(Not) Modern Library's 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century

1.
The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)
The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1) 4.15 avg rating β€” 2,323,116 ratings
2.
The Bell Jar
The Bell Jar 4.05 avg rating β€” 1,153,789 ratings
3.
The Remains of the Day
The Remains of the Day 4.14 avg rating β€” 344,058 ratings
4.
Infinite Jest
Infinite Jest 4.25 avg rating β€” 98,659 ratings
5.
Beloved (Beloved Trilogy, #1)
Beloved (Beloved Trilogy, #1) 3.97 avg rating β€” 476,949 ratings
6.
Gravity’s Rainbow
Gravity’s Rainbow 4.01 avg rating β€” 46,893 ratings
7.
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces 3.89 avg rating β€” 291,778 ratings
8.
The French Lieutenant’s Woman
The French Lieutenant’s Woman 3.88 avg rating β€” 54,867 ratings
9.
Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West
Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West 4.16 avg rating β€” 204,456 ratings
10.
Mrs. Dalloway
Mrs. Dalloway 3.78 avg rating β€” 341,938 ratings
11.
The Satanic Verses
The Satanic Verses 3.71 avg rating β€” 70,302 ratings
12.
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Their Eyes Were Watching God 3.99 avg rating β€” 377,787 ratings
13.
Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1)
Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1) 3.74 avg rating β€” 403,090 ratings
14.
A Fine Balance
A Fine Balance 4.38 avg rating β€” 156,850 ratings
15.
The God of Small Things
The God of Small Things 3.96 avg rating β€” 317,159 ratings
16.
Absalom, Absalom!
Absalom, Absalom! 3.99 avg rating β€” 47,014 ratings
17.
White Noise
White Noise 3.86 avg rating β€” 123,847 ratings
18.
Disgrace
Disgrace 3.86 avg rating β€” 114,206 ratings
19.
The Crying of Lot 49
The Crying of Lot 49 3.69 avg rating β€” 93,739 ratings
20.
Underworld
Underworld 3.95 avg rating β€” 33,127 ratings
21.
The Cider House Rules
The Cider House Rules 4.17 avg rating β€” 192,668 ratings
22.
Neuromancer (Sprawl #1)
Neuromancer (Sprawl #1) 3.89 avg rating β€” 354,062 ratings
23.
Possession
Possession 3.90 avg rating β€” 83,121 ratings
24.
Molloy / Malone Dies / The Unnamable
Molloy / Malone Dies / The Unnamable 4.28 avg rating β€” 9,327 ratings
25.
Song of Solomon
Song of Solomon 4.15 avg rating β€” 123,932 ratings
26.
The Man in the High Castle
The Man in the High Castle 3.59 avg rating β€” 229,241 ratings
27.
Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1)
Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1) 4.56 avg rating β€” 222,348 ratings
28.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (Ripley, #1)
The Talented Mr. Ripley (Ripley, #1) 3.95 avg rating β€” 110,511 ratings
29.
Regeneration (Regeneration, #1)
Regeneration (Regeneration, #1) 4.02 avg rating β€” 33,024 ratings
30.
The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare
The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare 3.82 avg rating β€” 44,814 ratings
31.
American Pastoral
American Pastoral 3.95 avg rating β€” 86,075 ratings
32.
The Shipping News
The Shipping News 3.88 avg rating β€” 150,736 ratings
33.
A Suitable Boy (A Bridge of Leaves, #1)
A Suitable Boy (A Bridge of Leaves, #1) 4.11 avg rating β€” 49,456 ratings
34.
Crash
Crash 3.59 avg rating β€” 28,421 ratings
35.
The Glass Palace
The Glass Palace really liked it 4.00 avg rating β€” 27,578 ratings
36.
Housekeeping
Housekeeping 3.81 avg rating β€” 57,347 ratings
37.
The Sot-Weed Factor
The Sot-Weed Factor 4.12 avg rating β€” 7,626 ratings
38.
Waiting for the Barbarians
Waiting for the Barbarians 3.93 avg rating β€” 34,739 ratings
39.
J R
J R 4.32 avg rating β€” 3,682 ratings
40.
The Border Trilogy: All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, Cities of the Plain
The Border Trilogy: All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, Cities of the Plain 4.45 avg rating β€” 6,932 ratings
41.
Waiting
Waiting
by: Ha Jin
3.54 avg rating β€” 23,309 ratings
42.
A Death in the Family
A Death in the Family 3.89 avg rating β€” 17,372 ratings
43.
At Swim-Two-Birds
At Swim-Two-Birds 3.85 avg rating β€” 14,061 ratings
44.
Wise Blood
Wise Blood 3.82 avg rating β€” 36,561 ratings
45.
Herzog
Herzog 3.76 avg rating β€” 22,522 ratings
46.
Corelli’s Mandolin
Corelli’s Mandolin 4.03 avg rating β€” 91,609 ratings
47.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam 3.47 avg rating β€” 58,438 ratings
48.
V.
V. 3.97 avg rating β€” 24,778 ratings
49.
The Waves
The Waves 4.14 avg rating β€” 51,037 ratings
50.
Dhalgren
Dhalgren 3.78 avg rating β€” 12,077 ratings
51.
A Thousand Acres
A Thousand Acres 3.82 avg rating β€” 71,373 ratings
52.
The Passion
The Passion 4.11 avg rating β€” 25,838 ratings
53.
The Accidental Tourist
The Accidental Tourist 3.90 avg rating β€” 107,779 ratings
54.
Snopes
Snopes 4.37 avg rating β€” 815 ratings
55.
The Fixer
The Fixer 3.98 avg rating β€” 11,820 ratings
56.
The Book of Evidence (The Freddie Montgomery Trilogy, #1)
The Book of Evidence (The Freddie Montgomery Trilogy, #1) 3.70 avg rating β€” 5,888 ratings
57.
Them (Wonderland Quartet, #3)
Them (Wonderland Quartet, #3) 3.71 avg rating β€” 3,660 ratings
58.
Dog Soldiers
Dog Soldiers 3.70 avg rating β€” 7,338 ratings
59.
Revolutionary Road
Revolutionary Road 3.93 avg rating β€” 92,051 ratings
60.
Mumbo Jumbo
Mumbo Jumbo 3.85 avg rating β€” 4,795 ratings
61.
The Women of Brewster Place
The Women of Brewster Place 4.20 avg rating β€” 21,532 ratings
62.
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas 3.54 avg rating β€” 13,202 ratings
63.
Autobiography of Red
Autobiography of Red 4.26 avg rating β€” 34,582 ratings
64.
God on the Rocks
God on the Rocks 3.71 avg rating β€” 2,015 ratings
65.
Sabbath's Theater
Sabbath's Theater 3.89 avg rating β€” 11,952 ratings
66.
The Sportswriter (Frank Bascombe, #1)
The Sportswriter (Frank Bascombe, #1) 3.69 avg rating β€” 19,930 ratings
66.
Omensetter's Luck
Omensetter's Luck really liked it 4.00 avg rating β€” 2,492 ratings
68.
The Bean Trees (Greer Family, #1)
The Bean Trees (Greer Family, #1) 4.01 avg rating β€” 169,158 ratings
69.
Breath, Eyes, Memory
Breath, Eyes, Memory 3.90 avg rating β€” 30,928 ratings
70.
The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop.
The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop. 3.83 avg rating β€” 2,461 ratings
71.
The Ice-Shirt (Seven Dreams, #1)
The Ice-Shirt (Seven Dreams, #1) 3.97 avg rating β€” 1,249 ratings
72.
The King Must Die (Theseus, #1)
The King Must Die (Theseus, #1) 3.97 avg rating β€” 10,101 ratings
73.
Little, Big
Little, Big 3.80 avg rating β€” 12,096 ratings
74.
Money
Money 3.70 avg rating β€” 25,092 ratings
74.
The Famished Road
The Famished Road
by: Ben Okri
3.73 avg rating β€” 13,392 ratings
76.
Vox
Vox 3.44 avg rating β€” 6,364 ratings
77.
G.
G. 3.71 avg rating β€” 4,769 ratings
78.
Cane
Cane 3.82 avg rating β€” 11,324 ratings
79.
Living End
Living End 3.54 avg rating β€” 668 ratings
80.
Remembering Babylon
Remembering Babylon 3.48 avg rating β€” 3,689 ratings
81.
The Carpathians
The Carpathians 3.82 avg rating β€” 307 ratings
82.
Call It Sleep
Call It Sleep 3.81 avg rating β€” 8,878 ratings
83.
The Heart of Redness
The Heart of Redness
by: Zakes Mda
3.72 avg rating β€” 1,627 ratings
84.
The Guide
The Guide 3.93 avg rating β€” 10,799 ratings
85.
A Grain of Wheat
A Grain of Wheat 3.88 avg rating β€” 6,513 ratings
86.
Little Big Man
Little Big Man 4.27 avg rating β€” 8,686 ratings
87.
The Custom of the Country
The Custom of the Country 4.06 avg rating β€” 15,423 ratings
88.
Philadelphia Fire
Philadelphia Fire 3.44 avg rating β€” 850 ratings
89.
Riddley Walker
Riddley Walker 4.02 avg rating β€” 8,553 ratings
90.
Motherless Brooklyn
Motherless Brooklyn 3.86 avg rating β€” 42,131 ratings
91.
Light Years
Light Years 4.02 avg rating β€” 7,802 ratings
92.
Riders in the Chariot
Riders in the Chariot really liked it 4.00 avg rating β€” 979 ratings
93.
The Messiah of Stockholm
The Messiah of Stockholm 3.53 avg rating β€” 733 ratings
94.
Mr. Sammler's Planet
Mr. Sammler's Planet 3.75 avg rating β€” 3,816 ratings
95.
Harvest of Thorns
Harvest of Thorns 4.09 avg rating β€” 307 ratings
96.
Modern Baptists
Modern Baptists 3.58 avg rating β€” 606 ratings
97.
The Great Indian Novel
The Great Indian Novel 3.89 avg rating β€” 6,722 ratings
98.
In the Castle of My Skin
In the Castle of My Skin 3.71 avg rating β€” 1,014 ratings
99.
The Dragon Can't Dance
The Dragon Can't Dance 4.02 avg rating β€” 1,106 ratings
100.
Miss Lonelyhearts
Miss Lonelyhearts 3.57 avg rating β€” 6,855 ratings