20 Most Popular Books of All Time

Often referred to as the first modern European novel, Don Quixote follows the exploits of the titular noble who becomes obsessed with the romantic notion of chivalry. On a self-imposed mission to become a knight-errant, Don Quixote recruits common farmer, Sancho Panza, as his squire. Unfortunately, however, their quests rarely end well—among other misadventures, Don Quixote does battle with a herd of sheep, attacks a group of monks, and even frees a group of convicted criminals.

Don Quixote was inspired by The Odyssey, but since it was published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, this classic novel has gone on to inspire many other artists and works, such as The Shadow Dragons by James A. Owen, and even the Japanese manga series One Piece. And if you’ve been writing this book off because it was published 400 years ago, you’re almost as foolish as Don Quixote himself. 

Originally published in 1859, A Tale of Two Cities is easily one of Dickens’ most famous books, and some have claimed it is the bestselling single work of fiction ever produced. 

A tale of personal struggles and a desperate love triangle set against the historical backdrop of the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities has been adapted to film, radio, and the stage countless times, and has come to influence almost every avenue of popular culture, from modern romance novels to the 2012 Batman film The Dark Knight Rises. Even after so many years, it remains one of the best beloved and most often read novels of all time.

This high-fantasy novel is a famous three volume epic. It centers around an all powerful ring forged by the Dark Lord Sauron. For many years the ring is sought after by all likes, but at the start of the novel, it resides in the simple home of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo sets a momentous quest upon his cousin Frodo’s shoulders, tasking him with the journey to Mount Doom to destroy the ring. 

Tolkein’s world-building is deep and rich. He creates languages in his stories that can even be learned by some of the more devoted readers. It’s not just a story that he’s crafting, but a home.

Before Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien published The Hobbit, a picaresque children’s fantasy novel that first introduced readers to his fantastical world of Middle Earth. With its tales of dwarf holds, haughty elves, dim-witted trolls, riddle contests, and gold-hoarding dragons, The Hobbit became a beloved worldwide bestseller – and also the basis for much of what epic fantasy would look like in the years following its publication. 

Since its initial release in 1937, it has never been out of print and, without its influence, we would not have so much of what has come since, from World of Warcraft to Dungeons & Dragons and beyond.

The most recent novel on this list, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone brings readers into a world of magic at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. On his eleventh birthday, Harry’s magical heritage is brought to light by the bumbling half-giant Hagrid. As he embarks on his new life as a wizard, he finds that there’s more to this news than just learning spells and potions. The Dark Lord Voldemort, who had tried and failed to kill Harry as an infant, is regaining power, and Harry stands in his path.

The characters are truly the heart of this book. Harry doesn’t have to be the smartest of his friends in order to be a hero, and he doesn’t even have to be nice all the time. He’s a dynamic character who readers can relate to both as they age and as adults—it’s no wonder that Harry Potter is one of the most popular books of all time.

From its publication in 1880 until the 1936 release of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind, Ben-Hur was the best-selling novel in America. It was adapted to film many times, with the most famous 1959 version starring Charlton Heston winning a massive 11 Academy Awards. 

Subtitled “A Tale of the Christ,” Ben-Hur has been hailed as the “most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century,” telling a fictionalized tale of its title character, whose adventures interact at times peripherally and other times more directly with the life of Jesus Christ. It was the first novel ever to be blessed by a sitting pope.

Dan Brown’s second novel starring his cryptologist hero Robert Langdon (played by Tom Hanks in the movie version) became a sweeping worldwide bestseller with its elaborate story of conspiracies, cryptograms, art history, homicidal monks, secret societies, and the quest for the Holy Grail. 

Translated into 44 languages, the book has been widely derided for its historical inaccuracies, but many have found its twisting, turning murder mystery and conspiracy theory plot to be riveting, whether it’s true or not. The 2006 film adaptation directed by Ron Howard was also a massive hit, generating two sequels.

Remaining on the New York Times bestseller list for more than three years, The Bridges of Madison County was praised by Roger Ebert for “elevating to a spiritual level the common fantasy, in which a virile stranger materializes in the kitchen of a quiet housewife and takes her into his arms.” 

The story of an affair between a World War II-era war bride and a National Geographic photographer during the 1960s became one of the most popular romances of modern times, inspiring a 1995 film directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Eastwood and Meryl Streep.

Courting controversy before it was even released and continuing to generate scorn and criticism as often as praise even today, Nabokov’s story of Humbert Humbert, who the author himself refers to as a “vain and cruel wretch,” and his obsession with the young “nymphet” of the title, 12-year-old Dolores Haze, who he calls Lolita, has been banned and challenged throughout its publication history. 

Despite this, Lolita remains one of the most popular – if also one of the most misunderstood – novels of the modern world, and is often regarded as Nabokov’s masterwork.

From acclaimed mystery author Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None is a mastery of tension. A quirky millionaire hosts a gathering of eight strangers on a private island off of the English coast. When the guests arrive, the elusive host is nowhere to be found. In his place, however, is the accusation of murder upon each of the guests.

As panic sets in, those brought to the island begin to die one by one. Paranoia sets in and sense unravels as the body count mounts. It’s a classic whodunnit that has readers standing up and screaming, “What?!” until the very last page.

In this quintessential novel, seven-year-old Alice stumbles down a rabbit hole into a fantastical world of wonder and trouble. While navigating this new and peculiar place, Alice encounters many enchanting anthropomorphic creatures, like the iconic White Rabbit and the Cheshire Cat. Carrol’s work twists logic and spins riddles, giddily tossing convention aside. Now one of the cornerstones of the fantasy genre, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland holds a dear place in the hearts of both children and adults. 

As the first of seven novels in the series The Chronicles of Narnia, this book brings to life the fantastical world of Narnia, a place full of talking animals and magic. The story unfolds when the four Pevensie children are evacuated from England during wartime to stay in the old house of a kind professor. When the youngest child, Lucy, enters a wardrobe to find a vast, snow-filled land, she and her siblings are dragged into a battle of good and evil.

This book makes readers feel like magic is right at their fingertips—or right at their wardrobe. This is a novel that speaks directly to the hearts of any kid who ever wished their dog would talk back to them. More than that, as the Pevensies face off a witch, it makes readers feel that, with enough courage, anything is possible.

This tale follows a marionette boy, Pinocchio, crafted out of a talking log by the poor woodcarver, Gepetto. Ill-behaved Pinocchio is peculiar, with a nose that grows with every lie told. As the puppet boy travels out into the world, he finds that it holds more trouble and treachery than even he can handle.

Since this novel was published in 1883, it has become one of the most commonly adapted stories worldwide. This tale about a puppet who wants nothing more than to be a real boy encompasses a heartfelt theme about personal growth and humanity.

Perhaps the most popular children’s book of all time, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery is also a most unusual children’s book in any number of ways, dealing with strange and sometimes morose themes. 

Though banned by the Vichy Regime during World War II, The Little Prince became a hit throughout the world and in France following the liberation at war’s end. Translated into more than 500 languages, this tale of a little prince who explores various planets and observes the foibles of their inhabitants is arguably the second most translated book in the world, following only the Bible.

This novel, narrated by the iconic 16-year-old rebel Holden Caulfield, is a staple in more than just tenth grade English classrooms across America. Weaving a beloved story, Holden embarks on a personal journey back to New York following his expulsion from boarding school. 

As Holden battles the ever present adolescent pains of alienation and superficiality, the novel also dives into a conversation on topics such as innocence and loss. If you’ve got a love for the classic American novel, don’t be a phony—pick this one up for a read.

Anne Shirley is a young orphan of eleven years who is mistakenly sent to the Cuthbert siblings' Green Gables farm. The Cuthberts—who had sent for an orphan boy to help with the farm chores—find Anne to be charming and determined, and decide to let her stay. Settling in to her first real home, Anne spreads joy about the island with her fanciful imagination. 

After the classic children's novel’s adaptation into numerous television series and movies, Anne has asserted herself as a heroine who withstands time.

A list of the most popular books of all time must include something from the science fiction master Jules Verne, who also penned Around the World in Eighty Days and Journey to the Center of the Earth. In this tale, the Atlantic Ocean is plagued by the presence of a strange monster. Harpoonist Ned Land joins marine biologist Aronnax and his servant, Conseil, in order to track down and kill the sea creature. However, the task is not as simple as it seems. In their journeys, they encounter the vengeful Captain Nemo and his submarine vessel, the Nautilus.

In the freedom of the vast ocean, Aronnax and the others see beauties of the sea that they never could have fathomed. Unfortunately, while Nemo battles with the captivity of his own rage, the others are trapped physically aboard the submarine.

Perhaps the most famous magical realist novel of all time, this 1967 book by Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez is often cited as one of the most important books in world literature. It tells the story of seven generations of the Buendia family in the fictional town of Macondo. Writing for the New York Times Book Review, William Kennedy called it “the first piece of literature since the Book of Genesis that should be required reading for the entire human race.”

Also known as Dream of the Red Chamber, this work, along with such legendary works as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, and Journey to the West, this sprawling 18th century book is considered one of the great classic novels of Chinese literature. 

Not published until more than three decades after its author’s death, Dream of the Red Chamber has a complex release history but has risen to become one of the most important and heavily studied novels of all time – so much so that it has its own scholars and a dedicated field of study, sometimes referred to as “Redology.”

The New York Times called this novel by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho “more self-help than literature.” Structured like a fairy tale, The Alchemist brings to life the story of a shepherd boy named Santiago who dreams of traveling to the great pyramids of Egypt. Along the way, he encounters hardships and betrayals, falls in love, and meets many unusual figures who guide, help, or hinder him in his journey. 

Originally written in Portuguese in only two weeks, The Alchemist became an internationally translated bestseller, and one of the most popular books in the world.