A novel is known as a fictitious composition of book length, which also usually represents action and character with some hints of realism, making it an interesting read for those who enjoy relaxing with a book and a cup of hot cocoa or coffee in hand. There is a large number of these types of books around but only a few are considered the best novel books of all time.
To make it much easier for you to decide on which novel to read first, here is our list of the best novel books that you definitely need to get your hands on.
The Pilgrim’s Progress
By: John Bunyan
The Pilgrim’s Progress is a story of a man who is searching for the truth, and this is one of the best novel books that is written simply yet with the sheer beauty and clarity of the author’s prose, making it the ultimate classic novel.
To Kill a Mockingbird
By: Harper Lee
Definitely one of the most unforgettable and one of the best novel books of all time; To Kill a Mockingbird is a story about one’s childhood in a sleepy and tranquil Southern town; the book also describes a child’s perspective when it comes to racial prejudice.
1984
By: George Orwell and Erich Fromm
1984 is still considered as part of the list of the best novel books since it is still called the great modern classic when it comes to negative utopia. The book is a hauntingly original novel that builds an imaginary environment which is ultimately convincing from the first to the last sentence.
Robinson Crusoe
By: Daniel Defoe
This is probably one of the most popular characters in literature since his great story spawned over hundreds of retellings which make it one of the best novel books of all time. The book tells the story of the survival of Crusoe after getting shipwrecked on an island. He also details how they managed to interact with the natives in the mainland and eventually, waited for someone to rescue them from being further stranded in the area.
Cold Comfort Farm
By: Stella Gibbons
Cold Comfort Farm is one of the best novel books and a highly popular read because of its highly entertaining satire on doomed rural romances.
Clarissa
By: Samuel Richardson
The story is about a tragic yet brave woman who is greatly pressured by her arriviste family to settle down and marry a rich man she greatly detests. It has become among the best novel books today since it is one of the very first books that features Richardson’s keen knowledge about the human heart.
Gulliver’s Travels
By: Jonathan Swift
A very popular satirical masterpiece that has never been out of print due to it being one of the best novel books of all time; the story is about Lemuel Gulliver who has found himself on an island inhabited by small people. He observes them and finds some of their quarrels (considering their height) quite amusing and ridiculous since these often occur due to fame and fashion. However, he occasionally encounters the crude giants of a certain region which leaves Gulliver with bitter insights into the behavior of humans.
Tom Jones
By: Henry Fielding
This is one of the classic novels that readily captures the spirit and heart of its age where its popular characters exhibit the character of the Augustan society, displaying all of their turbulent, garrulous, and comic variety. It is also a well-written book that features all the important details of the story, making it among the few best novel books around.
Nightmare Abbey
By: Thomas Love Peacock
A great novella by Thomas Love Peacock where the story is set in an old, former abbey whose owner is known as a host to various visitors who simply enjoy the ambiance, hospitality, and the chance to engage in endless smart debate.
Middlemarch
By: Geroge Eliot
One of the best novel books that is rich in character and story; the story is set in a fictitious town named Middlemarch where several issues on the nature of marriage, the status of women, self-interest, idealism, religion, hypocrisy, and education are present.
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
By: Edgar Allan Poe
The only novel created by Poe and it is also considered as one of the best novel books of all time; it is a classic and timely adventure that also features hints of supernatural elements. All these blended with exceptional writing makes it an excellent read which has influenced and fascinated writers of all generations.
Moby Dick
By: Herman Melville
A popular novel that speaks of a monomaniacal man, Captain Ahab, who continuously seeks vengeance as he journeys the sea to find the white whale that devoured one of his legs during a previous expedition with his crew.
Vanity Fair
By: William Thackeray
Vanity Fair is one of the best novel books created by William Makepeace Thackeray which tells the story of Emmy Sedley and Becky Sharp amid their family and friends during the period right after the Napoleonic War.
Jane Eyre
By: Charlotte Bronte
This is one of Bronte’s most gothic and erotic creations that became the biggest sensation during the Victorian England time; it also acquired an excellent breakthrough because of its intimate dialogue and connection with its readers.
The Portrait of a Lady
By: Henry James
The best novel books easily draw its readers, taking them completely and embracing them into the story, something just as exquisitely written as The Portrait of a Lady. The story is about Isabel Archer – a stunning American woman who is taken to Europe since they expect that she would marry soon. However, Isabel decided to determine her own destiny and turns down every eligible suitor attempting to capture her heart. However, she then finds herself drawn to a man who, underneath his charming and dignified exterior, is cruelty in the most troubling manner.
Disgrace
By: JM Coetzee
Quite a controversial story about an English professor who could barely control himself and his emotions from seducing a student; his actions of course, turn against him as he loses everything due to such a disgraceful act.
Don Quixote
By: Miguel de Cervantes
Don Quixote is a man who became extremely enthralled by drowning in texts about chivalric romances that he too becomes obsessed with becoming a knight-errant as well. Because of the book’s literary charm, playfulness, as well as its experimental form, Don Quixote has been recognized as the very first modern novel during that period.
The Code of the Woosters
By: PG Wodehouse
The book is the very first installment of the sage of Totleigh Towers and it features the main characters of the story: Sir Watkyn Bassett and Roderick Spode.
Frankenstein
By: Mary Shelley
Frankenstein is the very first novel created by Mary Shelley and since then, it has been hailed as an excellent masterpiece, as well as one of the best novel books of the macabre and horror genre.
Catch-22
By: Joseph Heller
Another popular satirical novel that focuses on the life of Yossarian, a malingering bombardier, and hero who continues to reinvent his schemes just to save himself from the terrible chances of war.
