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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
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
Score
A book’s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
| 1 |
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To Kill a Mockingbird
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4.26 avg rating — 6,736,447 ratings
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| 2 |
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Harry Potter, #1)
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4.47 avg rating — 11,148,125 ratings
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| 3 |
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The Great Gatsby
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3.93 avg rating — 5,777,137 ratings
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| 4 |
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Animal Farm
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4.01 avg rating — 4,405,630 ratings
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| 5 |
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The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
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4.30 avg rating — 4,374,017 ratings
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| 6 |
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1984
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4.20 avg rating — 5,286,996 ratings
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| 7 |
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1984
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4.20 avg rating — 5,286,996 ratings
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| 8 |
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The Little Prince
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4.33 avg rating — 2,400,277 ratings
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| 9 |
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Fahrenheit 451
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3.97 avg rating — 2,748,548 ratings
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| 10 |
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The Catcher in the Rye
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3.80 avg rating — 3,824,781 ratings
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| 11 |
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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)
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4.24 avg rating — 3,082,820 ratings
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| 12 |
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The Grapes of Wrath
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4.02 avg rating — 977,334 ratings
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| 13 |
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One Hundred Years of Solitude
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4.12 avg rating — 1,079,573 ratings
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| 14 |
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Brave New World
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3.88 avg rating — 1,262,069 ratings
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| 15 |
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Gone with the Wind
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4.31 avg rating — 1,248,031 ratings
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| 16 |
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Of Mice and Men
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3.89 avg rating — 2,772,025 ratings
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| 17 |
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3)
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4.58 avg rating — 4,717,862 ratings
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| 18 |
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The Giver (The Giver, #1)
by
Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author)
4.12 avg rating — 2,751,542 ratings
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| 19 |
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Lord of the Flies
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3.70 avg rating — 3,138,133 ratings
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| 20 |
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Slaughterhouse-Five
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4.10 avg rating — 1,459,565 ratings
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| 21 |
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Lolita
by
3.87 avg rating — 925,978 ratings
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| 22 |
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East of Eden
by
4.43 avg rating — 611,609 ratings
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| 23 |
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The Handmaid's Tale
by
Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author)
4.15 avg rating — 2,349,332 ratings
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| 24 |
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The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)
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4.40 avg rating — 3,075,642 ratings
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| 25 |
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
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4.20 avg rating — 771,037 ratings
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| 26 |
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The Stranger
by
4.03 avg rating — 1,336,977 ratings
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| 27 |
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Memoirs of a Geisha
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4.16 avg rating — 2,089,979 ratings
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| 28 |
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The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1-5)
by
4.38 avg rating — 335,659 ratings
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| 29 |
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Charlotte’s Web
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4.21 avg rating — 2,007,190 ratings
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| 30 |
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)
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4.43 avg rating — 4,384,100 ratings
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| 31 |
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The Chronicles of Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia, #1-7)
by
4.28 avg rating — 697,705 ratings
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| 32 |
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The Old Man and the Sea
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3.81 avg rating — 1,277,971 ratings
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| 33 |
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A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet, #1)
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3.97 avg rating — 1,267,905 ratings
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| 34 |
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Ender’s Game (Ender's Saga, #1)
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4.31 avg rating — 1,456,239 ratings
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| 35 |
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The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3)
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4.58 avg rating — 1,013,889 ratings
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| 36 |
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The Giving Tree
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4.38 avg rating — 1,216,361 ratings
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| 37 |
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The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)
by
4.50 avg rating — 1,094,739 ratings
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| 38 |
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Night
by
4.38 avg rating — 1,341,372 ratings
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| 39 |
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The Bell Jar
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4.05 avg rating — 1,172,630 ratings
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| 40 |
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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
by
4.30 avg rating — 502,910 ratings
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| 41 |
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The Alchemist
by
Paulo Coelho (Goodreads Author)
3.92 avg rating — 3,465,913 ratings
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| 42 |
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Watership Down (Watership Down, #1)
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4.09 avg rating — 500,933 ratings
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| 43 |
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Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)
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4.32 avg rating — 1,088,161 ratings
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| 44 |
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In Cold Blood
by
4.09 avg rating — 715,109 ratings
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| 45 |
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The Color Purple
by
4.28 avg rating — 741,352 ratings
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| 46 |
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Green Eggs and Ham
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4.31 avg rating — 834,559 ratings
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| 47 |
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Atlas Shrugged
by
3.69 avg rating — 403,927 ratings
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| 48 |
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The Metamorphosis
by
3.90 avg rating — 1,360,860 ratings
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| 49 |
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Love in the Time of Cholera
by
3.94 avg rating — 538,935 ratings
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| 50 |
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The Poisonwood Bible
by
4.11 avg rating — 783,772 ratings
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| 51 |
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The Secret Garden
by
4.17 avg rating — 1,271,713 ratings
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| 52 |
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Siddhartha
by
4.08 avg rating — 854,794 ratings
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| 53 |
|
The Complete Sherlock Holmes
by
4.51 avg rating — 215,050 ratings
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| 54 |
|
Rebecca
by
4.25 avg rating — 704,680 ratings
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| 55 |
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The Name of the Rose
by
4.14 avg rating — 389,657 ratings
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| 56 |
|
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
by
4.11 avg rating — 530,193 ratings
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| 57 |
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Dune (Dune #1)
by
4.29 avg rating — 1,585,738 ratings
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| 58 |
|
The Stand
by
Stephen King (Goodreads Author)
4.35 avg rating — 819,550 ratings
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| 59 |
|
A Prayer for Owen Meany
by
John Irving (Goodreads Author)
4.24 avg rating — 333,625 ratings
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| 60 |
|
Where the Wild Things Are
by
4.25 avg rating — 1,046,733 ratings
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| 61 |
|
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket, #1)
by
4.17 avg rating — 917,078 ratings
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| 62 |
|
The Lorax
by
4.35 avg rating — 365,233 ratings
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| 63 |
|
The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1)
by
Ken Follett (Goodreads Author)
4.35 avg rating — 814,945 ratings
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| 64 |
|
The Master and Margarita
by
4.28 avg rating — 406,342 ratings
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| 65 |
|
The Outsiders
by
S.E. Hinton (Goodreads Author)
4.14 avg rating — 1,554,084 ratings
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| 66 |
|
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1)
by
4.22 avg rating — 1,981,603 ratings
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| 67 |
|
On the Road
by
3.61 avg rating — 441,385 ratings
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| 68 |
|
The Sun Also Rises
by
3.79 avg rating — 485,263 ratings
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| 69 |
|
Ulysses
by
3.77 avg rating — 139,071 ratings
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| 70 |
|
All Quiet on the Western Front
by
4.10 avg rating — 509,114 ratings
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| 71 |
|
Beloved (Beloved Trilogy, #1)
by
3.97 avg rating — 480,427 ratings
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| 72 |
|
The Good Earth (House of Earth, #1)
by
4.01 avg rating — 258,607 ratings
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| 73 |
|
A Confederacy of Dunces
by
3.89 avg rating — 293,437 ratings
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| 74 |
|
Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt, #1)
by
4.15 avg rating — 652,981 ratings
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| 75 |
|
The Joy Luck Club
by
Amy Tan (Goodreads Author)
3.97 avg rating — 705,139 ratings
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| 76 |
|
For Whom the Bell Tolls
by
3.99 avg rating — 313,237 ratings
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| 77 |
|
The Fountainhead
by
3.89 avg rating — 334,860 ratings
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| 78 |
|
The Sound and the Fury
by
3.86 avg rating — 193,281 ratings
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| 79 |
|
The World According to Garp
by
John Irving (Goodreads Author)
4.11 avg rating — 236,757 ratings
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| 80 |
|
A Clockwork Orange
by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 757,625 ratings
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| 81 |
|
Little House on the Prairie (Little House, #3)
by
4.21 avg rating — 299,965 ratings
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| 82 |
|
Their Eyes Were Watching God
by
3.99 avg rating — 380,035 ratings
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| 83 |
|
A Farewell to Arms
by
3.82 avg rating — 346,914 ratings
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| 84 |
|
Invisible Man
by
3.92 avg rating — 199,605 ratings
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| 85 |
|
Flowers for Algernon
by
4.23 avg rating — 771,598 ratings
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| 86 |
|
Where the Red Fern Grows
by
4.12 avg rating — 435,134 ratings
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| 87 |
|
Mere Christianity
by
4.36 avg rating — 449,251 ratings
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| 88 |
|
Waiting for Godot
by
3.84 avg rating — 218,418 ratings
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| 89 |
|
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
by
4.45 avg rating — 2,689,075 ratings
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| 90 |
|
Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1)
by
4.57 avg rating — 226,691 ratings
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| 91 |
|
The Things They Carried
by
4.14 avg rating — 339,328 ratings
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| 92 |
|
The Red Tent
by
Anita Diamant (Goodreads Author)
4.20 avg rating — 626,199 ratings
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| 93 |
|
Sophie’s Choice
by
4.17 avg rating — 93,846 ratings
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| 94 |
|
To the Lighthouse
by
3.81 avg rating — 209,353 ratings
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| 95 |
|
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream
by
4.06 avg rating — 372,752 ratings
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| 96 |
|
Franny and Zooey
by
3.96 avg rating — 236,565 ratings
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| 97 |
|
Cat’s Cradle
by
4.15 avg rating — 430,719 ratings
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| 98 |
|
Blindness
by
4.18 avg rating — 328,549 ratings
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| 99 |
|
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
by
3.64 avg rating — 161,865 ratings
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| 100 |
|
Winnie-the-Pooh (Winnie-the-Pooh, #1)
by
4.38 avg rating — 390,924 ratings
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7,788 books ·
49,737 voters ·
list created May 29th, 2008
by deleted user.
6810 likes · Like
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.
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More voters…
Comments Showing 1-50 of 511 (511 new)
Picture of Dorian Gray first published 1891 doesn't belong in 20th century books. 19th centuryOops -- you guys already caught these. Another one -- Bronte.
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"? ;)
Some of those definitely aren't 20th century
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?
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...
Why isn't Celine or Saint Exupéry or Borges on this list? I call bullshit. Or i don't know... Vonnegut?
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.
It's called the "best books" of the 20th century, so why does everyone seem to be restricting themselves to novels?
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!
Um, Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre are not 20th c reads. Come on guys!
Dracula was written on 1897, not in 20th century for sure.
THE KING JAMES BIBLE!?THE BOOK OF MORMON!?
And it's amazing how many votes Pride and Prejudice has gotten - 30!
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!
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?
Vonnegut should definetly be on this list.
If you think so, why not add Vonnegut to the list? Seems simpler than complaining about it.
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?
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.
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).
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?
where is THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP by John Irving?
It's there (page 2), but if there's anything you think should be on any list, add it yourself.
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?
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)
Hmmm,,,, No Bellow in first hundred. And you have Harry Potter.Shame.
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.
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.
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.
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!!!!)
I cannot believe Sometimes A Great Notion, Ken Kesey, is not in the top 100. I didnt even see it in the top 200.
apoyen a Proust!!!!!!lets stand for proust!!!!
aller Marcel, il est fantastique
An interesting assortment of books. One I could refer to for future reference.
Henry James is missing, sorely. Too much JK Rowling and CS Lewis.
The Tin Drum must be among the top 100...BB
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.
Sometimes a Great Notion is a Masterpiece.The Harry Potter books are entertaining enough, but hardly in the same league.
That's what I get for being a bookworm, I guess. Zero friends! Maybe I should wash more often.
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 ??
?????????????????????
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.
Did I miss something? I didn't see Le Miserables on the list???
If something isn't on the list anywhere that you think should be, add it. That's the point.
_Les misérables_ was published in the 19th Century.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I would like to vote for The Kite Runner
Anyone can add books to this list.
How to Vote
To vote on existing books from the list, beside each book there is a link vote for this book clicking it will add that book to your votes.
To vote on books not in the list or books you couldn't find in the list, you can click on the tab add books to this list and then choose from your books, or simply search.
None of those are 20th century.