Literature · Edition 2.4

Top 100 Books

One hundred works of written language that changed how their readers thought, or how sentences work, or both. One entry per author — if an author appears with their second-best book, it's because their best book is already assumed.

24 editors Updated 2d ago 1950–2024 Avg 8.29

001

★ The summit

The Long Quiet (novel)

Aurelia Vance1971Literary★ 9.6

The novel the 1974 film adapted; sparser and crueler.

002

Apple, Salt, Mirror

Yusuf Mansour1989★ 9.5

003

The Index of Small Birds

Margery Holt1962★ 9.5

Four through one hundred#004 → #100

#004

Verdigris Notebooks2009

Verdigris Notebooks

2009·Lasse Kovač

#005

A Field Guide to Endings1995

A Field Guide to Endings

1995·Priscilla Onuoha

#006

The Inheritance of Salt2003

The Inheritance of Salt

2003·Theo Brand

#007

Hard Water1978

Hard Water

1978·Ingrid Halvorsen

#008

Cormorant Republic2017

Cormorant Republic

2017·Eitan Kovner

#009

Pale Garden Letters1998

Pale Garden Letters

1998·Ji-eun Park

#010

Bone China Suite1986

Bone China Suite

1986·Yuki Hara

#011

Heartwood2018

Heartwood

2018·Y. Mansour

#012

The Cartographer's Last Apprentice1956

The Cartographer's Last Apprentice

1956·M. Holt

#013

Snowmelt1969

Snowmelt

1969·L. Kovač

#014

Saltbox1982

Saltbox

1982·P. Onuoha

#015

Citrus & Rust1995

Citrus & Rust

1995·T. Brand

#016

The Quiet Bell2008

The Quiet Bell

2008·I. Halvorsen

#017

Lodestar2021

Lodestar

2021·E. Kovner

#018

Long Wake1959

Long Wake

1959·J. Park

#019

Cinnabar Days1972

Cinnabar Days

1972·Y. Hara

#020

The Tin Lake1985

The Tin Lake

1985·A. Vance

#021

The Hum1998

The Hum

1998·Y. Mansour

#022

Foxglove Almanac2011

Foxglove Almanac

2011·M. Holt

#023

Ferrograph2024

Ferrograph

2024·L. Kovač

#024

Salt-cured1962

Salt-cured

1962·P. Onuoha

#025

Goldenrod Country1975

Goldenrod Country

1975·T. Brand

#026

Wormwood1988

Wormwood

1988·I. Halvorsen

#027

Vellum2001

Vellum

2001·E. Kovner

#028

The Marsh King2014

The Marsh King

2014·J. Park

#029

Hopscotch1952

Hopscotch

1952·Y. Hara

#030

Magpie1965

Magpie

1965·A. Vance

#031

The Lacemaker1978

The Lacemaker

1978·Y. Mansour

#032

Mooncalf1991

Mooncalf

1991·M. Holt

#033

Wickwood2004

Wickwood

2004·L. Kovač

#034

Sextant2017

Sextant

2017·P. Onuoha

#035

Pebbledash1955

Pebbledash

1955·T. Brand

#036

Foundling1968

Foundling

1968·I. Halvorsen

#037

The Almanac1981

The Almanac

1981·E. Kovner

#038

Owl Hour1994

Owl Hour

1994·J. Park

#039

Saltbreaker2007

Saltbreaker

2007·Y. Hara

#040

Granite2020

Granite

2020·A. Vance

#041

Hush1958

Hush

1958·Y. Mansour

#042

Drift1971

Drift

1971·M. Holt

#043

Pail1984

Pail

1984·L. Kovač

#044

Refrain1997

Refrain

1997·P. Onuoha

#045

Pendulum2010

Pendulum

2010·T. Brand

#046

Glasshouse2023

Glasshouse

2023·I. Halvorsen

#047

Bayfront1961

Bayfront

1961·E. Kovner

#048

Whetstone1974

Whetstone

1974·J. Park

#049

Bramble1987

Bramble

1987·Y. Hara

#050

Foxfire2000

Foxfire

2000·A. Vance

#051

Whisper Box2013

Whisper Box

2013·Y. Mansour

#052

Tidepool1951

Tidepool

1951·M. Holt

#053

Snug1964

Snug

1964·L. Kovač

#054

Anchorage1977

Anchorage

1977·P. Onuoha

#055

Cradle1990

Cradle

1990·T. Brand

#056

Birdcage2003

Birdcage

2003·I. Halvorsen

#057

The Switchman2016

The Switchman

2016·E. Kovner

#058

Heath1954

Heath

1954·J. Park

#059

Plover1967

Plover

1967·Y. Hara

#060

Tinder1980

Tinder

1980·A. Vance

#061

Half-Light1993

Half-Light

1993·Y. Mansour

#062

Anvil2006

Anvil

2006·M. Holt

#063

Riverkeep2019

Riverkeep

2019·L. Kovač

#064

Burrow1957

Burrow

1957·P. Onuoha

#065

Tinder Lake1970

Tinder Lake

1970·T. Brand

#066

Quill1983

Quill

1983·I. Halvorsen

#067

Snare1996

Snare

1996·E. Kovner

#068

Saltlick2009

Saltlick

2009·J. Park

#069

The Trapper2022

The Trapper

2022·Y. Hara

#070

Cinder1960

Cinder

1960·A. Vance

#071

Watershed1973

Watershed

1973·Y. Mansour

#072

Ironclad1986

Ironclad

1986·M. Holt

#073

Aviary1999

Aviary

1999·L. Kovač

#074

Steeplejack2012

Steeplejack

2012·P. Onuoha

#075

Mast1950

Mast

1950·T. Brand

#076

Spindrift1963

Spindrift

1963·I. Halvorsen

#077

Lacuna1976

Lacuna

1976·E. Kovner

#078

Pitch & Tar1989

Pitch & Tar

1989·J. Park

#079

Stillwater2002

Stillwater

2002·Y. Hara

#080

Magnetite2015

Magnetite

2015·A. Vance

#081

Wolfthistle1953

Wolfthistle

1953·Y. Mansour

#082

Backwater1966

Backwater

1966·M. Holt

#083

Halogen1979

Halogen

1979·L. Kovač

#084

Tessellate1992

Tessellate

1992·P. Onuoha

#085

Citrus Republic2005

Citrus Republic

2005·T. Brand

#086

The Heron Trial2018

The Heron Trial

2018·I. Halvorsen

#087

Asphalt1956

Asphalt

1956·E. Kovner

#088

The Hum II1969

The Hum II

1969·J. Park

#089

Inkfish1982

Inkfish

1982·Y. Hara

#090

Quarter Past1995

Quarter Past

1995·A. Vance

#091

Saltchuck2008

Saltchuck

2008·Y. Mansour

#092

Embers2021

Embers

2021·M. Holt

#093

Mockingbird1959

Mockingbird

1959·L. Kovač

#094

Ouroboros1972

Ouroboros

1972·P. Onuoha

#095

Reverie1985

Reverie

1985·T. Brand

#096

Plumb1998

Plumb

1998·I. Halvorsen

#097

Skerry2011

Skerry

2011·E. Kovner

#098

Hatch2024

Hatch

2024·J. Park

#099

Eel & Tide1962

Eel & Tide

1962·Y. Hara

#100

Quench1975

Quench

1975·A. Vance

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