in 20th century for sure.

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message 14: by bup (new)

Jun 27, 2008 11:37AM

THE KING JAMES BIBLE!?

THE BOOK OF MORMON!?

And it's amazing how many votes Pride and Prejudice has gotten - 30!

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message 15: by Lexi (last edited Feb 25, 2009 02:51AM) (new)

Jun 28, 2008 12:09PM

Several books not written in the 20th century:

Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (I think)

Don't get me wrong, these are all great books but they don't belong on this list! Please check dates (or at least use common sense) before adding books to a date-specific list!

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message 16: by Matthew (new)

Jun 28, 2008 10:52PM

you couldn't be more right, throw in Kafka, as well. then the non-20th century books, along with the pop fiction books on the list?

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message 17: by Megan (new)

Jun 30, 2008 10:22PM

Vonnegut should definetly be on this list.

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message 18: by Laura (new)

Jul 01, 2008 07:37AM

If you think so, why not add Vonnegut to the list? Seems simpler than complaining about it.

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message 19: by Stacy (new)

Jul 01, 2008 09:06AM

The 20th century seems to have lasted for more than two hundred years. I have to agree with the poster who commented on the lack of nonfiction. What about Backlash by Susan Faludi? Something by John Krakauer or David Sedaris?

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message 20: by Laura (new)

Jul 01, 2008 09:27AM

Guys. You are aware that you can, you know, add any book you want to this list, right? If you think something belongs on the list yet is not there, ADD IT YOURSELF.

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message 21: by Todd (new)

Jul 04, 2008 11:17AM

This list appears to be restricting books based on the "published" date for some random (default?) edition, rather than the often-available "first published" date. This would explain why Pride & Prejudice (1813) can make the list, but it doesn't want me to add To the Lighthouse (1927).

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message 22: by Sarah (new)

Jul 12, 2008 09:18PM

Gah!! The books on this list that were not written in the 20th century are hurting my OCD. Is there any way to edit? To remove books from the list that others have added?

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message 23: by Mommy (new)

Jul 17, 2008 10:11AM

where is THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP by John Irving?

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message 24: by Ashley (new)

Jul 18, 2008 09:06AM

It's there (page 2), but if there's anything you think should be on any list, add it yourself.

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message 25: by Kenneth (new)

Jul 29, 2008 10:45AM

oh boy some real chestnuts. C'mon Where's your Henry Miller. He is only the greatest American author of that century. and seriously, what's up with the book of Mormon?

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message 26: by Nathanimal (new)

Jul 29, 2008 10:48AM

The Book of Mormon? #4? Really guys?

It's not even very well written! Despite being published in 1830 (and written, allegedly, mosty in the B.C.E)

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message 27: by Sunil (last edited Jul 29, 2008 11:11AM) (new)

Jul 29, 2008 11:09AM

Hmmm,,,, No Bellow in first hundred. And you have Harry Potter.Shame.

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message 28: by Matt (new)

Jul 29, 2008 11:10AM

Ok, this is nuts. There are 19th century books appearing here, and there are 20th century books I can't add because there isn't a 20th century edition in the database.

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message 29: by Alex (last edited Jul 29, 2008 11:55AM) (new)

Jul 29, 2008 11:14AM

Though it's a disputed point, the Book of Mormon was written sometime between 2,000 B.C. and 1830 A.D. As beloved and influential as it may be, one thing it isn't is a book of the 20th Century. Putting it on this list just makes you look dumb.

Also: Holy Bible.

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message 30: by Matt (new)

Jul 29, 2008 11:16AM

And another thing, the Lord of the Ring's score is getting killed by the fact that two different versions of the book (as a single epic, and as a trilogy) are appearing on the list.

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message 31: by Donitello (new)

Jul 29, 2008 04:19PM

I presume we're supposed to vote ONLY for the book that we think should occupy #1 spot?

That'll be easy, of course -- it's The Book of Mormon. (JOKING!!!!)

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message 32: by Emily (new)

Jul 29, 2008 04:36PM

I cannot believe Sometimes A Great Notion, Ken Kesey, is not in the top 100. I didnt even see it in the top 200.

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message 33: by Giovany (last edited Jul 29, 2008 08:44PM) (new)

Jul 29, 2008 08:43PM

apoyen a Proust!!!!!!
lets stand for proust!!!!
aller Marcel, il est fantastique

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message 34: by Layce (new)

Jul 30, 2008 10:17AM

An interesting assortment of books. One I could refer to for future reference.

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message 35: by Jane (new)

Jul 30, 2008 01:26PM

Henry James is missing, sorely. Too much JK Rowling and CS Lewis.

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message 36: by Roxanne (new)

Jul 30, 2008 04:00PM

The Tin Drum must be among the top 100...BB

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message 37: by Michael (new)

Jul 30, 2008 05:09PM

It speaks to my heart and soul. It reaffirms that good can win out over evils. I have read it over 120 times since Thanksgiving, 1970.
And people... please remember, it is actually one book, not three, an a trilogy; that aspect was a business/publishing choice not a creative (the author's) choice.

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message 38: by David (last edited Jul 30, 2008 06:17PM) (new)

Jul 30, 2008 05:29PM

Sometimes a Great Notion is a Masterpiece.

The Harry Potter books are entertaining enough, but hardly in the same league.

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message 39: by David (new)

Jul 30, 2008 06:15PM

That's what I get for being a bookworm, I guess. Zero friends! Maybe I should wash more often.

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message 40: by Paula (new)

Jul 30, 2008 08:18PM

I'm not really thrilled that the Harry Potter books made this list....they really don't belong here !

What about : The Red Tent by Diamont ??

: The Celestine Prophies ??

: The Kite Runner ??

: A Thousand Splendid Suns ??

?????????????????????

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message 41: by Rebecca (new)

Jul 31, 2008 11:18AM

Seems like the Lord of the Rings series shouldn't be listed as a separate option with each of the 3 books also on the list.

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message 42: by Lisa (new)

Aug 04, 2008 06:14PM

Did I miss something? I didn't see Le Miserables on the list???

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message 43: by Ashley (new)

Aug 05, 2008 06:25PM

If something isn't on the list anywhere that you think should be, add it. That's the point.

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message 44: by Gary (new)

Aug 11, 2008 09:36AM

_Les misérables_ was published in the 19th Century.

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message 45: by Laura (new)

Aug 11, 2008 12:17PM

Les Miserables was on the list, and was removed for the reason Gary states. If it's put back on, it will be removed again.

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message 46: by Elizabeth (new)

Aug 17, 2008 02:22AM

I saw so many of my all time favorites! Mists of Avelon, Rebecca, Diary of Anne Frank, James and the Giant Peach even The Witching Hour! WOW! I guess as much as I read I consider something really great if after a couple of years and thousands of books later I still remember it then its pretty good.

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message 47: by Marcus (new)

Aug 20, 2008 12:19PM

Did I miss Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture?

Pretty big book of the 90's...it, ya know, coined the name ofr an entire generation...

There's a lot of books on this list, I could have missed it.

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message 48: by Cindy (new)

Sep 01, 2008 11:44AM

The Harry Potter books enticed countless numbers of kids, who would never normally pick up a book when they could be playing a video game, to read. In my opinion, any book or series of books, that can do this deserves to be this list.

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message 49: by [deleted user] (last edited Sep 06, 2008 12:57PM) (new)

Sep 06, 2008 12:56PM

Paula, it's the 21st century. The Kite Runner and it's sequel were released in THIS century, not eight years ago. I AM annoyed by The Pillars of the Earth, though.

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message 50: by Sally (new)

Sep 09, 2008 12:03PM

I would like to vote for The Kite Runner

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