4.02 avg rating — 4,629,558 ratings

"A book that shows how easily it is to be seduced by authoritarianism. Should be boring but it is a gripping story. All animals are equal, some are just more equal than others"

4.06 avg rating — 613,853 ratings

"One of the first children's stories to be written without some annoying moral to ruin the story. Still great fun to read."

4.29 avg rating — 1,103,317 ratings

"One could argue that this book set the model for future crime stories."

4.26 avg rating — 1,071,282 ratings

"One of the best, if not the best, books for small children. Fascinating without being condescending."

4.28 avg rating — 712,890 ratings

"OK, this one is a bit of a subjective choice. This series sparked my life-long love of reading and I will always be grateful for that"

3.99 avg rating — 892,030 ratings

"This book describes how the military thinks better than any book written and it put the phrase Catch-22 into the lexicon. Even people who haven't read the book know what a catch-22 is"

4.05 avg rating — 1,249,387 ratings

"Beautifully written description of the depressed mind without ever becoming maudlin."

3.81 avg rating — 1,330,713 ratings

"A gripping story written without a single wasted word"

4.09 avg rating — 174,607 ratings

"Absolutely beautiful. "

3.91 avg rating — 1,463,075 ratings

"A fascinating condemnation of government interference in the lives of ordinary people"

3.43 avg rating — 563,668 ratings

"One of the darkest books ever written. If you don't want to read it, watch Apocalypse Now - it's based on this story"

3.76 avg rating — 139,069 ratings

"I'll admit this one's hard to read but, if you can get thru it, it's mythical in its proportions"

4.26 avg rating — 6,957,758 ratings

"A great description of racism in the American south before integration. Compassionate without being sentimental"

3.53 avg rating — 239,137 ratings

"Bawdy and brilliant, it gives a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people at the beginning of the renaissance"

4.62 avg rating — 145,317 ratings

"The book that started the whole modern fantasy genre not to mention all those RPG games"

3.88 avg rating — 431,071 ratings

"Again, this one is somewhat subjective - this is my favourite Dickens book. It reveals the horrors of life during the early industrial revolution but does it with humour and style"

3.64 avg rating — 165,485 ratings

"James Joyce is one of the greatest wordsmiths ever to put pen to page. "

3.86 avg rating — 184,262 ratings

"Beautiful"

4.07 avg rating — 84,613 ratings

"Gods, myths, and monsters! What's not to like!"

3.83 avg rating — 86,795 ratings

"Beautifully written story about how little it takes for a man to give up his soul. "

4.57 avg rating — 34,081 ratings

"Stories of Regency England during the Napoleonic Wars written with a wit that still resonates today"

3.80 avg rating — 3,927,874 ratings

"Best book ever written about adolescent male angst."

3.84 avg rating — 387,311 ratings

"If you ever want to know what motivates a country to declare war on another, read this book"

4.13 avg rating — 119,806 ratings

"Nothing portrays the Beat generation in all its black eloqence better than Howl. It's the Film Noir of poetry"

3.86 avg rating — 116,632 ratings

"Dashiell Hammett could create huge images with a single simile. "

3.69 avg rating — 179,166 ratings

"Antigone is a marvelous play about love and betrayal in the ancient Greece"

4.48 avg rating — 57,783 ratings

"It's Shakespeare -'nuff said!"

4.01 avg rating — 122,729 ratings

"One of the most important books ever written and still one of the most controversial"

4.11 avg rating — 525,726 ratings

4.30 avg rating — 518,240 ratings

4.25 avg rating — 733,876 ratings

3.98 avg rating — 2,100,116 ratings

4.10 avg rating — 1,495,960 ratings