The Guardian has unveiled its definitive list of the 100 greatest novels of all time, as chosen by more than 170 authors, critics and academics worldwide. Topping the poll is George Eliot's Middlemarch, described as 'a vast cathedral of a novel' that encompasses love, faith, friendship, betrayal, science, politics, morality and power. Virginia Woolf once called it 'one of the few English novels written for grown-up people'.
The list, which includes works originally written in any language but published in English, shows a significant increase in female authors: 36 out of 100, compared with 21 in 2015 and just 16 in 2003. Half of the contemporary writers featured are women, signalling what the Guardian calls 'a much-needed reset'. Among the top ten, only Jane Austen's Emma and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein appeared in previous iterations.
Second place goes to Toni Morrison's 1987 novel Beloved, which the panel says 'will haunt you for life'. Virginia Woolf appears twice in the top five: To the Lighthouse at number four, just after her own Mrs Dalloway at number three. Other notable entries include Pride and Prejudice at nine and Wuthering Heights at 20.
The poll was conducted amid concerns over declining reading habits. Half of UK adults say they never read, and reading levels among children and young people are at their lowest in 20 years. The Guardian hopes the list will encourage readers to 'read the best books first', as Henry David Thoreau advised. Contributors included Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan, Bernardine Evaristo, David Nicholls and many others.
