J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, and Stieg Larsson’s Millennium seriesare the most popular works of fiction in recent years. These novels have sold tens of millions of copies around the world.
However, their popularity and sales still pale in comparison to the bestselling novels of all time.
Indeed, the top 5 most popular ones have sold at least 100 million copies. Only Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, at 80 million copies sold, comes close to those figures. Meanwhile, books by Stephen King, John Grisham, and Nora Roberts don't even come close.
Click on “Start” to see the 5 bestselling novels of all time.
This is the bestselling mystery novel of all time. The theme – 10 people trapped on an island and each person being killed off one by one – has been copied, adapted, and referenced in countless subsequent works of fiction.This is one of the most well-crafted novels ever and will have the reader guessing (if he doesn't already know the famous plot) until the last page.The following is the eerie poem that summarizes that plot:Ten little Soldier boys went out to dine;
One choked his little self and then there were nine.Nine little Soldier boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself and then there were eight.Eight little Soldier boys traveling in Devon;
One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.Seven little Soldier boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.Six little Soldier boys playing with a hive;
A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.Five little Soldier boys going in for law;
One got in Chancery and then there were four.Four little Soldier boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.Three little Soldier boys walking in the zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were two.Two Little Soldier boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up and then there was one.One little Soldier boy left all alone;
He went out and hanged himself and then there were none.
ReutersIf you’re not Chinese, you probably never heard of this book. If you are Chinese, you’ve definitely heard of this book. In fact, almost every single person in China over a certain age – from the richest elites to the lowliest peasants – has at least heard about this book once or twice in his lifetime.This work, about the lives of a Chinese aristocratic family in the 18th century, is arguably the most revered book of fiction in Chinese history.Not surprisingly, at least 100 million copies of this book have been sold in the 200 years since it was written.wikipedia/ShizhaoIt’s the book that started it all. The hobbits, wizards, elves, dwarves, and Middle-earth are all born from this landmark piece of work.It’s an epic that draws from the tales and mythologies of the old; it speaks about the struggle between good and evil; it casts an unlikely hero who goes a grand journey and comes to his own in the process.The basic themes of the book are as old as time and Tolkien tells it in a most masterful way.
HistoricSometimes sequels do better than the originals. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is certainly one example of a high-performing sequal.Seeing the phenomenal success of The Hobbit, Tolkien’s publisher asked for another. The author then complied and submitted The Lord of the Rings (as one book, but his publisher decided to divide it into three).The reasons for its greatness are similar to those of The Hobbit; it’s perhaps just grander and more complex compared to the first book.Published in the 1950s, this book is truly a modern classic. In the 2000s, it was adapted into three successful films.
ReutersThis is one of the best novels written by one of the best British authors of all time. Its introduction is also one of the most quoted of all time.It’s also the book that arguably had the most wide-spread and rabid following upon its initial publication (released as a series of monthly installments to expectant readers, it was like the 1850s version of a wildly popular TV series).Lastly, it’s required reading for most respectable English-language secondary education programs.A gripping tale of the period roughly 70 years before the time of the publication (1859), it speaks of justice, hope, and sacrifice. It’s also a highly-engaging fictional account of the French Revolution.
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