Fiction novels transport you to another world when reading. They are the closest thing to magic there is in our world. The adventure is even better when the book you are reading is one of the greatest works of fiction. That is why we decided to list the 25 best fiction books of all time.
Why 25 books you ask? This feels like the right number to get all of the books that are considered great in one list. Often times, we have to omit great books because a top ten list is too short. That won’t be the case here.
Still, as with any list, some books won’t make the cut. The books chosen in this list are our picks and come with our biases. No list is perfect and neither is this one but these are the 25 books that ended up making out list. You can see the full list below.
The 25 Best Fiction Books of All Time
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1925
- Beloved by Toni Morrison, 1987
- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, 1967
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt 1992
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick 1968
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, 1847
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, 1960
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, 1813
- Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, 1961
- Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, 1949
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, 1878
- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, 1844
- Ulysses by James Joyce, 1920
- Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, 1952
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, 2003
- The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, 1954
- The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, 1951
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, 1867
- The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, 2016
- Dracula by Bram Stoker, 1897
- Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, 1985
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, 1985
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, 2005
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, 1988
- The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, 1937
The Great Gatsby
Set in 1925 and told from Nick Carraway’s point of view, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an American classic novel that captures the 1920s. The novel tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a millionaire with a mysterious past who wants to reunite with his former lover Daisy Buchanan. This novel has come to define the 1920s and it helps that is has a beautiful book cover.
Set in 1925 and told from Nick Carraway’s point of view, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an American classic novel that captures the 1920s. The novel tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a millionaire with a mysterious past who wants to reunite with his former lover Daisy Buchanan.
Like many great novels, this one was inspired by true events based on a romance Fitzgerald has with a socialite as well as parties he attended in Long Island in 1922. The novel was considered a commercial failure, selling less than 20,000 copies and Gatsby considered himself a failure with nothing to be remembered for.
Beloved by Toni Morrison
A powerful novel that everyone should read is Beloved by Toni Morrison. It is a story of a former Kentucky slave that is haunted by her past life. The novel went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It is considered one of the best works of fiction and there is no other novel like it.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
One of my favorite novels has to be The Secret History by Donna Tartt. It is a murder mystery that takes place on a college campus and recalls the events that led to the murder of one of the members of the club. This novel gave birth to the dark academia subgenre and established Tartt as a one of a kind author.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick
One of my favorite books on this list is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. It is a brilliant novel that will have you thinking a lot. It is must read sci-fi and the questions in the novel are more relevant today than ever before. The movie adaptation was given the title The Blade Runner and is considered a classic movie that fans of the novel are sure to love!
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Like many readers, I first read To Kill a Mockingbird in high school and couldn’t put the novel down even if I wanted to. The story is told by the viewpoint of Jean Louise Finch and tells the story of Atticus Finch defending Tom Robinson, a black man who has been accused of raping a white woman in Maycomb, Alabama.
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
A sci-fi novel that has risen to popularity in modern times is 1984 by George Orwell. When some ideas in this sci-fi and dystopian novel came true, people’s interest in the novel rose. The novel touches on issues such as mass surveillance, a controlling regime, and disinformation.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The novel that got me to enjoy classics is The Count of Monte Cristo. It is an adventure novel unlike anything else. The book is entertaining and has held up well centuries later. Who doesn’t love a good revenge story? Even after a couple centuries, this novel is still considered one of the best works of literature.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
A novel that has stayed with me ever since I read it is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. It is a powerful novel about two unlikely friends that takes place in Afghanistan, where the regime is collapsing. Hosseini tackles heavy subjects as love, betrayal, family, identity, and redemption. Find out yourself why this novel is one of the best selling historical fiction novels of all time.
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
One of the best fantasy novels of all time has to be The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Not only is it an amazing series but it is the formula that many fantasy authors have used to write their novels. If you have read a bunch of fantasy novels, then you have most likely come across troupes that were popularized by Tolkien.
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
A classic novel that readers love is The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. After revisiting this novel, I do believe it deserves the recognition it has gotten over the decades. There is a lot to take away and the novel is even more relevant in this day and age. I do think the novel hasn’t aged as gracefully as other classics but it still captures childhood innocence that we are all familiar with.
Dracula by Bram Stoker
A classic horror novel that has still holds up to this day is Dracula by Bram Stoker. First published in 1897, the novel was considered the best vampire novel written in its time and labeled as too frightening for many readers. While Stoker didn’t invent vampires, his take on the creatures is the one that has come to define them.
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
A classic sci-fi novel that is beloved by millions of fans is Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. The novel is about Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, a six-year-old boy who is sent to training camp to play simulated war games where he faces off against aliens. The plot, writing and questions about morality make this a novel unlike any other.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Even if you aren’t always reading books, there is still a good chance you have read The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. It is taught in most schools across the United States. The brilliant dystopian novel tackles heavy themes which has made it one of the most censored books in the world.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
One of my favorite books of all time is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It tells a chilling story about a family that hides a Jewish man in Germany during World War II. The writing is incredible but what I love the most is using death as a narrator. If you haven’t read this timeless classic, then you are missing out.
Conclusion
What did you think of the 25 best fiction books of all-time list? What books should have made the list but didn’t? Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, happy reading!
Gone with the Wind deserves to be on this list.
Since ‘To Kill a Mockingbird” appears twice, there is room for one more: ‘A Lesson Before Dying’.
If not already mentioned Lonesome Dove
The list overlooked important American classics such as “Tom Sawyer”, and “Little Women”, and “Black Beauty.”
Shouldn’t From Here to Eternity be on that list, or that novel too strong? The
Vanna Speaks!
Great Expectations or A Tale of Two
Cities belongs on this list
Cutting for Stone
Harry Potter
Clan of the Cave Bear
Something by Vonnegut. I’d suggest Cat’s Cradle.
Lonesome Dove belongs. Ulysses is an impossible read. Doesn’t belong.
Not great literature, though a popular book.
👍🙏💕. 💯
To Killl A Mockingbird didn’t make the cut? Seriously?
… I may have totally forgotten about it… I’ll make the change soon.
Aaaanndd… now it’s on the list twice. Feast or famine…
Actually, To kill a Mockingbird is on the list twice…
Enders game?!?
God Is an Englishman by R. F. Delderfield
Add Captains and The Kings by Taylor Caldwell….Lost Horizon by James Hilton….. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck….Shane by Jack Schaefer….The Godfather by Mario Puzo….A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens….East of Eden by John Steinbeck….
Get rid of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald…. Beloved by Toni Morrison…. Catcher in The Rye by J.D. Salinger
THE FOUNTAINHEAD
by Ann Rand
To Kill a Mockingbird isn’t really fiction. It’s a memoir.
No, it’s not a memoir, it’s a fictional story.
It’s on the list!
I had to go back and add it… Kinda embarrassing 😔
Look again. It’s on the list!
Are you people 12 years old? No Iliad or Odyssey? No Faulkner? Dante? The Hobbit?? Dracula?? And Ulysses APPEARED IN 1922, NOT 1920.
Great list but no Hemingway? What about For Whom the Bell Tolls? Or, Steinbeck- The Grapes of Wrath, or Melville- Moby Dick, or even Twain- Huckleberry Finn. Maybe you are concerned about offending people’s sensibilities but, Hemingway and Twain are considered great by most scholars.
Pillars of the Earth…Ken Follet
Thank you for reminding some that great writing did not originate in the 18th Century, nor does it depend on one’s average reading level.
I like this list, but I find the lack of Steinbeck saddening. East of Eden might be my favorite novel ever written.
Amen
Lonesome Dove is high on my Best list. Always sad to never see it included.
Any thing by any rand
Ulysses was published in 1922, not q920
Any Rand was no better than Ayn Rand…
No Mark Twain??!
Im also going to be “THAT” person and say HP and the sorcerers stone has been on Amazons top 20 list for 198 weeks… Thats impressive and not many books can claim that.
Dracula was awful. Swap it out with Shelley’s Frankenstein.
Let’s take 25 books I read in high school and college and make a list out of it…
The greatest novel ever written was Moby Dick.
The Grapes of Wrath – What’s wrong with you?
No “Crime and Punishment?” No “Brothers Karamazov?”
No notes from underground? ANYTHING by Nikolai Gogol’ ? So many Russian ( & Soviets&their satellite countries)authors- the list would be in the thousands-that deserve to be here. So many Ukrainian, Jews,Poles- my goodness,the Polish lit out there-how about author of Sailor who fell from grace…& Pick a book.- or one of my absolute favourites,a teen girl dreamed up by a genius,under-read author of none other than Irish origins- so many Irish as well- this is not a touchy feely oprah’s club list:true gothic horror suspense in the indominatable female protagonist,never a victim; &one of THE most sinister relatives invented : genius J.Sheridan le Fanu,& Uncle Silas. I read it between business time,&staying up all night. One of my best reads ever,Uncle Silas,too many Russ.,Soviet,&Irish books to boot- find them.You never know when you will pick up one book,find it was from a group of authors in a “salon” type setting,&there it is-the beginning of a world wide network of books,fiction,by a multitude of authors from many different places that will lend enrichment to your reading world.Please-if you like the book,follow the threads.I love H.P. Lovecraft as well,&still think,in straight horror ahead of its time,The strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward is a terrifying masterpiece. Go,read authors!
Absolom! Absalom! By William Faulkner
Tale of Two Cities
I have recently seen an online book shopping sites https://www.buybooksindia.com/ and I purchased one book just to see how their service and commitment, and really I was surprised when I received the book within four days with reasonable price.
Should include: Henry Roth’s “Call it Sleep.” Sigurd Undset’s “Kristin Lavransdatter.” Thomas Berger’s “Little BigMan.” D.H. Lawrence’s “Sons and Lovers.” Theodore Dreiser’s “An American Tragedy”, just to name these which should still be read in schools, if not on one’s own.
Extremely culturally specific mostly English language with bias toward recent. The same list in Europe is much different. Where are the Nobel prize winners?
I think that the Harry Potter series will soon be part of most great books lists.
It’s weird to see Catch-22 on the list because it was inspired by real events, as I recall.