Modern Library 100 Best Novels: The Full List in Rank Order
In 1998 the Modern Library, a publisher of classic literature, released a ranking of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. It was chosen by the publisher’s editorial board, so it is one expert opinion, not a vote of readers, and it has been argued over ever since.
It works well as a reading plan for the twentieth-century canon: Joyce, Fitzgerald, Nabokov, Huxley and many more. Books are shown in rank order, starting with number one, and each has a one-line hook and a note on what reading it gives you.
Best for: Readers who want to work through the classic twentieth-century novels.
- Published
- 1998, by the Modern Library.
- Scope
- Novels written in English in the 20th century.
- Year shown
- The year the book was first published.
- This list
- All 100 books, in rank order.
- Source
- Wikipedia, Modern Library 100 Best Novels
100 books
Rank #1 · first published 1922UlyssesJames Joyce
Classics · ThoughtfulThree Dubliners live one ordinary day, 16 June 1904, in eighteen episodes that loosely echo the Odyssey
What you get: A playful, inventive journey through one day that rewards patient readers with humor and beauty.
Rank #2 · first published 1925The Great GatsbyF. Scott FitzgeraldClassics · MelancholicNick Carraway rents a house on Long Island next to the estate of Jay Gatsby, who throws lavish parties
What you get: A shimmering glimpse of the Jazz Age, with parties, longing and some of the most quoted lines in American fiction. Compact and stylish, it rewards a second read.
Rank #3 · first published 1916A Portrait of the Artist as a Young ManJames JoyceClassics · ThoughtfulStephen Dedalus grows up in Dublin and at a Jesuit school, questioning the Catholic and Irish rules around him
What you get: A vivid, inventive story of growing up and breaking free, written in language that grows with its hero.
Rank #4 · first published 1955LolitaVladimir NabokovClassics · DarkHumbert Humbert addresses the reader as a jury in a memoir about his obsession with a 12-year-old girl
What you get: Dazzling language and a voice that makes you think hard about how stories are told.
Rank #5 · first published 1932Brave New WorldAldous Huxley
Science Fiction · DarkIn a future where people are engineered in bottles and conditioned into castes, Bernard Marx begins to doubt
What you get: A vividly imagined future that makes for great conversation. Its ideas about happiness, technology and society feel surprisingly current, and they keep you thinking.
Rank #6 · first published 1929The Sound and the FuryWilliam FaulknerClassics · DarkThe decline of the Compson family, told by three brothers and then by their servant Dilsey
What you get: An immersive, powerful novel that rewards your attention with unforgettable voices.
Rank #7 · first published 1961Catch-22Joseph HellerClassics · DarkCaptain Yossarian, a bombardier in 1942-44, checks into a military hospital to avoid flying more missions
What you get: A brilliantly funny, inventive novel that gave a famous phrase to the English language. Clever, absurd and endlessly quotable, it is a joy for lovers of wit.
Rank #8 · first published 1940Darkness at NoonArthur KoestlerClassics · TenseAn Old Bolshevik is arrested in the night by the secret police during the Great Purge of 1938
What you get: A tense, concentrated story that gets you thinking about truth and loyalty.
Rank #9 · first published 1913Sons and LoversD. H. LawrenceClassics · MelancholicGertrude, a refined woman, marries a rough miner, and her affection turns toward her sons
What you get: A heartfelt, beautifully observed story of family, love and growing up.
Rank #10 · first published 1940The Grapes of WrathJohn Steinbeck
Literary Fiction · DarkThe Joad family leaves Oklahoma for California
What you get: An epic road story with unforgettable characters and a deep sense of togetherness. It shows the strength of ordinary people and leaves you moved and inspired.
Rank #11 · first published 1947Under the VolcanoMalcolm LowryClassics · DarkOn the Day of the Dead in 1938, an alcoholic British consul in Mexico is rejoined by his wife
What you get: A vivid, atmospheric day in a tropical town, written with great intensity.
Rank #12 · first published 1903The Way of All FleshSamuel ButlerClassics · ThoughtfulErnest Pontifex grows up in an oppressive Victorian home, in a book left unpublished until Butler's death
What you get: A witty, honest story that still feels fresh and sharp.
Rank #13 · first published 19491984George OrwellScience Fiction · DarkWinston Smith rewrites history at the Ministry of Truth in a Britain ruled by the Party and Big Brother
What you get: A gripping, unforgettable vision that sparks conversation and gives you new language for thinking about truth, language and power. A true classic that lingers in the mind.
Rank #14 · first published 1934I, ClaudiusRobert Graves
Historical Fiction · DarkClaudius, dismissed as a harmless stammerer, tells of the Julio-Claudian dynasty from Julius Caesar to Caligula
What you get: A delicious tale of palace plots and sharp characters, told with the voice of a surprising emperor.
Rank #15 · first published 1927To the LighthouseVirginia WoolfClassics · ThoughtfulThe Ramsays' summer at a seaside house on the Isle of Skye, built around a planned trip to a lighthouse
What you get: Luminous prose that helps you notice the beauty in everyday moments and the passing of time.
Rank #16 · first published 1925An American TragedyTheodore DreiserClassics · TenseClyde Griffiths, raised by poor missionary parents, takes a bellhop job at a prestigious Kansas City hotel
What you get: A gripping, sweeping story that keeps you turning pages and thinking about society.
Rank #17 · first published 1940The Heart Is a Lonely HunterCarson McCullersClassics · MelancholicWhen his deaf friend is sent away, John Singer lodges with the Kellys and the town gathers around him
What you get: A quietly moving story that makes you feel for each character and understand their longing for connection.
Rank #18 · first published 1969Slaughterhouse-FiveKurt VonnegutClassics · DarkBilly Pilgrim, an optometrist from Ilium, New York, lives his life out of order, from Dresden to Tralfamadore
What you get: A short, inventive, distinctive story that jumps through time with wit and warmth. It is one of the most original novels of its century and a quick, rewarding read.
Rank #19 · first published 1953Invisible ManRalph EllisonLiterary Fiction · ThoughtfulAn unnamed Black man in a room lit with stolen electricity tells how he became invisible
What you get: A bold, powerful, inventive story that makes you think about who we are and how others see us.
Rank #20 · first published 1940Native SonRichard WrightClassics · TenseBigger Thomas, 20, lives with his family in one Chicago room and takes a job with a wealthy white family
What you get: A fast, intense story that makes you think about society and responsibility long after you finish.
Rank #21 · first published 1959Henderson the Rain KingSaul BellowClassics · LightEugene Henderson, rich and restless, travels to Africa to find out what an inner voice keeps saying it wants
What you get: A lively, inventive and big-hearted journey.
Rank #22 · first published 1934Appointment in SamarraJohn O'HaraClassics · TenseJulian English, a car dealer in Gibbsville, undermines his own life over three days with impulsive acts
What you get: A taut, well-made novel with vivid portraits.
Rank #23 · first published 1937U.S.A.John Dos PassosClassics · ThoughtfulTwelve characters, newsreels and biographies map the United States before, during and after World War I
What you get: A bold, original mix of stories, headlines and portraits.
Rank #24 · first published 1919Winesburg, OhioSherwood AndersonClassics · MelancholicTwenty-two linked stories about the people of a small Ohio town and the young reporter George Willard
What you get: Tender, simple stories that show the hidden lives of neighbors.
Rank #25 · first published 1924A Passage to IndiaE. M. ForsterClassics · ThoughtfulAdela Quested and Mrs. Moore travel to Chandrapore, India, where Adela is considering marrying Mrs. Moore's son
What you get: A beautifully observed story that explores misunderstanding and connection against a vivid backdrop.
Rank #26 · first published 1902The Wings of the DoveHenry JamesClassics · MelancholicKate and Merton are engaged but poor, and Milly Theale, a rich American heiress, arrives in London
What you get: A subtle, beautifully told drama about friendship and desire.
Rank #27 · first published 1903The AmbassadorsHenry JamesClassics · ThoughtfulLambert Strether goes to Paris to bring home the son of his fiancée, the widowed Mrs. Newsome
What you get: A refined, thoughtful story that rewards slow reading.
Rank #28 · first published 1934Tender Is the NightF. Scott FitzgeraldClassics · MelancholicDick and Nicole Diver, a glamorous couple on the French Riviera, draw a young actress into their circle
What you get: Gorgeous prose and a glittering Riviera setting that make a story of love and ambition shine.
Rank #29 · first published 1935Studs LoniganJames T. FarrellClassics · DarkStuds Lonigan, a tough teenager on Chicago's South Side, is worn down by the spiritual poverty around him
What you get: A powerful, absorbing portrait of a young man in Chicago.
Rank #30 · first published 1915The Good SoldierFord Madox FordClassics · MelancholicTwo wealthy couples, one English and one American, meet at a German spa and keep coming back for years
What you get: A brilliant, twisty story of two couples that grips from page to page.
Rank #31 · first published 1945Animal FarmGeorge OrwellClassics · DarkThe mistreated animals of Manor Farm rebel against their human owner, hoping to build a fairer society
What you get: A short, clever fable that is quick to read and rich to discuss. You get a memorable story and a fresh view on how societies and leaders work.
Rank #32 · first published 1904The Golden BowlHenry JamesClassics · ThoughtfulAn impoverished Italian prince in London is about to marry Maggie Verver, a rich American, and meets Charlotte Stant again
What you get: A rich, intricate novel for lovers of fine writing.
Rank #33 · first published 1900Sister CarrieTheodore DreiserClassics · ThoughtfulEighteen-year-old Carrie Meeber leaves rural Wisconsin in 1889 to live with her sister in Chicago
What you get: A vivid, absorbing portrait of a young woman making her way in Chicago and New York.
Rank #34 · first published 1934A Handful of DustEvelyn WaughClassics · DarkTony Last's marriage collapses when his wife takes a lover, and he joins an expedition to the Brazilian jungle
What you get: A brilliantly dry and funny novel with a surprising final turn.
Rank #35 · first published 1930As I Lay DyingWilliam FaulknerClassics · DarkThe Bundren family carries their mother's body by wagon to Jefferson, where she wanted to be buried
What you get: A vivid chorus of voices telling one family's strange and moving journey, full of dark humor.
Rank #36 · first published 1947All the King's MenRobert Penn WarrenLiterary Fiction · DarkThe rise of a populist governor, told by his aide
What you get: A rich, voice-driven portrait of ambition and conscience that remains thought-provoking and gripping.
Rank #37 · first published 1928The Bridge of San Luis ReyThornton WilderHistorical Fiction · ThoughtfulA rope bridge in Peru collapses and a friar asks why those five died
What you get: A beautiful, compact book that invites you to think about love, fate and why people matter.
Rank #38 · first published 1910Howards EndE. M. ForsterClassics · ThoughtfulThree families, the Wilcoxes, Schlegels and Basts, cross paths in Edwardian England across class lines
What you get: An elegant, humane story about how people from different worlds can find each other.
Rank #39 · first published 1953Go Tell It on the MountainJames BaldwinClassics · ThoughtfulOn his fourteenth birthday, John Grimes faces his strict preacher stepfather and his Harlem storefront church
What you get: Rich, musical prose and deep feeling that bring a boy's search for himself to life.
Rank #40 · first published 1948The Heart of the MatterGraham GreeneClassics · DarkMajor Scobie, a police officer in a wartime West African colony, faces a moral crisis
What you get: A moving, tightly written story about conscience and compassion.
Rank #41 · first published 1954Lord of the FliesWilliam GoldingClassics · DarkAfter a plane crash leaves only British schoolboys alive on an island, they try to organize themselves
What you get: A compelling story that is hard to put down and easy to discuss. It sets your mind working on leadership, community and how groups organize themselves.
Rank #42 · first published 1970DeliveranceJames DickeyLiterary Fiction · TenseFour men from a Georgia city take a weekend canoe trip down a river about to be dammed
What you get: A fast, gripping story that keeps you on edge.
Rank #43 · first published 1951A Dance to the Music of TimeAnthony PowellClassics · ThoughtfulNicholas Jenkins narrates twelve volumes about his life and the people he meets, from youth to postwar change
What you get: A rich, funny and gently ironic series of novels you can live in.
Rank #44 · first published 1928Point Counter PointAldous HuxleyClassics · ThoughtfulInterlinked storylines follow writer Philip Quarles, painter John Bidlake and their circle, structured like musical counterpoint
What you get: A lively, clever book that gives a sparkling look at an era.
Rank #45 · first published 1926The Sun Also RisesErnest HemingwayClassics · MelancholicA group of American and British expatriates travels from Paris to Pamplona for the San Fermín festival
What you get: A stylish, wistful story with vivid scenes of travel, friendship and longing.
Rank #46 · first published 1907The Secret AgentJoseph ConradClassics · TenseAdolf Verloc, a police informant and agent for a foreign embassy, is pressured to stage a bombing in London
What you get: A sharp, atmospheric thriller that is also a witty study of people.
Rank #47 · first published 1904NostromoJoseph ConradClassics · EpicIn the South American republic of Costaguana, a silver mine's wealth fuels revolutions, and a longshoreman guards its silver
What you get: An epic, vivid story with a rich cast and a strong sense of place.
Rank #48 · first published 1915The RainbowD. H. LawrenceClassics · ThoughtfulThree generations of the Brangwen family in the Erewash Valley, as industry spreads across the country
What you get: Lyrical, deeply felt writing that follows a family through changing times.
Rank #49 · first published 1920Women in LoveD. H. LawrenceClassics · DarkSisters Ursula and Gudrun Brangwen meet Rupert Birkin and Gerald Crich, and the four form attachments
What you get: Intense, lyrical scenes that give you plenty to think about love and freedom.
Rank #50 · first published 1934Tropic of CancerHenry MillerClassics · DarkHenry Miller narrates his life as a struggling writer among Paris bohemians in the early 1930s
What you get: A raw, energetic voice and a vivid sense of life on the edge.
Rank #51 · first published 1948The Naked and the DeadNorman MailerClassics · TenseAn American reconnaissance platoon fights on a fictional South Pacific island during World War II
What you get: An absorbing, realistic story of a platoon.
Rank #52 · first published 1969Portnoy's ComplaintPhilip RothLiterary Fiction · LightAlexander Portnoy confesses his life story to his psychoanalyst in one continuous monologue
What you get: Fast, funny, fearless monologue that is as entertaining as it is honest.
Rank #53 · first published 1962Pale FireVladimir NabokovLiterary Fiction · ThoughtfulA 999-line poem and the commentary of a neighbor who tells a separate story of an exiled king
What you get: A dazzling, inventive book that invites you to read between the lines and enjoy every clue.
Rank #54 · first published 1932Light in AugustWilliam FaulknerClassics · DarkA pregnant young woman travels to Jefferson, Mississippi, searching for the father of her child
What you get: Deeply felt, beautifully written portraits of people in a small Southern town.
Rank #55 · first published 1957On the RoadJack KerouacClassics · LightAfter a divorce, Sal Paradise meets Dean Moriarty and begins travelling across the United States with him
What you get: The rush of the open road, spontaneous friendships and the spirit of adventure.
Rank #56 · first published 1930The Maltese FalconDashiell Hammett
Mystery & Thriller · TenseA San Francisco detective takes a case from a mysterious woman, and a search for a black statuette follows
What you get: A fast, stylish mystery with a tough detective, shifting loyalties and razor-sharp dialogue.
Rank #57 · first published 1924Parade's EndFord Madox FordClassics · ThoughtfulChristopher Tietjens, a government statistician, lives through marriage, love and the First World War in four novels
What you get: A rich, absorbing set of novels about a man and the world changing around him.
Rank #58 · first published 1921The Age of InnocenceEdith WhartonLiterary Fiction · MelancholicA New York lawyer torn between his fiancee and her cousin in the 1870s
What you get: A beautifully observed love story full of longing and fine detail, with an ending that lingers.
Rank #59 · first published 1911Zuleika DobsonMax BeerbohmClassics · LightA glamorous young performer arrives at Oxford, where her grandfather is Warden of Judas College
What you get: A delicious, stylish comedy about love and Oxford.
Rank #60 · first published 1962The MoviegoerWalker PercyLiterary Fiction · ThoughtfulA New Orleans stockbroker who finds more meaning in movies than in daily life begins a search at Mardi Gras
What you get: A charming, reflective story set in New Orleans.
Rank #61 · first published 1927Death Comes for the ArchbishopWilla CatherHistorical Fiction · WarmTwo French priests work to establish a Catholic diocese in New Mexico after the territory passes to the United States
What you get: A serene, luminous novel that feels like a long walk through the desert at sunrise.
Rank #62 · first published 1952From Here to EternityJames JonesHistorical Fiction · TenseAt Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, a career soldier who refuses to box is harassed daily by his superiors
What you get: A powerful, absorbing portrait of men and loyalty in a peacetime army.
Rank #63 · first published 1958The Wapshot ChronicleJohn CheeverLiterary Fiction · WarmThe Wapshots of a Massachusetts fishing village: Leander, his sons Moses and Coverly, and Cousin Honora
What you get: A lively, charming story full of humor and heart.
Rank #64 · first published 1951The Catcher in the RyeJ. D. SalingerClassics · MelancholicExpelled from Pencey Prep, Holden Caulfield spends a few days wandering New York City before Christmas
What you get: A strong, honest voice that pulls you into a few memorable days in New York. It captures the feeling of being young and searching, with humor and heart.
Rank #65 · first published 1962A Clockwork OrangeAnthony BurgessScience Fiction · DarkFifteen-year-old Alex narrates his gang's violence and then the state's attempt to reform him
What you get: A fast, inventive story with its own slang that makes you think about freedom and goodness.
Rank #66 · first published 1915Of Human BondageW. Somerset MaughamClassics · MelancholicOrphaned and club-footed, Philip Carey searches for direction through art, medicine and troubled relationships
What you get: A wise, deeply human story of a young man finding his way, full of feeling and insight.
Rank #67 · first published 1899Heart of DarknessJoseph ConradClassics · DarkCharles Marlow recounts his steamboat journey up an African river to find the ivory trader Kurtz
What you get: A concise, haunting story that creates powerful atmosphere and invites you to think.
Rank #68 · first published 1920Main StreetSinclair LewisClassics · LightCarol Kennicott marries a doctor and moves to his small hometown, Gopher Prairie, intending to reshape it
What you get: A funny, sharp and affectionate look at small-town life and a heroine who wants more.
Rank #69 · first published 1905The House of MirthEdith WhartonClassics · MelancholicLily Bart, a 29-year-old socialite with no fortune, seeks a wealthy husband to secure her future
What you get: A beautifully told, moving story of a woman in a glittering world, full of sharp observation.
Rank #70 · first published 1957The Alexandria QuartetLawrence DurrellClassics · ThoughtfulFour novels set in Alexandria, Egypt, before and during the Second World War, seen from different points of view
What you get: A shimmering four-part portrait of a city seen from different angles.
Rank #71 · first published 1929A High Wind in JamaicaRichard HughesClassics · DarkAfter a hurricane destroys their Jamaican home, seven children set out for England on a ship seized by pirates
What you get: A vivid, unconventional adventure that surprises you.
Rank #72 · first published 1961A House for Mr BiswasV. S. NaipaulClassics · WarmMohun Biswas marries into the powerful Tulsi family in Trinidad and becomes determined to own a house of his own
What you get: A richly told story of a man's dream of having a home of his own.
Rank #73 · first published 1939The Day of the LocustNathanael WestClassics · DarkArtist Tod Hackett comes to 1930s Hollywood to work as a set designer and befriends a group of hangers-on
What you get: A vivid, concentrated portrait of dreams and disappointment.
Rank #74 · first published 1929A Farewell to ArmsErnest HemingwayClassics · MelancholicFrederic Henry, an American ambulance officer in the Italian army, falls in love with an English nurse
What you get: A tender, sorrowful love story with vivid scenes and a voice that feels honest.
Rank #75 · first published 1938ScoopEvelyn WaughClassics · LightWilliam Boot, who writes nature notes, is mistaken for a novelist and sent abroad as a foreign correspondent
What you get: Laugh-out-loud satire that is a pleasure from the first page.
Rank #76 · first published 1961The Prime of Miss Jean BrodieMuriel SparkClassics · ThoughtfulA charismatic teacher at an Edinburgh girls' school takes six ten-year-old pupils under her wing in the 1930s
What you get: A brilliant, funny and sharp little novel with a teacher you will not forget.
Rank #77 · first published 1939Finnegans WakeJames JoyceClassics · ThoughtfulA rumour about the Dublin publican HCE and his family runs through seventeen chapters written in a dream-language
What you get: A daring, musical book that invites you to enjoy sound and play.
Rank #78 · first published 1901KimRudyard KiplingClassics · WarmKim, an orphaned Irish boy in British India, travels with an elderly Tibetan lama in search of a legendary river
What you get: A colorful, lively adventure full of vivid scenes, friendship and the thrill of the road.
Rank #79 · first published 1908A Room with a ViewE. M. ForsterClassics · LightLucy Honeychurch travels through Italy with her chaperone, where the unconventional Emerson family unsettles her expectations
What you get: A sunny, witty love story that makes you smile and long for travel.
Rank #80 · first published 1945Brideshead RevisitedEvelyn WaughClassics · WarmAn army captain camped near the mansion of Brideshead recalls his Oxford friendship with Sebastian Flyte
What you get: A lush, wistful story about youth and a family you will not forget.
Rank #81 · first published 1954The Adventures of Augie MarchSaul BellowLiterary Fiction · WarmA boy from a poor Chicago family drifts through jobs, loves, homes and schooling toward a settled life
What you get: A free-spirited, funny and wise story that makes you love its hero.
Rank #82 · first published 1972Angle of ReposeWallace StegnerHistorical Fiction · ThoughtfulA retired historian writes his grandmother's story
What you get: A rich, patient story that connects past and present and makes you feel the beauty of the land.
Rank #83 · first published 1979A Bend in the RiverV. S. NaipaulLiterary Fiction · DarkSalim, an Indian merchant, opens a shop in a remote riverside town in a newly independent African country
What you get: A rich, atmospheric story with sharp observations.
Rank #84 · first published 1938The Death of the HeartElizabeth BowenClassics · MelancholicAfter her mother's death, sixteen-year-old Portia Quayne moves to London to live with her half-brother and his wife
What you get: A beautifully observed novel of feeling and manners.
Rank #85 · first published 1900Lord JimJoseph ConradClassics · ThoughtfulA young British seaman abandons a distressed passenger ship and spends years trying to live down the public censure
What you get: A rich, atmospheric story about courage and honor that holds you.
Rank #86 · first published 1975RagtimeE. L. DoctorowHistorical Fiction · ThoughtfulA wealthy New Rochelle family, an immigrant father and daughter and a Black musician appear alongside real historical figures
What you get: A lively, fast-moving panorama of early twentieth-century America.
Rank #87 · first published 1908The Old Wives' TaleArnold BennettClassics · WarmConstance and Sophia Baines grow up in their family's shop in Bursley, then take very different paths
What you get: A rich, steady portrait of lives across decades.
Rank #88 · first published 1903The Call of the WildJack LondonClassics · TenseBuck, a pampered pet in California, is stolen and sold as a sled dog in the Klondike Gold Rush
What you get: A fast, vivid story of survival and instinct in the snowy north that grabs you immediately.
Rank #89 · first published 1945LovingHenry GreenClassics · LightWith their employers away, the servants of an Irish country house pursue their own rivalries during the Second World War
What you get: A clever, charming novel told largely in conversation.
Rank #90 · first published 1981Midnight's ChildrenSalman RushdieHistorical Fiction · EpicSaleem Sinai is born at the moment of India's independence, linked to a thousand other children
What you get: A dazzling mix of humor, myth and history in a voice that sweeps you along. Imaginative and unforgettable.
Rank #91 · first published 1932Tobacco RoadErskine CaldwellClassics · DarkThe Lester family, poor Georgia sharecroppers, stay on their land while living conditions steadily worsen
What you get: A vivid, bold portrait that stays in your mind.
Rank #92 · first published 1984IronweedWilliam KennedyLiterary Fiction · DarkA drifter returns to Albany over three days at Halloween
What you get: A powerful, deeply humane portrait of a man facing his past over three days.
Rank #93 · first published 1965The MagusJohn FowlesLiterary Fiction · TenseNicholas Urfe takes a teaching job on a Greek island and is drawn into a wealthy recluse's psychological games
What you get: A puzzling, atmospheric story that keeps you guessing about what is real.
Rank #94 · first published 1966Wide Sargasso SeaJean RhysLiterary Fiction · DarkAntoinette Cosway, a Creole heiress in 1830s Jamaica, enters an arranged marriage with an Englishman
What you get: A haunting, beautifully written story that offers a fresh perspective on a well-known tale.
Rank #95 · first published 1954Under the NetIris MurdochLiterary Fiction · LightJake Donaghue, a homeless and broke writer, looks up old acquaintances and is led into a series of comic adventures
What you get: A quick, charming comic novel with clever scenes.
Rank #96 · first published 1980Sophie's ChoiceWilliam StyronLiterary Fiction · DarkA young writer in a Brooklyn boarding house befriends a Polish survivor of Auschwitz and her volatile lover
What you get: An intense, beautifully written story that stays with you and deepens your sense of what people carry.
Rank #97 · first published 1949The Sheltering SkyPaul BowlesClassics · DarkPort and Kit Moresby of New York travel to the North African desert hoping to resolve their marriage's problems
What you get: A hypnotic, vivid journey through the desert that draws you into another world.
Rank #98 · first published 1934The Postman Always Rings TwiceJames M. CainMystery & Thriller · TenseFrank Chambers, a drifter, takes a job at a rural California diner and begins an affair with the owner's wife
What you get: A tight, lean thriller you can read in one sitting, full of passion and suspense.
Rank #99 · first published 1955The Ginger ManJ. P. DonleavyClassics · LightSebastian Dangerfield, an American student at Trinity College, Dublin, pursues drink and women in post-war Dublin
What you get: A rowdy, vivid and witty adventure.
Rank #100 · first published 1919The Magnificent AmbersonsBooth TarkingtonLiterary Fiction · MelancholicA wealthy family's decline as its Midwestern town industrializes
What you get: A graceful, wistful story of a proud family and a growing city.
Showing 20 of 100
More lists
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction WinnersBooker Prize WinnersNational Book Award for Fiction WinnersWomen’s Prize for Fiction WinnersHugo Award for Best Novel WinnersBest-Selling Self-Help BooksNew Award-Winning BooksMost Wanted BooksTop Rated BooksBooks Made into Movies and TVBest Literary Fiction BooksBest Historical Fiction BooksBest Classic BooksBest Science Fiction BooksBest Mystery and Thriller BooksBest Fantasy BooksBest Self-Help BooksBest Nonfiction BooksBest Young Adult BooksBest Horror Books