5
And Then There Were None – 100 million
Source: Pendergast, Bruce (2004). Everyman's Guide to the Mysteries of Agatha Christie., Image: Wikipedia
Legendary English mystery novelist Agatha Christie wrote the thrilling “And Then There Were None”, the fifth best-selling book in history with over 100 million copies to date. Originally titled “Ten Little Niggers” after the British blackface song which plays a major role in the story’s plot, the book was released in the United States as “And Then There Were None”: the final five words in the original American version of the song. The story goes that ten people who have all killed another person in some way are invited to an island where they are slowly killed off themselves. Christie’s masterpiece, this novel is the best selling mystery book in history.
4
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone – 107 million
Source: Guinness World Records & McGinty, Stephen (16 June 2003). "The J.K. Rowling Story"., Image: Wikipedia
Though the other Harry Potter books all made the list, they have been omitted to keep the list from being monotonous. (At positions 11 and 14-18, they sold between 50-65 million copies each.) The first book in this seven-part fantasy series, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” (“…Sorcerer’s Stone” in the U.S.) was J.K. Rowling’s first published novel. (Twelve publishing houses turned the book down before one finally accepted it.) Rowling’s writing in this first book has been compared to Ancient Greek poet Homer, children’s author Roald Dahl, and romance writer Jane Austen. As a series, Harry Potter is the best-selling book series in history.
3
The Little Prince – 140 million
Image: purple-lover via Flickr
“Le Petit Prince” – known in English as “The Little Prince” – is the 1943 novella of French aristocrat Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The third most-translated book in the world (it’s in over 250 languages and dialects), this novella tells the story of a lonely young alien prince who fell to Earth. Though geared towards children, “Le Petit Prince” has adult themes – especially related to the bizarreness of the adult world – which make it a joy for anyone to read.
2
The Lord of the Rings – 150 million
Source: BBC, Image: Wikimedia
The second best selling book (though sold as a series) of all time is “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy pack of “The Fellowship of the Ring”, “The Two Towers”, and “The Return of the King”. (Published individually, “The Hobbit” sold 140.6 million copies but is omitted from the list just as the remainder of the Harry Potter books were.) Selling over 150 million copies, J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novels follow the hobbit Frodo, wizard Gandalf, and their compatriots as they set about to save their land of Middle-Earth. The book series is so popular in Great Britain it was voted by the people as the “Nation’s Best-Loved Novel” in the BBC’s “The Big Read” competition. (Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” was number two.)
1
A Tale of Two Cities – 200 million
Image: Wikipedia
“The best selling novel in history is “”A Tale of Two Cities”” by English author Charles Dickens. Written as a critique of English society, the novel largely takes place in Paris before and during the French Revolution. Depicting the French peasantry’s dissatisfaction with French aristocrats in the years leading up to the revolution and then their dissatisfaction with the revolutionaries’ brutality towards said aristocrats, Dickens wrote the book as a parallel of British society in the mid-19th century.
What favorite book do you have that you think should be a best-seller?”
0 comments for "Best Selling Books In History"
Post a Comment