There are countless 100 books everyone should read on the internet. Yet, the greatest undoing of a reader lies in knowing that he cannot read every book ever written. To save from such hubris, the least they could do is read one hundred books. But which one hundred?
We scoured through vast libraries and digital archives to curate this definitive list of life-changing books for you to read before you die. While there are (a little more than) a handful of classics, we’ve also added some must-read novels of all time. If you’ve got time to do one more thing, go read a book!
1. Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis
Gregor Samsa wakes up to realize his transformation into a giant beetle-like insect. Kafka’s novella remains proof that the alienation of man starts at home.
2. Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man And The Sea
This modern classic is the tragic story of a Cuban fisherman and a giant Marlin. A brief account with enough poignancy on aging and the human spirit.
3. Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events
The Baudelaire siblings’ tragedy strives for hope of their survival. This middle-grade series takes on a darker, desolate turn when Count Olaf steps into the picture.
4. Albert Camus’ The Stranger
On Le Monde’s Best 100 books list, the story follows an ordinary man’s confrontation to an unwitting murder. You’ll understand why this absurd French classic is among the must-read books of all time.
5. Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale Of Genji
Medieval Japan’s Shining Prince Genji’s account has been documented in this poetic original. Royall Tyler’s exquisite translations allow the modern reader to navigate this multigenerational narrative, marking it for the ultimate reading list.
6. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
An ode to fear and anger, this widely read African book traces Okonkwo’s life amidst the Igbo community. The cultural impact of the text mirrors the terrible impact of colonialism.
7. Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird
When a Black man is wrongfully arrested for the rape of a White girl, will he get due justice? Among the greatest novels ever written, this became an instant success in 1960.
8. James Joyce’s Ulysses
Leopold Bloom’s 16th June, 1904, is captured to align with Odyssey’s. Historical and literary references add to the story and complicate things.
9. Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina
A panoramic view into Russian contemporary society and life, Tolstoy’s views are offered plainly. It follows Anna’s tragic tale of wanting to choose better.
10. L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz
A beloved children’s classic, we follow Dorothy’s search for Oz to help her get back home. This is a magical, friendly, dangerous adventure to go on!
11. Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights
An impassioned love story of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff to Yorkshire moors houses the painful simplicity of their intense emotions. Among annotated editions, this Fourth Edition (1847) of Wuthering Heights contains five extensive interpretations.
12. Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle In Time
This first sci-fi installment in the Time Quintet is a space-time adventure. When Meg Murry’s midnight snack is interrupted by a stranger, she finds herself launched into an epic escapade.
13. William Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Popular favorite, Hamlet delves into the revenge-tragedy of Denmark’s prince, robbed of his father and his right to the crown. In five acts, we follow his descent into “madness.”
14. Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice
In Regency England, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy are engaged in a comedy of manners. Where opinions and ego clash, will tender love hold its ground? Pride and Prejudice will make your heart flutter.
15. Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years Of Solitude
Beginner’s guide to magic realism, this Macondo’s myth contains a spectacular history of the Buendia family. In One Hundred Years of Solitude, if incredible is ordinary, what does it mean to be real?
16. Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway
In nostalgia’s crevices, Woolf offers a clear picture of a single day in a woman’s life. Mrs. Dalloway’s curious re-examination of life demands more resolution.
17. Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick Or The Whale
Think of a madman’s war with the unyielding sea. This original story of a sea captain and a whale is also a meditation on America.
18. Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary
You’d take one look at Emma Bovary and despise her. We say this because where else are we to find such (crude) repressed female misery?
19. J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord Of The Rings
Gandalf reiterates the need for a fantastical adventure. Frodo Baggins doesn’t have a choice, especially since he owns a ring Sauron seeks.
20. Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women
The four March sisters are in pursuit of their vastly differing lives. Mirroring Alcott’s early days, it depicts the struggles of New England during the Civil War.
21. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince
With carefully restored artwork, this novella is a reminder of the important things in life. With its fable-like mysteries, it ranks high among 100 books to read before you die.
22. C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
When Lucy opens the door to Narnia in a professor’s house, no one believes her. When they follow her inside, their lives will have completely changed.
23. Yann Martel’s Life of Pi
Piscine Molitor “Pi” Patel wishes to navigate spirituality and practicality. For now, he’s stuck on a stranded boat with Richard Parker, a Bengal tiger.
24. Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables
In a case of mistaken identity, escaped convict Jean Valjean is on the run from Inspector Javert. When Fantine’s daughter is suddenly in his care, can he turn things around?
25. Jules Verne’s Journey To The Center Of The Earth
A 16th-century explorer leaves behind a map to the Earth’s core. Professor Lidenbrock isn’t going to pass up this chance for a fantastical adventure.
26. Charlotte Brontё’s Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre’s life is cleaved in two: enduring her aunt’s cruelty, and then Mr. Rochester’s. Unless, she chooses differently.
27. Homer’s The Iliad/The Odyssey
Suppose The Iliad is the greatest war story. Then, The Odyssey indicates a significant evolution of man’s life.
28. Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy
This humorous sci-fi follows Arthur Dent’s forcible endeavor with Ford Prefect. Prefect was a research alien posing as an out-of-work actor.
29. Joseph Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness
Here’s another sea adventure. On the back of corruptive European colonialism, follow Charlie Marlow and Kurtz on their story within a story.
30. Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale
Set in a dystopian USA, a monotheocracy upturns declining birthrates. This satirical warning is traced through the eyes of Handmaid Offred.
31. Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains Of The Day
Darlington Hall’s butler, Stevens, takes a six-day excursion through the West Country. His journey morphs into reminiscing about stories of war and love.
32. Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels
The greatest satirical-comic inversion, this Great American Read follows ship surgeon, Lemuel Gulliver. Swift’s novel is deemed notable among global voices.
33. The Complete Grimms’ Fairy Tales
Compiled by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, fairytales take on a darker stain. The magic is kept alive still, credited to illustrator Arthur Rackham.
34. F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
Quintessential 1920s Great American Novel follows Jay Gatsby’s love for Daisy Buchanan. Chasing an out-of-reach happiness, The Great Gatsby is said to be a metaphor for the American Dream.
35. Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations
On a path of self-discovery, we follow Pip through his painful growth in Great Expectations. The 1998 edition boasts the addition of a discarded ending.
36. Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass
His Dark Materials’ first installment follows Lyra’s attempt to save her kidnapped friend. It turns into a larger game of betrayal.
37. Ruth Ozeki’s A Tale For The Time Being
Fates collide for Nao and Ruth when she finds journal records from the past. This brings them in an unexpectedly inventive tale.
38. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
This revered gothic-horror is the seminal birth of a monster. A scientist’s invention-gone-wrong sheds light on tender parts of what makes us human.
39. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451
Considering world literature, this bleak dystopian message rings true. When Guy Montag begins to question everything he has ever known, what could possibly change?
40. Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Stoker’s masterpiece is on several bucket list books to read. This vampire story’s Jonathan Harker helps Transylvania’s Count Dracula with the purchase of a London house.
41. Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote
This Spanish plot follows Don Quixote and Sancho Panza in their pursuits to become knights. Balancing wit and folly, this is among the first modern novels.
42. Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy begins with a shadowed forest. It leads to a re-creation of the depths of human experience and identity.
43. Lois Lowry’s The Giver
This YA dystopian classic begins in December. Jonah is terrified of living in a seemingly ideal world.
44. Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident Of The Dog At The Night-time
Christopher Boone has trouble understanding human emotions. Still, he’s determined to investigate the suspicious circumstances of the neighborhood’s dead dog.
45. Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime And Punishment
A cat-and-mouse chase begins with Raskolnikov’s random act of murder. Will the police investigator catch him before his conscience does?
46. Alexandre Dumas’ The Count Of Monte Cristo
In this epic tale of suffering and retribution, we follow a falsely convicted Edmond Dantes. To avenge his incarceration, he seeks the Isle of Monte Cristo’s treasures.
47. Alice Walker’s The Color Purple
Towards redemption and love, this story follows Celie and Nettie’s reunion via letters. Tracing the lives of 20th-century rural Georgian African-American women, it is now a cultural touchstone.
48. Edgar Allan Poe’s The Complete Stories and Poems
Poe’s writing heralded much for modern French Literature. This 1984 edition includes less-familiar poems, short stories, and essays.
49. P.G. Wodehouse’s The Code Of The Woosters
This comic classic Brit-Lit lands us in the middle of an English country house party. In this laugh-out-loud Wodehouse, Jeeves and Bertie are there to steal an 18th-century cow-creamer.
50. Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange
In this nightmare vision of a future overturned by criminals in the dark, teenage gang leader Alex recounts the violent rebellion of youth. Echoing human freedom, it nudges the line separating good and evil.
51. Charlotte’s Web by E. B White
One of the best books ever, this children’s favorite has managed to retain its place. This tender tale of friendship, love, life, and death follows Charlotte, her web, Wilbur the pig, and little girl Fern.
52. J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher In The Rye
An elegy to teenage alienation, Holden Caulfield is expelled from yet another school. At nearly Christmas, he is found roaming the streets in search of the ever-elusive meaning in life.
53. Joseph Heller’s Catch-22
Titular synonymous phrase for a contradictory or absurd choice, this social satire following developments of Italy’s WWII and bureaucracy. Malingering bombardier Yossarian is trying to dodge duty, enemies, and the people he is a hero to.
54. Roald Dahl’s Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
Mr. Willy Wonka has promised a tour of his mysterious chocolate factory to the winners of the Golden Tickets. When Charlie Bucket stumbles upon one, his life is about to change forever.
55. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World
World State’s future is run by a society of environmentally engineered citizens. With an intelligence-based social hierarchy holding it up, the only challenge to this dystopian society is the protagonist, John.
56. Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief
Narrated by Death, we follow the story of Liesel Meminger and her love for books. Set in Nazi Germany, this plot focuses on the books’ ability to feed the soul.
57. Toni Morrison’s Beloved
Following the memory of trauma, Beloved is an account of unspeakable cruelty and slavery. It is somehow also a tender, lyrical masterpiece worthy of its remarkable achievement.
58. William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying
A true 20th-century classic, it follows accounts of Addie, who is to be buried, and her family in mourning. The structure of the novel portrays exquisite structure while containing deep pathos.
59. Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life Of Bees
South Carolina’s Lily Owens escapes with her step-mother to Tiburon, where they are taken in by a trio of bee-keeping sisters. Novel with the female divine, this period piece carries racist tones.
60. Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
When bored Alice follows White Rabbit, she stumbles upon a rabbithole. An entrance into the nonsensical Wonderland is why this timeless classic is such a treat.
61. Aesop’s Fables
If there’s ever a book for traditional European stories, Aesop’s Fables rank high among best fiction books of all time. Folklore mixed with philosophy, his talking animals offer simple morals.
62. George Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984
(We had to recommend two of Orwell’s works because it’s impossible to pick just one.) Feeding on 1984’s dystopic destruction of identity, privacy, and individuality, the haunting Big Brother is always watching. A satirical comedy targeting Stalinistic Russia, Animal Farm is an anthropomorphic story of farm animals weighing ideas of equality, justice, and progress.
63. Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes
These popular short stories follow Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in their adventures aiding those in need. Although not part of Scotland Yard, this famous duo’s reputation makes such reading worthy.
64. Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities
Battling the urge to escape the confines of living places, this magic realism book on tourism navigates an imagination-led vision of all that cities can be. Kublai Khan and Marco Polo dreamt of beautiful cities, only the latter was a master at human experiences.
65. Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray
Dorian Gray awaits his fate as a painting of himself hidden away from the world. While he maintains the perfect image of vigor and youth, the painting ages. An investigation of the human soul and its vanity is not enough to describe this French fiction x gothic horror.
66. William Golding’s Lord of the Flies
A plane crash leads to unexpected freedom for the stranded boys. When they watch the creation and collapse of society, a strange fear grips them anew. At the end of innocence, this is a dark exploration of the capacity for evil.
67. Jack London’s The Call of the Wild
In a struggle for existence, Buck is forced to be a sled dog. His unbreakable spirit in the face of near-death makes for this remarkable Alaskan Klondike story.
68. Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind In The Willows
A lyrical parable with a Mole, Water Rat, Badger and Toad, Grahame’s characters have been beloved for over a century. Their exciting adventures and calm conversations by the river continue to captivate audiences.
69. John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath
Following the 1930 Dust Bowl Migration, the Joads are driven out of their family farm into California’s landscape. When the harsh realities of the Great Depression collide with the ideals of American justice, this naturalistic narrative traces injustice and strength.
70. George Eliot’s Middlemarch
In the hands of changing fortune and diversity, Dorothea Brooke’s and Dr Lydgate’s lives collide. Their interweaving story makes for a moving drama.
71. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter
17th-century Puritan Boston’s Hester Pynne wears a scarlet A (for adultery) to repent for her child born out of wedlock. Bearing public shame, she refuses to reveal the identity of the man she was involved with.
72. Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God
As a 30s Black woman, Janie Crawford wants to be her own person. That means retracing her last three marriages and going back to her roots.
73. Donna Tartt’s The Secret History
An introduction to the (official) “dark academia” aesthetic, Tartt’s plot is a sinister, gripping story of a group of college misfits in pursuit of something greater than knowledge. Where do you draw the line that separates emulation from obsession?
74. E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India
Great political and cultural conflicts determine the fates of Adela Quested, Mrs Moore and Dr Aziz. In the eye of a scandal, will British and Indian counterparts redefine imperialism?
75. Henry James’ The Portrait of a Lady
Aunt Touchett brings Isabel Archer to Europe in hopes of marrying her off to an eligible suitor. Gilbert Osmond, the epitome of cruelty, catches her eye. Will love turn into betrayal?
76. Charlie Mackesy’s The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, And The Horse
Four unlikely friends reveal life’s most important lessons. With Mackesy’s beloved drawings, take this as a reminder in collective human experience.
77. Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Indulging in style, Kundera’s philosophical plot traces the messy aspects of what it means to love. It follows a woman’s story of being involved with a man who cannot choose between his humble lover and his womanizing ways.
78. Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness
This sci-fi follows an emissary in Winter, an alien world with no concept of gender, trying to come to terms with it. A classic in the speculative fiction genre.
79. Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe
Defoe’s tale follows a sailor stranded on a desert island for nearly three decades. Questions regarding his fate, faith, and extraordinary survival are answered.
80. Robert Graves’ I, Claudius
Tiberius Claudius, regarded as a weakling and an idiot, rose to power as 41 AD’s Roman Emperor. By way of an autobiography, read this two-part historical fiction.
81. Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea
This novel was written as a feminist response to the theme of the madwoman in the attic in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Rhys portrays Antoinette Cosway being sold into marriage with Mr. Rochester, and why her “madness” is a natural response.
82. Junot Díaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao
In this magical realism novel, Díaz writes of Oscar Wao and his Dominican-American experience. Will he have the zest for life, in the face of all its tumult?
83. D.H. Lawrence’s The Rainbow
Prequel to Women in Love, Lawrence’s controversial classic follows the life and love of three generations of the Brangwen family. Chasing wild relationships and the need for a higher life, the symbolic “rainbow” reeks of unflinching determination.
84. Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children
At the stroke of midnight heralding India’s independence, Saleem Sinai had been born. This epochal work follows the ominous consequences of such a development.
85. Frank Herbert’s Dune
Space opera Dune follows the betrayal of House Artreides, and Paul’s journey to his evolution into the mystery Muad’Dib. This supposed messiah is to bring an ancient unattainable dream to fruition.
86. Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass
An ode to love, self, nature, and humans, this quintessential poetry text stands the test of time. It is highly regarded among the most influential 19th-century poets.
87. Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind
The original Great American Novel follows a spoiled Scarlett O’Hara’s intense passion on the brink of the Civil War. Mitchell’s unforgettable characters have also been known for their courage.
88. Euripides’ Medea
Among the most powerful of Greek tragedies is the tale of Medea’s revenge on Jason’s insult and betrayal. This one is for the theatre geeks!
89. Iris Murdoch’s Under The Net
Writer Jake Donaghue is a picture of the struggling artist. Seeking out an old acquaintance, mysterious Hugo, Jake is determined to create a proper novel out of his intrigue.
90. Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time
This novel-in-seven-volumes is a bildungsroman on the surface. Yet, it is a complex portrait of France in the light of time, art, love, memory, and death.
91. George Saunders’ Tenth of December
This short story collection is deemed as more honest and accessible than Saunders’ work. At times unsettling, and yet insightful, these stories reflect human experience and their need for redemption.
92. V.S. Naipaul’s A Bend in the River
Of historical upheaval and social breakdown, navigating a post-colonial society for Salim has been intense. In his need to be a solid rags-to-riches example, this plot follows the author’s search for a fundamental purpose.
93. Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
This coming-of-age story follows Francie Nolan’s formative years in the slums of Williamsburg. At its heart, it captures the universal experience of life, threaded with familial connection.
94. R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy War
What if General Mao Zedong were a woman? This high fantasy reimagination of military China brings to light the story of Rin. Brimming with treachery and magic, can one girl and her God change the world?
95. Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad
A seamless capture of terror for Black people during the pre-Civil War time, Whitehead writes about the implications of the ghastly African importation to America. Cora’s odysseys, with slave hunters on her trail, marks the start of this novel.
96. Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club
Four Chinese families and their women who recall stories from home upon moving to San Francisco. This work is an astute attempt to capture the mother-daughter bond.
97. Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha
Following the life of an Indian man shedding off his privileged life, this classic focuses on his spiritual journey to self-discovery. Synthesizing multiple philosophies, Hesse attempts to capture man’s search for true meaning.
98. Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner
Against the kite-flying background of 1970s Afghanistan, twelve-year-olds Amir and Hassan are determined to win. When a life-shattering incident strikes them both, Amir has to confront his past for redemption. The Kite Runner is a must-read.
99. Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five
Among the world’s greatest anti-war books, this captures the destruction of Desdren through the eyes of Billy Pilgrim. Set against the backdrop of WWII, the plot mirrors the author’s experience as a POW.
100. Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend
First in a four-volume story, the sixty years of Lila and Elena in the eye of their complex friendship have been traced. Cradling female friendships, this first book begins with their fateful meeting.
Conclusion
Getting through 100 books a year seems daunting. In a lifetime, though, it is possible. End your search for 100 books everyone should read here!
