- By Ridam Sharma
- Sat, 22 Feb 2025 06:05 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Top 10 Best-Selling Books Of All Time: Books can enchant, inspire, and transform the way we think and feel. Throughout history, some books have remained so popular and have been influential for readers and bookworms across the globe. Best-seller books tend to be those that speak very strongly to generations of readers. They might be the old classics that have been handed down through the centuries or contemporary novels that fed your fantasy world. Factors which make these books best-sellers are sales, cultural significance, and timeless popularity. Below is a list of such top 10 best-selling books of all time, with classic titles, from The Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter.
Let’s take a look at the list of top 10 best-selling books of all time:
1. Don Quixote
Author: Miguel de Cervantes
Copies Sold: Approximately 500 million
Genre: Adventure/Classical Literature
One of the first modern novels, Don Quixote is a classic novel about a man named Alonso Quijano, who becomes enamoured with chivalric romances and sets out to become a knight-errant. His travels, or rather adventures, are usually comedic and tragic as they reflect his delusional vision of reality.
2. A Tale of Two Cities
Author: Charles Dickens
Copies Sold: Over 200 million
Genre: Historical Fiction
French Revolution, this historical Charles Dickens novel talks about the themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption in the context of historical upheavals.
3. The Lord of the Rings
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Copies Sold: Around 150 million (individual book), over 300 million for series combined (including The Hobbit)
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novel is the story of Frodo Baggins' dangerous quest to eliminate the One Ring.
4. The Little Prince
Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Copies Sold: Approximately 200 million (recent estimates)
The novel was originally published in French as Le Petit Prince. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's book is a touching story of friendship and empathy between two people from diverse worlds.
5. Harry Potter Series
Author: J.K Rowling
Genre: Adventure/Fantasy Literature
After the initial flop sale show, around half a billion copies of J.K Rowling's magical series were sold, which made it one of history’s most successful book franchises overall. This book successfully acquainted readers around the world with Hogwarts School where magic is the only rule.
6. And Then There Were None
Author: Agatha Christie
Copies sold: About 100 million
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Agatha Christie's thriller novel deals with ten strangers who are brought to a secluded island only to be murdered one by one based on their previous misdemeanours.
7. Dream Of The Red Chamber
Author: Cao Xueqin
Copies sold: Around 100 Million
Genre: Family Saga
The family drama by Cao Xueqin deals with love, romance and social prejudice in ancient China.
8. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland
Author: Lewis Carroll
Copies sold: About 100 Million
Genre: Fantasy
Fantasy by Lewis Carroll deals with Alice as she tumbles into a rabbit hole into a fantastical world filled with bizarre characters.
9. The Hobbit
Author: JRR Tolkien
Copies sold: Roughly 100 Million
Genre: Fantasy
Another of the great Tolkien books is The Hobbit which comes before Lord Of The Rings and takes the reader on a journey of Bilbo Baggins as he searches for treasure with dragons and trolls.
10. She: A History Of Adventure
Author: H Rider Haggard
Copies sold: Approximately 83 Million
Genre: Adventure
H Rider Haggard's adventure book is about explorers who find an immortal African queen known as She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed.
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