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48. East of Eden by John Steinbeck (1952)
We said: Mostly set in California, John Steinbeck’s most ambitious novel follows two families and their interwoven stories. The author himself said, ‘It has everything in it I have been able to learn about my craft or profession in all these years.’
They said: Brilliant writing, epic family saga, drills deep into human nature and how we think, feel and act toward one another. My all-time favourite novel.
Naomi M, Facebook
49. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien (1954)
We said: Perhaps the greatest story ever told, J. R. R. Tolkien’s incredible trilogy of otherworldliness brought a world of hobbits, dwarves, elves and orcs to life in a way never read before. Ultimately a tale of companionship and the battle between good and evil, the fictional world of Middle Earth has endured to become far greater than the sum of its parts.
You said: It's got the great sweeping story, romance, heroism, self-sacrifice, social commentary... it's not just magic and elves!
Anne O, X (formerly Twitter)
50. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1880)
We said: Two years in the making, this philosophical novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky questions big topics like faith, free will and morality but it’s also a very readable one that’s part murder mystery, part courtroom drama.
You said: A depiction of the darkest recesses of human nature. But also of the brightest ones…
51. Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann (1901)
We said: In Thomas Mann’s semi-autobiographical family epic, he portrays the slow decline of a wealthy and highly esteemed merchant-family in northern Germany over four generations, as they grapple with the modernism of the 20th century.
You said: It’s a great novel about the rise and fall of a family, the relationship between fathers and sons, and the conflict between art and business. Well, and I have to say I do love family sagas.
Peter L, X (formerly Twitter)
52. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (1955)
We said: Quite simply some of the finest writing ever committed to a page. A book that is simultaneously repulsive and utterly seductive.
You said: Beautifully written. The book takes you into the mind of this awful character and lets you roll around in the gorgeous word-play as the story unfurls.
Lesley L, Facebook
53. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1911)
We said: Frances Hodgson Burnett's book will awaken the curiosity of any reader, no matter their age. There’s something so completely irresistible about hidden doors, mysterious noises and secret hiding places. But this is more than a story of adventures and gardening, at its heart, The Secret Garden promises that with time and plenty of nurturing, we can all blossom.
You said: I will never forget reading this book as a child. I felt I was in the middle of the story.
Ulrika F, Facebook
54. Scoop by Evelyn Waugh (1938)
We said: Partly based on Evelyn Waugh’s personal experiences, Scoop is a satirical take on the lengths reporters – and newspaper magnates – will go to for a story. With modern exposés on hacking scandals and the like, Scoop feels as relevant as ever.
You said: A funny story wrapped around absurdity, journalism and war.
55. Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford (1949)
We said: A companion novel to The Pursuit of Love, our narrator Fanny tells the story of her cousin Polly who has little interest in the London season and the marriage market at the exasperation of her parents. Full of hilarious, eccentric relatives and the thrills of navigating the glamorous 1930s social season.
You said: Escapism to a world that bears no resemblance to mine. Razor sharp wit and bonkers characters. The novel set the standard for modern romantic comedy novel that has never been bettered.
Jane, newsletter reader
56. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (1859)
We said: After 18 years in the Bastille, Dr Manette is released and sent to live in Britain with a daughter he’s never met. Split between Paris and London, A Tale of Two Cities is a mammoth story set during the brutal years of the French Revolution.
You said: Sitting alone at 16 years old after the family had gone to bed, tears streamed down my cheeks as I finished this novel.
57. Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith and Weedon Grossmith (1892)
We said: Diary of a Nobody follows a respectable middle-class man, Charles Pooter, and his attempts to live a respectable middle-class life. This riotously funny novel created such an impression that it inspired an adjective in honour of its main character: 'Pooterish', a self-important person who takes themselves far too seriously.
You said: I have read this book so many times and laugh out loud every time. I have a Penguin Classic copy of it that's falling apart but I wouldn't part with it for the world
Emma H, Facebook
58. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (1878)
We said: Anna Karenina is a woman who seems to have it all. She’s married, she’s wealthy, she’s well-liked – but she feels her life is empty until she meets Count Vronksy. Leo Tolstoy’s novel is essentially a philosophical meditation on the meaning of life and happiness but it’s a very readable one.
You said: Simply the best in-depth characterisation of all time. Tolstoy's psychological insights have never been beaten.
59. The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni (1827)
We said: Alessandro Manzoni's novel takes is the story of two young lovers trying to be together, set against a wider backdrop of 17th-century Italian life. The Betrothed is considered by many to be the greatest novel ever written in Italian.
You said: This book is on the verge of being forgotten by casual readers, but it’s entertaining, socially and scientifically progressive for its time, has incredibly moving, beautifully-written passages on bread riots and the plague, and it has the best surprise trope-subversion at the end.
60. Orlando by Virginia Woolf (1928)
We said: Immense yourself in the dazzling breadth of Virginia Woolf’s imagination in this short but powerful novel and follow Orlando from the court of Elizabeth I to a celebrated poet in the 20th century.
You said: What is it to be a woman? Woolf's modernist novel is so fresh even 90 or so years later. Gender fluidity before the term was even coined. And a history of literature as a backdrop.
Antonia M, Facebook
61. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (1957)
We said: Step into the dystopian USA and follow the saga of Dagny Taggart and Hank Rearden as they attempt to bring their Transcontinental railroad into existence, and uncover the secrets of a shadowy figure called John Galt along the way.
You said: This book engages the reader through its characters and themes, allowing one to be entranced through this cautionary tale that can be applied to the modern world.
62. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells (1895)
We said: When a scientist and inventor creates a time machine, he travels to the distant future to see what’s in store for humanity. H. G. Wells' novel is the book that popularised time travel, but read deeper and it’s also a metaphor for the fractured society that we still live in today.
You said: A story of knowledge, education, and imagining a future.
Gultekin S, Facebook
63. The Art of War by Sun-Tzu
We said: Sun-Tzu, author of the world’s oldest guide to military strategy, recognised that we live in a conflicted world. The layperson might not be involved in warfare but the advice within is just as useful for navigating the workplace or daily life.
You said: This should be called the little book of common sense. It makes everything easier to understand.
Darren G, Facebook
64. The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy (1922)
We said: Nobel-Prize winning author John Galsworthy wrote this multi-generational saga which chronicles the Forsyte family’s fortunes and downfalls as they live through dramatic social change, from the straight-laced Victorian era to the roaring 20s.
You said: This book gives you a wonderful impression of life in the 19th and early 20th century. It’s both enthralling and touching.
Hildegard S, Facebook
65. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck (1962)
We said: Almost 60 years later Travels with Charley still proves an eye-opening insight into a country that’s so easy to view as a monolith. Steinbeck and his French Poodle encounter everyone from migrant farmers to KKK members in this reminder of a complicated political landscape that’s no less disparate today.
You said: One of the true first ‘road’ books – a search for the spirit of the ordinary American people.
Edith S, Facebook
66. Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller (1934)
We said: It was banned in the US and the UK for 30 years for being too ‘pornographic,’ and undoubtedly there are smutty moments, but Henry Miller uses this to comment on the human condition. Told from a variety of first-person characters in 1930s Paris – including Miller’s own experiences as a struggling writer – the common thread between each character is their sexual encounters.
You said: Loud, funny, sexual Paris in the 1930s. I read it when I was 20, and it changed the way I look at the world.
Brendan P, Facebook
67. Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes (1605)
We said: Inspired by romantic novels, a young man and his squire set off on bold adventures to prove that chivalry isn’t dead. Often labelled as the first modern novel, Don Quixote is one of the best-selling novels of all time.
You said: The comedy, insight, versatility, inspiration for other writers and more. The fact that a 17th-century work can feel so fresh. Such a light read if you want it to be, but filled with details if you want to research historical background, and literary traditions.
The Read Don Quixote Fanclub, X (formerly Twitter)
68. Staying On by Paul Scott (1977)
We said: Paul Scott passed away at the peak of his writing career and his last novel, Staying On – which won the Booker Prize in 1977 – gives us a unique insight into life just after the end of the British rule in India.
You said: A funny, tragic, beautifully written study of an English colonial married couple left behind as an independent India moves ahead.
Catherine B, Facebook
69. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (1908)
We said: What began as a series of letters to Kenneth Grahame’s sickly son evolved into one of England’s most beloved children’s books. A whimsical foray through the Berkshire countryside, the camaraderie between Ratty, Badger, Mole and Mr Toad embodies traditional British eccentricities to a tee.
You said: You can enjoy this book at any age – and it’s beautifully written.
Vicky A, Facebook
70. The Quiet American by Graham Greene (1955)
We said: Drawing on Graham Greene’s own experiences as a war correspondent, the novel explores the political landscape of 1950s Vietnam through the lens of a British journalist as the tensions of the French war and the increasing interest of the Americans builds.
You said: Everything that is brilliant about Graham Greene can be found in this book, the opening two paragraphs are a perfect example of the difference between fiction and literature.
Simon H, Facebook
71. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (1847)
We said: Controversial at the time of publication, Emily Brontë’s classic love story between Catherine and Heathcliff still resonates with readers today. Widely considered a staple of Gothic fiction and the English literary canon, this book has gone on to inspire many generations of writers – and will continue to do so.
You said: Beautiful, atmospheric, poignant, gripping, and with one of the most beautifully written last two paragraphs I have ever read.
Lisa, newsletter reader
72. Perfume by Patrick Süskind (1985)
We said: In 18th-century France, one man’s greatest passion and gift leads him down a path of sensual depravity. After discovering he has no scent of his own – despite having a remarkable sense of smell – Jean-Baptiste Grenouille trains in the art of perfume-making so he can create the ultimate scent – one that is made from 25 young virgin girls.
You said: A story of suspense and love, with beautiful narration.
Ivy W, Facebook
73. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1884)
We said: Meander down the Mississippi River with Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer; on the surface, it’s a simple adventure but dig a little deeper into Mark Twain's novel and discover undercurrents of slavery, abuse and corruption in what Hemingway described as 'The best book we've had'.
You said: This book demonstrates how a young boy learns to think for himself, and shows us how we can, too. It’s funny, sweet and sad – sometimes all in the same paragraph.
Richard C, X (formerly Twitter)
74. Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham (1915)
We said: Although it is considered Somerset Maugham’s most autobiographical work, the author stated, 'This is a novel, not an autobiography; though much in it is autobiographical, more is pure invention.’ Regardless, the story of Philip Carey, a man with ambitions who falls in love with a loud but irresistible waitress is considered one of his finest books.
You said: A compelling story of unreciprocated love.
Rajan D, Facebook
75. Bleak House by Charles Dickens (1853)
We said: At the centre of Bleak House is the never-ending legal case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce which draws together a disparate group of people who hope in some way to profit from the case. Dickens’ scathing reflection of the legal profession went some way to support a judicial reform movement in the 1870s.
You said: The characters, the rage at injustice of so many kinds, and spontaneous human combustion!
Alana, newsletter subscriber
76. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (1811)
We said: Between Marianne’s impulsive romantic views and her older sister’s more practical view of love, we follow the two sisters as they embark on a new life after their father’s death, experiencing love, romance, and heartbreak.
You said: I found the themes of the role of women in society interesting. Despite being 200+ years old, it is as relevant today as it was when written, and that must interest everyone, surely?
Jan, newsletter reader
77. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1891)
We said: Obsessed with beauty, a young Dorian Gray expresses a desire to sell his soul so the portrait of himself that hangs on his friend’s wall, will age instead of him. A story of evil, debauchery and scandal.
You said: It was the first classic I ever read as a young teen and blew my expectations of classics being 'dry old books' out of the water! Gripping, dark, scandalous, and witty, it's been my favourite book ever since
Eleanor, newsletter reader
78. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (1843)
We said: This is arguably Dickens’ most famous tale. Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and exclamations of 'Bah Humbug!' are as synonymous with the festive seasons as Santa, turkey and Christmas pudding.
You said: A masterpiece. The ultimate story of hope and redemption.
Sergeant_Tibbs, X (formerly Twitter)
79. Silas Marner by George Eliot (1861)
We said: Silas Marner was Eliot’s favourite of her novels. It tells the story of an isolated miser, who is given a second chance to transform his life when he adopts a young orphaned child. With themes of religion, industrialisation and community, the book also provides us with a glimpse of a vanished rural world.
You said: Redemption and love. Beautifully written
Rhiannon C, Facebook
80. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (1925)
We said: One of literature’s most famous parties - this groundbreaking postmodernist novel takes place across one day as Clarria Dalloway’s prepares for her evening celebration while reflecting on her life.
You said: A reminder that no life is too small.
Marianna S, Facebook You might also like... Features
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