The 20 best books of the 1900s
The 20 highest-ranked books first published in the 1900s in our ranking of 2,819, scored on how much readers love them, their prize, best-list and bestseller record, and current buzz. We rank 20 books of the 1900s in all. How we rank
- 1
Anne of Green Gables84.0Must-Read ScoreAnne of Green Gables
It's one of the most beloved books in the world, funny and full of heart, and Anne is one of literature's great heroines.
- 2
The Source80.9Must-Read ScoreThe Source
It spent months at #1 on the New York Times list.
- 3
The Souls of Black Folk79.9Must-Read ScoreThe Souls of Black Folk
It's on the Guardian's list of the best nonfiction ever written and is one of the founding works of African American thought.
- 4
Buddenbrooks77.5Must-Read ScoreBuddenbrooks
Thomas Mann wrote it in his twenties, and it was singled out when he won the Nobel Prize.
- 5
The Hound of the Baskervilles76.9Must-Read ScoreThe Hound of the Baskervilles
It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read and is on Le Monde's list of the books of the century.
- 6
Martin Eden76.4Must-Read ScoreMartin Eden
It's on Le Monde's list of the 100 books of the century and is Jack London's most personal novel, drawn from his own climb from poverty to fame.
- 7
Up From Slavery74.6Must-Read ScoreUp From Slavery
It's on the Modern Library list of the best nonfiction.
- 8
The Secret Garden74.4Must-Read ScoreThe Secret Garden
It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read and is one of the best-loved children's books ever written.
- 9
An American Tragedy73.0Must-Read ScoreAn American Tragedy
It's on both the TIME and Modern Library lists of the best novels.
- 10
The House of Mirth72.8Must-Read ScoreThe House of Mirth
It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels.
- 11
The Varieties of Religious Experience72.8Must-Read ScoreThe Varieties of Religious Experience
It's on the Modern Library and Guardian lists of the best nonfiction of all time.
- 12
The Call of the Wild72.6Must-Read ScoreThe Call of the Wild
It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and was voted onto PBS's Great American Read.
- 13The Forsyte Saga69.9Must-Read Score
The Forsyte Saga
It's on the BBC's Big Read, and it helped Galsworthy win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
- 14
Nostromo65.8Must-Read ScoreNostromo
It's on both the Modern Library and Bokklubben lists of the greatest books.
- 15
A Room with a View65.5Must-Read ScoreA Room with a View
It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and is Forster's funniest, lightest book.
- 16
Sister Carrie64.7Must-Read ScoreSister Carrie
It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels.
- 17
Kim64.2Must-Read ScoreKim
It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and was voted onto the BBC's Big Read.
- 18
The Golden Bowl63.1Must-Read ScoreThe Golden Bowl
It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and was Henry James's last completed novel.
- 19The Jungle60.3Must-Read Score
The Jungle
It was one of the ten best-selling books of 1906, and the public outcry led to the first federal food safety laws.
- 20
The Wings of the Dove59.7Must-Read ScoreThe Wings of the Dove
It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and is one of Henry James's great late works, a subtle story of love and betrayal.