Best Books

Whether you prefer stark realism or inventive fantasy, romance or drama, philosophy or humor, there is something for everyone in the best books.

1.

 by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

 In 2002, the Norwegian Book Clubs asked 100 authors from 54 countries to select a list of "The 100 Best Books in the History of Literature"; Don Quixote was the top pick. The titular character lives his life in a constant state of daydreaming, imagining himself as a knight of old, fighting fierce foes and pining for the love of the beautiful Dulcinea. The book's influence on the world can be seen in the enduring concept of "tilting at windmills" and the word "quixotic."

2.

 by James Joyce

 Ulysses holds the top spot in the Modern Library's list of the "100 Best Novels." Joyce details a single day in the life of a common man in Dublin, Ireland, drawing parallels with the epic journey of The Odyssey. It is noted by scholars for its stream-of-consciousness narrative and experimental writing techniques.

3.

 by Ayn Rand

 The Modern Library also created a "100 Best Novels" list determined by readers' votes, and Atlas Shrugged was voted the best book. The novel details Rand's philosophy of objectivism in a story of politics, economics, and the power of the human mind.

4.

 by F. Scott Fitzgerald

 Gatsby descends into an empty life of wealth in the hopes of winning the woman he lost when he was just a poor, simple man. In response to the Modern Library's list, the Radcliffe Publishing Course created its own list of "100 Best Novels", and The Great Gatsby was the group's number one choice. It is also the number two book on the Modern Library's list and featured in Time magazine's "All-Time 100 Novels," a list featuring "the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present."

5.

 by Toni Morrison

 The horrors of slavery continue to haunt a family in this novel from a Nobel Prize-winning author. Beloved was included on the list of "The 100 Best Books in the History of Literature" and also appears on the Time list.

6.

 by J.D. Salinger

 Named number two by the Radcliffe Publishing Course, The Catcher in the Rye is also included on both Modern Library lists and Time's "All-Time 100 Novels." As the narrator, Holden Caulfield speaks in an authentic teenage voice, describing universal feelings of alienation.

7.

 by J.R.R. Tolkien

 Included in Time's "All-Time 100 Novels" and number four on the Modern Library's readers' list, The Lord of the Rings is a sweeping fantasy epic. Tolkien created an enduring and captivating world that influences fantasy authors to this day.

8.

 by George Orwell

 1984 earns a spot on every one of the previously mentioned lists, falling at number 13 in the Modern Library rankings. In a bleak future where the government controls all thought, one man hopes for an alternative. The concept of "Big Brother" still arises whenever government regulations get a little too invasive or restrictive.

9.

 by John Steinbeck

 The Grapes of Wrath is a classic tale of family in the midst of the Great Depression, one of many books that earned John Steinbeck a reputation as a master of American literature. Radcliffe Publishing Course gave it the number three spot, it's number ten on the Modern Library list, and it was also included in Time.

10.

 by Margaret Mitchell

 Gone With the Wind combines sweeping historical fiction with the unforgettable romance of Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. It was included on Time's "All-Time 100 Novels" list, and is number 24 on the Modern Library's reader-determined list.