The Greatest Novels of All Time

The Greatest Novels of All Time is based on the same research that yielded the The Greatest Literature of All Time, although it includes much more than the novels on that list.

This list is for long works of fiction, generally of more than 40,000 words. Shorter fictional works can be found on the separate Greatest Novellas and Greatest Stories lists.

Critics disagree over what has constituted a novel, particularly in pre-modern times. For this and other  Greatest lists the term "novel" is applied liberally—to include those early works that might otherwise be considered "prose narratives" or "romances". (If you're interested only in the modern idea of novels, skip down in this list to the early 1600s and continue forward from there.)

Also note, only novels that stand on their individual merits are included here. Novel series, such as trilogies, are not included as such, although deserving single books within those series may be.

The list is continually updated and revised as new great novels are discovered and assessments of older works evolve.

Latest update: March 24, 2024

The 777 greatest novels

In chronological order

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See also:

Creating the Greatest Literature of All Time list

Greatest Literature of All Time

Greatest Novellas of All Time

Greatest Stories of All Time

Greatest Plays of All Time

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A novel of youth and politics in the counterculture