These best-selling books are now classics. You may have read a few. They come from all over the world, although the authors of the United Kingdom have snatched several spots on this list. One of the authors even has two of his books on this list.
Can you guess which are the best-selling fiction books of all time? Here they are:
1. Don Quixote. 500 million copies sold.
You have probably heard about this one.
The Spanish masterpiece was written by Miguel de Cervantes and was published in 1605.
It follows Don Quixote, a knight that has lost his mind after reading too many chivalric romances. With the assistance of his squire, newly recruited farmer Sancho Panza, he embarks on a series of noble adventures. Don Quixote fights windmills -which he believes are giants- and saves the downtrodden.
Many critics consider Don Quixote the first modern novel. And this book deeply influenced Western Literature.
In the last centuries, 500 million copies of the epic have been sold worldwide.
2. The Pilgrim’s Progress. 250 million copies sold.
This Christian allegory was written by Englishman John Bunyan in 1678.
Christian, the protagonist, leaves his family to go on a quest. He is trying to reach the Celestial City. On his way, he meets characters such as Faith, Prudence, and Charity. He also runs into people that lead him astray.
Bunyan, a Puritan, wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress while he was in jail. He was sentenced for a religious offense against the Church of England.
3. The Lord of the Rings. 150 million copies sold.
Many of us have seen the movie. But the original Lord of the Rings is a book, a fantasy novel.
It was written by South African/Englishman J.R.R. Tolkien between 1937 and 1954.
The epic takes place in a medieval-inspired world where magic exists. A ‘hobbit’ – a human-like being but shorter and guileless- finds a powerful ring that can plunge the world into darkness if it falls into the wrong hands. So, to save the world, the hobbit sets off on a long journey towards a place where the magic ring can be destroyed.
On his way, he meets humans, dwarfs, talking trees, and elves. They all form an alliance to help Frodo, the hobbit, reach his goal.
This best-selling novel was originally published in three stages, one book at a time, for financial reasons. But author Tolkien himself was not happy with the trilogy format. The Lord of the Rings is meant to be one big volume divided into six sections.
4. The Alchemist. 65-150 million copies sold.
The protagonist, a Spanish boy called Santiago, goes on a quest.
Santiago yearns for worldly treasures, but the lessons he learns through his encounters fill him with spiritual riches instead. In the course of the story, he is transformed.
There are many readers that find that the tale, with all its advice on destiny and life, also transforms them. It is a story about alchemy, after all.
You may have come across at least one quote from the book posted on social media: “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
The Alchemist was penned by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho in just two weeks.
The would-be best-seller was first published in 1988, after being rejected by several editorials.
5. The Little Prince. 140 million copies sold.
A classic from 1943 with a dash of social critique.
It was written by French noble and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
The Little Prince is a short story about a prince that comes from outer space. On Earth, he meets a man in the desert. And the prince tells him all about his life, about the little planet he comes from, where he takes care of a haughty but kind rose that he loves; about his daily routine back home; and the planets he visited before landing on Earth.
Somewhat like in The Pilgrim’s Progress or The Alchemist, albeit in an abridged version, this novella is about re-finding innocence and wisdom.
In his journey, the little prince learns to appreciate all the blessings he had all along.
6. Grimm’s Fairy Tales. 135 million copies sold.
The book is a collection of German folktales gathered and rewritten by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm -known to the world as the Brothers Grimm.
The intellectual siblings originally published 86 tales in 1812, while they were attending university in their native Germany.
Since the stories were well-received, the number of folktales grew in the subsequent editions, reaching 211 in 1857.
Some of the tales have become quite popular thanks to Disney. And, fortunately for kids, Disney sweetened them and changed the endings. In Snow White’s original version, for example, the stepmother is tortured to death. The Disney version skips that part.
The Brothers themselves had already revised the original folktales in order to make them more child-friendly. Folktale Rapunzel was pregnant because of the prince’s visits to her tower. The brothers censored that.
Some of the other stories that appear in Grimm’s Fairy Tales are Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Fisherman and His Wife, The Golden Goose, and The Shoes that were Danced to Pieces.
7. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. 120 million copies sold.
Famously, British author J.K. Rowling went from being a single mom living on welfare to earning a billion dollars with her Harry Potter books.
These fantasy novels for children are so popular that Universal Studios has recreated Harry’s world inside its theme parks.
The plot: Harry’s parents were wizards. They died when Harry was a baby. So he is raised by his aunt and uncle, who are normal humans without magical powers. When he is eleven, Harry discovers the true identity of his parents. And he starts attending Hogwarts, a school for wizards.
The books follow the adventures of Harry and his group of friends as they grow and learn to use their magic.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published in 1997, and it is the first book of a series.
The seven Harry Potter books combined have sold 500 million copies worldwide. The Philosopher’s Stone remains the best-selling of the bunch with 120 million copies to its name.
8. The Hobbit. 100 million copies sold.
Another best-selling novel by the author of the Lord of the Rings, Oxford professor J.R.R. Tolkien.
Both books, the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, take place in the fictitious Middle-earth and share plenty of characters.
The Hobbit was written first. Tolkien penned it for his children, and it was published in 1937. After its immense success, the publisher asked Tolkien for a sequel, so he produced The Lord of the Rings.
The Hobbit’s main character is Bilbo Baggins a, well, hobbit, that leads a quiet and boring life in his shire. His friend, the human and worldly wizard Gandalf, decides that Bilbo needs a little action, so they set off on an adventure that takes them across the Middle-earth.
They travel in the company of 13 dwarfs and visit Rivendell, the beautiful city of the elves.
Their mission is to help the dwarfs recapture a mountain that once belonged to their forefathers and has enormous treasures -and that is guarded by a dragon.
9. And Then There Were None. 100 million copies sold.
A mystery novel written by Agatha Christie.
Eight people are invited to an island by an unknown couple that has offered to make their wishes come true. But. When they arrive they find out they are trapped on the island, the hosts are nowhere in sight, and they are being accused of murder by a gramophone. Soon, the guests start dying one by one.
The British author published And Then There Were None in 1939.
Agatha wrote dozens of books, which have sold 2 billion copies. That makes Agatha the best-selling novelist of all time.
Read also: Great female writers from back in the day
10. Dream of the Red Chamber. 100 million copies sold.
Dream of the Red Chamber shows the dynamics of a well-to-do Chinese family.
This long novel follows young Baoyu and his relationships, both with the world and with his relatives and acquaintances.
Aside from being one of China’s literary masterpieces, it is also, for the modern reader, a window into the life and society of China during the Qing dynasty.
Chinese author Cao Xueqin wrote The Red Chamber in the mid-18th century. And most critics believe this best-selling novel is based, at least partly, on Cao’s own life.
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