Fiction has the power to transport us to different worlds and make us feel a wide range of emotions. From timeless classics to modern masterpieces, novels offer something for everyone, as we consider the best fiction novels of all time.
But with so many novels to choose from, it is difficult to pick out those which are truly great. In this article, we look at 15 of the most well-written, engaging, timeless, and best fiction novels of all time.
15 best fiction novels of all time: The Glass Bead Game, Gertrude, The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, 1984, To Kill a Mockingbird, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, Crime and Punishment, The Lord of the Rings, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Ulysses, Beloved, Pride and Prejudice, and Huckleberry Finn.
The Glass Bead Game
A novel that made a great impression on me is The Glass Bead Game. It has also been published under the title Magister Ludi. Written by the great German author Hermann Hesse, it was first published in 1943. But I didn’t read it until more than 60 years later.
Set in the 23rd century it tells the story of a man named Joseph Knecht. Joseph becomes a master of the complex Glass Bead Game which combines elements of music, mathematics, and culture.
The novel explores themes of education, art, and the search for meaning in life. It is a stunning novel, considered to be one of Hesse’s most significant works and a classic of German literature.
Gertrude
Let us stay with Hermann Hesse, as I will never forget how much I enjoyed Gertrude on first reading. So much so that I have read it more times than I can remember.
The novel, Gertrude was first published in 1910. It tells the story of Gertrude Laffert, a young girl struggling to find her place in the world. Exploring themes of identity, self-discovery, it searches for meaning in life.
It is one of Hesse’s early works and is known for its poetic and philosophical style. Considered to be a classic of German literature, Gertrude is one of the best fiction novels of all time, and an important work of literature. Hesse was known for his exploration of the human psyche and spirituality which used to great effect in Gertrude.
It is a book I never tire of reading.
The Great Gatsby
Another must-read novel is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Written in 1925, This novel is set in the 1920s and tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious and wealthy man. He spends the entire story trying to win back his former love.
It is both a commentary on the excesses of the Roaring Twenties and a timeless exploration of love and longing. Fitzgerald’s masterpiece is another of those books that demand to be read more than once.
The Catcher in the Rye
For a novel that delves into the complexities of human emotions, it would be a shame to miss J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. This novel tells the story of Holden Caulfield, a teenage boy trying to make sense of an adult world.
A commentary on the struggles of adolescence and a timeless exploration of the human condition, Catcher is unputdownable.
Like Gertrude and The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye is less than 200 pages. Yet in no way does the short length of the books detract from the development of the characters and the captivating stories.
1984
Sci-Fi is not normally a favourite subject of mine. However, for a novel that delves into the world of science fiction, you should not miss George Orwell’s classic, 1984.
The novel is set in a dystopian future and is a powerful exploration of totalitarianism and government control. 1984 is a story that is as relevant today as it was when the book was first published in 1949.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Another of the most loved 20th century novels in American history is Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. It is a powerful story of race relations set in the deep South of America. It follows a young girl called Scout. Her father, Atticus Finch, is the defense attorney for a Black man accused of raping a white woman.
Over the course of the trial, Scout learns some bitter truths about the society where she is growing up. To Kill a Mockingbird has stayed powerful and relevant throughout the years, and is considered one of the best fiction novels of all time.
In 2006, the Museums, Libraries, and Archive Council in England ranked it ahead of the Bible in a poll. The question asked was – which book should every adult read before they die?
I need to get a move on, as time is running out.
Great Expectations
Great Expectations is one among many famous classical novels written by Charles Dickens. And you can tell the impact it has had just by how many adaptations the story has had over the years. According to IMDb, it’s been turned into a film at least 10 times, and a TV series at least 6. There have also been countless stage versions.
The gripping novel is about Pip, a young man who grew up poor but, thanks to a mysterious benefactor, Pip becomes a gentleman. He suspects his benefactor is Miss Havisham, a cruel old woman who manipulated him during his childhood. But the truth when unraveled is more surprising than Pip could imagine.
Great Expectations is a tale of class consciousness and gender politics. It remains as riveting and twisty today as it was when Dickens first released it.
A Tale of Two Cities
As one of the world’s greatest novelists, if not the greatest, it should come as no surprise Charles Dickens appears more than once on my list. I first read A Tale of Two Cities many years ago. This tale of love and sacrifice set against the French Revolution took my breath away then, and it still does. It has to be one of the best fiction novels of all time.
This novel begins with one of the most famous lines in literary history. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Its byzantine plot is set in Paris and London in the years leading up to the Revolution. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, it takes aim at aristocratic tyranny and revolutionary excess.
Although there’s a vast cast of characters, the story centres on Sydney Carton, a cynical alcoholic. Sydney is in love with a girl called Lucie Manette, who is engaged to a French aristocrat called Charles Darnay. In a very Dickensian coincidence, however, he bears a striking resemblance to Darnay…
Crime and Punishment
Another book that had a big impact on my life is Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. But it was the film version, as I have not read the book itself. This epic Russian novel was first published in 1866 and is considered to be one of the greatest ever written. It’s about a starving student who considers committing a murder, a crime which he manages to justify to himself.
His intended victim is a corrupt pawnbroker. In his eyes, she doesn’t deserve her wealth given how she acquired it, so he schemes to murder her and steal it.
When the time comes, however, he messes things up and accidentally kills her innocent sister along with her. In the process, he also doesn’t manage to make away with much. Eventually, his guilt eats away at him, driving him mad. It’s a powerful tale of morality and philosophy that has fascinated readers for over a century.
The Lord of the Rings
Although I’m not much of a sci-fi reader, this fantasy epic is an exceptional literary work by JR Tolkien which I still need to read. The Lord of the Rings isn’t only one of one of the best fiction novels of all time. It’s also one of the greatest imaginative achievements ever.
The epic work is split into three volumes. They are called
- The Fellowship of the Ring
- The Two Towers, and
- The Return of the King.
Together they tell the story of a great quest to save a world from destruction. The Dark Lord Sauron has risen. The only way to defeat him is by destroying a magical ring imbued with his power.
Drawing on influences such as mythology and Wagner’s Ring cycle, Tolkien weaves an epic of war, love, and sacrifice. The books were adapted into a magical film series directed by Peter Jackson. In 2004, the final one made Oscar history, winning all 11 of its nominations, including Best Picture.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde’s short novel The Picture of Dorian Gray is a fascinating work. Part horror story, part fantasy, part satire, people have debated its meaning for years. Some people have interpreted it as a cautionary tale. Others have pointed to how it seems to revel in excess rather than argue against it.
The central image of the story is one of the most famous in literature. A portrait is painted of a hedonistic but beautiful young man, Dorian Gray. Throughout the years, Dorian never ages, remaining luminous. However, for every act of cruelty he performs, his painting grows more and more grotesque.
The Picture of Dorian Gray has been seen as a study of guilt, not unlike Crime and Punishment. It’s also reminiscent of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, The Tell-Tale Heart. It shines a light on society’s upholding of youth and beauty above all else, a theme that remains relevant today.
Ulysses
James Joyce’s Ulysses isn’t just one of the best fiction novels of all time. It’s also one of the most groundbreaking. And what might be most remarkable about it is it’s still just as impressive today.
On the face of it, Joyce’s novel has a very straightforward premise. It follows one day in the life of a man called Leopold Bloom making his way around Dublin. Joyce parallels this simple journey with that of the Greek hero Ulysses or Odysseus from Homer’s The Odyssey.
Beyond that, he also used a wide variety of experimental styles. There’s a great deal of stream-of-consciousness. This is most prominent in the final chapter, written from Bloom’s wife, Molly’s, perspective. Another chapter is written in the form of a script with stage directions, like a play. A powerful and often even funny masterpiece by all accounts, and one I must read before it’s too late.
Beloved
Another experimental and breathtaking novel on my to read list is Beloved by Toni Morrison. This non-traditional ghost story is set shortly after the American Civil War. It follows an ex-slave African American mother who is haunted by the ghost of her deceased baby. The ghost takes the form of a young woman the age that the child would have been had she lived.
As with James Joyce, Morrison used a variety of different narrative techniques. At points she uses stream-of-consciousness as well as poetry to tell the story.
An extremely powerful, eerie, and sometimes upsetting book, Beloved is recognised as a literary masterpiece. It won the Pulitzer Prize and was adapted for the big screen starring Oprah Winfrey.
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is generally accepted as one of the best fiction novels of all time. It’s so influential that one could argue it helped create the modern-day romcom genre. Known for its wit and sophistication, Pride and Prejudice follows an unfolding love story between two polar opposites.
Besides being a great love story, it’s also a sharp social satire, aimed at the notion of judging character on first impressions of social status. Although set in the early 1800s, it is still relevant, vibrant, and very funny, if the movie is anything to go by. Yet another I need to get to soon.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Back to one of the great books I have read. Many consider Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to be the Great American Novel. It’s narrated by a poor Southern boy who rafts up the Mississippi River with an escaped slave called Jim. Its theme of deep friendship between two people of different races in a very fraught point in history resonates in the modern world.
Huckleberry Finn is still loved today due to Huck’s distinctive voice and for how ahead of its time it was. Twain was preaching for racial understanding long before many other white authors were. While Jim may not stand up to today’s fully fleshed-out African American characters, he was an important and historic figure.
In Closing
These are 15 of the many novels that have made a significant impact on the world of literature and me in the process. Each one offers a unique perspective and tells a captivating story that has stood the test of time.
Are you looking for a classic novel? A science fiction masterpiece? A thought-provoking exploration of human emotions? If so, all these novels have something to offer. They are considered among the best fiction novels of all time.
Sources
Harper Lee tops librarians’ must-read list – March 2, 2006 – Michelle Pauli
Britannica: A Tale of Two Cities
11 Oscars to Rule Them All: An Oral History of The Return of the King’s Best Picture Win – February 27, 2014 – Alex Suskind
