Top 10 Best Novels of All Time

You've read some that made your jaw drop. Others, you powered through out of sheer will, wondering why they were on every syllabus known to man. But then there are the ones that stay with you, not because a teacher said they should, but because something clicked. A line, a character, a quiet scene that hit like a thunderclap. That's what this list is about.

This isn't about page count or awards or who had the most tortured author bio. It's about the books that millions have thrown their voices behind because, for one reason or another, they rose above the rest. You get to weigh in too. Think a certain dystopian classic still says more about human nature than a thousand think pieces? Vote for it. Feel like a particular coming-of-age tale spoke your truth before you even had the words? Boost it.

The stories on this list have done something rare. They've managed to cut through time, genre, and generations. And while no list could ever fully agree on the best, you can help shape what rises to the top. So scroll through, argue in the comments, cast your votes, and maybe discover the next book that ruins you in the best way possible.

The Top Ten

The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien

This novel is one of the classics and will remain so for a long time. It has all the elements in the right proportion: love, happiness, grief, loss, tragedy. It's a novel you can read 10 times and find something new on the 11th read.

The way he writes, Tolkien is just awesome. A beautiful fantasy. The pioneer of fantasy. Every other fantasy that exists today, be it a video game or a movie, has some element from this novel.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is AMAZING. Also in film, but the film doesn't show some essential parts that the books include. I love them. The father novel of all fantasy.
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

I loved this book. It hit home. I think it would for any young person struggling to find his compass in life. I also found it deeply emotional, particularly as the protagonist reveals his loving connection to his youngest sibling. It's a book I read at least once every few years. It, strangely enough, realigns my compass as both a writer and a person.

A brilliant story illustrating the struggles of being a young adult and losing innocence as you grow up.
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

I read To Kill a Mockingbird in 8th grade. It just satisfies me to think about how much Scout Finch has grown and opened her mind.

My favorite stand-alone book. I absolutely love the characters and I love the plot.

This is my favorite book, with Animal Farm by George Orwell following behind.
1984 - George Orwell

It's the ONLY novel that makes you aware of the shenanigans of any government anywhere. Read it and wake up to a new realization. But it should have been called 2020!
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Going Bovine - Libba Bray
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

I haven't read the whole book yet, but so far, it's one of the most interesting books I've ever read! This book is exactly Leo Tolstoy himself, and it's a good example of how great he was!

I'm 13 and I just finished it. I almost cried that I had to leave this book.
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

This is such a good book. Certainly worthy of number 8. Personally, I think it should be second. Of course, my favorite is Pride and Prejudice, but TLOTR is a great novel too. This book is so vivid in the description of characters and has such sophisticated humor and dialogue. What a good book and sweet story that also teaches a good lesson.

Every time I read it, I can't stop myself from smiling.
Moby-Dick - Herman Melville

The Newcomers

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House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski

The most mind-blowing thing I've ever read.
This redefined books for me, and I will cherish it forever.
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The Magic Mountain - Thomas Mann

Maybe a bit weak in the ending, but the first 300 pages build up an incredible atmosphere.

The Contenders

Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

A classic work of romantic literature, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a story from different perspectives. At times, we hate the creature Victor created, and sometimes we have compassion for him. The creature did what he did because of how he was treated by his creator, Victor, just because the creature is ugly.
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

A painfully beautiful portrayal of complex human emotions and relations set against the backdrop of war-stricken Afghanistan. It emotionally consumed me throughout. One of the best reads of all time.

Really nice historical novel about a boy's life in Afghanistan.

Heart-wrenching all the way through.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling

How is this not higher up? Seriously... It's amazing and worth reading! If you're a little kid who hasn't read Harry Potter, I urge you to try! I'd be very proud, even if I don't get to see you!

Harry Potter is one of my two obsessions, though I like my other obsession more, Disney.

This was one of my favorite books!
Penpal - Dathan Auerbach
The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli
A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

Such an elegant and beautifully written book... so much better than Stargirl, which is currently the next book on this list.
Animal Farm - George Orwell

Do you know what I love about this book? The fact that it never directly tells you there is something wrong with how the pigs are running the farm. You are able to draw your own conclusions from the facts given. I also like how everything the pigs do is the direct opposite of what Old Major wanted: spreading the rebellion, being free, overtaking humans, and not acting like humans.
Although this is not my favorite book (that goes to Fahrenheit 451), it's probably my second favorite, with The Book Thief and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane close behind it.

A genius allegorical and satirical novel about the Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union. It's an amazing work of art that also tells one of the greatest tales of the downfall of a civilization.
The Giver - Lois Lowry
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre should be number one. I've never read the Harry Potter series or The Kite Runner. I absolutely hated reading Pride and Prejudice because nothing that interesting ever really happened. Besides, the theme of Pride and Prejudice was so cliché and boring! Jane Austen was a good writer, but in my opinion, her storytelling lacked conviction and action.
I have read To Kill a Mockingbird and The Catcher in the Rye, and I enjoyed them because they brought me back to childhood and made me think of some historical issues (To Kill a Mockingbird). However, none of those novels compare to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre is my favorite novel because I love the heroine. She's intelligent, independent, moral, strong-willed, self-respecting, and passionate. Jane Eyre is the perfect role model for any young woman.
I also had a crush on the dark, brooding, yet charming Mr. Edward Fairfax Rochester, but I admire Jane for not being willing to compromise who she is to be with him. Unlike modern heroines, like the weak and whiny Bella Swan who's willing to give up everything to be with her love, Edward Cullen, Jane Eyre is strong and willing to sacrifice her life with Mr. Rochester to stay true to herself.
Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky

Fyodor stands out as the best author ever, and this, in my opinion, is his most awesome book. Also read The Brothers Karamazov, but read this first.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick
The Stand - Stephen King

It's 1,150-1,400 pages, depending on your copy, and I genuinely wish King would've added 200-300 pages on Las Vegas. Fantastic characters, a great antagonist, and a great premise/setting. The ending was very disappointing and predictable, but it's not a King book if it doesn't have masterful storytelling with a terrible ending!
The Godfather - Mario Puzo