What are the best novels ever?

Determining the "best" novels ever is subjective and can vary based on personal taste, literary critique, and historical impact. However, several lists and publications have compiled selections of novels widely regarded as among the greatest. Here are some of the most frequently mentioned:

Notable Lists of Great Novels

The Greatest Books of All Time

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Ulysses by James Joyce
• In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez1.

Britannica's List

• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
• Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
• Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes2.

Modern Library's Top 100

• Ulysses by James Joyce
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
• Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
• The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
• Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck3.

The Library 100

• Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
• Moby Dick by Herman Melville4.

Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Novels

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• 1984 by George Orwell
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald5.

Common Themes Among Great Novels

• Social Commentary: Novels like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Grapes of Wrath are celebrated for their powerful social commentary.
• Innovative Style: Works such as Ulysses and Invisible Man are noted for their groundbreaking narrative styles.
• Historical Impact: Novels like Don Quixote and Pride and Prejudice have had lasting impacts on literature and culture.
• Emotional Depth: Novels such as Anna Karenina and Wuthering Heights are renowned for their deep exploration of human emotions and relationships.