The 40 Best Books of All Time

Saleem Sinai is born at the stroke of midnight on the night India earns its independence, and his magical powers link him with India’s 1,000 other “midnight’s children,” all born in that hour with magical gifts.

In 1950s Paris, a young man is caught between desire and conventional morality in this groundbreaking, controversial story of death and passion.

Winner the Booker Prize and Nobel Prize in literature, The Remains of the Day is master storyteller Kazuo Ishiguro's story of Stevens, the perfect butler, and the quickly disappearing yet familiar life he reflects on in post-World War II England.

Inspired by Jack Kerouac's adventures with Neal Cassady, On the Road tells the story of two friends whose cross-country road trips are a quest for meaning and true experience.

In the wake of World War I and the 1918 pandemic, Clarissa Dalloway prepares for a party and remembers those she once loved. In Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf explores the past, present, and future in a novel often called a masterpiece of interior monologue.

Louisa May Alcott's classic tale of four sisters made it possible for a whole new generation of women to see themselves—their dreams and determination, their strife and challenges—reflected on the page, showing them in an instant that their experiences mattered.

This best-seller follows two World War II veterans and their families as it speeds forward and back in time during London’s racial and cultural transformation.

This Pulitzer Prize–winning post-apocalyptic tale follows a father and son as they embark on a dangerous journey to the sea in a quest for survival and hope in the face of harrowing odds.

This powerful story takes the form of a letter written from a son to his mother who cannot read. It's a powerful story of self-acceptance, family, and love.

You won’t soon forget Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s town of Macondo and its residents that make up this award-winning novel.

Join Ishmael as he recounts the adventures of Ahab, a ship captain seeking revenge on a legendary whale.

Though both incredibly opulent and heartbreaking, The Great Gatsby will no doubt leave you with a new outlook on love and life.

The legendary author explores the generation following World War I and touches on love, morality, and more.

The themes of jealousy and revenge in Emily Brontë's first and only published novel will have you hooked until the end.

Holden Caulfield and his teenage angst will leave readers feeling nostalgic, whether it's your first or fifteenth time reading.

Arguably the most famous of Jane Austen's work, few can forget the relationship between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet.

Many authors claim this is the greatest piece of literature ever written, and after picking up a copy you'll see why.

Big Brother is watching! This haunting story somehow continues to remain relevant, even though it's been nearly 70 years since it was published.