Today, we’ve decided to focus on the list of 10 best books of all time. Surely, there’re many books either bearing or aspiring to the title of the best books ever written, so this list is based on the popularity and critical acclaim and the subjective opinion of our team. We’re positive that the books we’ve covered in this article are definite must-reads.
So meet our top 10 of the best books of all time. They are all classics that have stood the test of time and continue to be popular with readers today. All of them are New York Times bestsellers, and some are Major Literary Awards winners.
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”
To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel and a powerful story of racial injustice and the courage of one man to stand up for what is right. Set in the South during the 1930s, it tells the story of a young girl named Scout and her father, a lawyer named Atticus Finch, who defends a black man in a racially charged trial. This is one of the best books to read for anyone interested in American history and social justice.
1984
by George Orwell
“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
This dystopian novel is a must-read for anyone interested in politics and the dangers of unchecked government power. It’s a warning against totalitarianism and government overreach and a description of a scaringly convincing world. Set in a future world where government surveillance is constant and individual freedom is non-existent, 1984 tells the story of a man named Winston Smith who rebels against the oppressive regime and fails. One of the best-selling books of all time, 1984 is the story you must know.
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen
“Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.”
Set in the early 19th century in England, Pride and Prejudice tells the story of Elizabeth Bennet, the second of the five Bennet daughters, and Mr. Darcy, a very wealthy and very proud gentleman. If you’re into romance, you must read this piece of a timeless classic. You’ll be dealing with the nuances and complexities of social hierarchy and learning a lot about the Edwardian era. It is one of the most popular books of its age and hasn’t lost any of its appeal nowadays.
The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
“I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”
This iconic novel is a portrait of the Jazz Age and the excesses of the wealthy elite. Set in the 1920s, it tells the story of a young man named Jay Gatsby who becomes obsessed with the idea of winning back his former love, Daisy Buchanan. If you’re charmed by the glamour and tragedy of the Roaring Twenties, The Great Gatsby is a book for you.
The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger
“Certain things, they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone.”
This coming-of-age novel is a classic of American literature. Set in the 1950s, The Catcher in the Rye tells the story of a teenager named Holden Caulfield who’s struggling to find his place in the world. Read the story to delve into the complexities of adolescence, follow a young person’s search for identity, and listen to many different voices. The Catcher in the Rye is on the list of books everyone should read, whether you’re sixteen or sixty.
One Hundred Years of Solitude
by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
“Wherever they might be they always remember that the past was a lie, that memory has no return, that every spring gone by could never be recovered, and that the wildest and most tenacious love was an ephemeral truth in the end.”
One Hundred Years of Solitude is a masterpiece of magical realism and a definite must-read among fiction books. Set in the fictional town of Macondo, it tells the story of the Buendía family over seven generations. “One of the most influential literary works of our time,” according to some critical claims, the book may seem never-ending, but it’s absolutely dazzling. Full of poetry, wit, and endless wisdom, it’s really one of the best books of all time. Anyone interested in Latin American literature and the blending of myth and reality won’t be able to put it down until the very last page.
The Lord of the Rings
by J.R.R. Tolkien
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
You either like the book or are indifferent to it. Yet, you can’t argue with the fact that The Lord of the Rings is a classic of the epic fantasy genre. Set in the fictional world of Middle-earth, it tells the story of hobbit Frodo Baggins who must destroy a powerful ring that could bring about the end of the world. The book got “worldwide acclaim as the greatest adventure tale ever written,” which makes it a must-read for anyone interested in fantasy and world-building.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain
“That is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they don’t know nothing about it.”
One of the best classic books, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is a satirical commentary on American society and the institution of slavery. Set in the pre-Civil War South, the novel tells the story of a young boy named Huck Finn who helps a runaway slave escape to freedom. If you want to understand American history better, you should give it a try. There’s a lot more to a book than a young boy’s journey down the Mississippi: you’ll read about different people’s lives, social justice, and many other things.
To the Lighthouse
by Virginia Woolf
“She felt… how life, from being made up of little separate incidents which one lived one by one, became curled and whole like a wave which bore one up with it and threw one down with it, there, with a dash on the beach.”
This modernist novel is a masterpiece of stream-of-consciousness writing. Set on the Isle of Skye in the early 20th century, To the Lighthouse tells the story of a family’s summer vacation and the inner lives of its characters. A perfect example of modernist literature and experimental writing, the book has been featured in numerous book lists, and for a reason.
Beloved
by Toni Morrison
“There is a loneliness that can be rocked. Arms crossed, knees drawn up, holding, holding on, this motion, unlike a ship’s, smooths and contains the rocker. It’s an inside kind–wrapped tight like skin. Then there is the loneliness that roams. No rocking can hold it down. It is alive. On its own. A dry and spreading thing that makes the sound of one’s own feet going seem to come from a far-off place.”
This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is a haunting tale of slavery and its aftermath. Set in Ohio in the years after the Civil War, Beloved tells the story of a former slave named Sethe, who is haunted by the memory of her dead daughter. One of the top books to read from African American literature and the story of the legacy of slavery in America, there’s no doubt Beloved will touch your heart and never let it go.
Those are just a few samples of the best books ever written. They are all classics that have had a profound impact on literature and continue to be influential today. With so many good books in the world, we just wanted to draw your attention to some of those considered best of the best by critics and readers. Whether you are a fan of fiction, fantasy, or social commentary, there is a book on this list for everyone.
