War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Set in the backdrop of the Napoleonic era, the novel presents a panorama of Russian society and its descent into the chaos of war. It follows the interconnected lives of five aristocratic families, their struggles, romances, and personal journeys through the tumultuous period of history. The narrative explores themes of love, war, and the meaning of life, as it weaves together historical events with the personal stories of its characters.
The 16th greatest book of all time
Ranking Details:
Our ranking system awards points to books based on their appearance and position on curated lists. Here's how it works:
Unranked Lists: For lists without specific rankings, each book receives points equivalent to the list's weight. This approach recognizes the book's inclusion on prestigious lists.
Ranked Lists: Books on ranked lists receive points in two ways:
- Base Points: Initially, every book is awarded points equal to the list's weight, acknowledging its significance.
- Bonus Points: Additionally, books earn bonus points based on their ranking. The total bonus pool, equal to 100% of the list's weight, is distributed among the books, with higher-ranked books receiving more points.
Exponential Distribution: The distribution of bonus points follows an exponential model. This means the top-ranked book (#1) receives significantly more bonus points than those further down the list (e.g., #100). Our algorithm ensures that higher placements are rewarded more generously, reflecting the achievement of a top rank on any given list.
This scoring system ensures that each book's ranking reflects both its presence on multiple lists and its positions within those lists, providing a comprehensive measure of its acclaim and popularity.
Total Points: 4890
Since this book was first published in 1869, there is a penalty of 0%. The age adjusted score is 4890.0.
This is to prevent newer books from reaching super high on the ranked list of the greatest books of all time. The greatest books should also stand the test of time.
- score: 157 -- For The Love of Books (Weight: 150)
- score: 156 -- The Top 10: The Greatest Books of All Time (Weight: 150)
- score: 151 -- Biblioteca (Weight: 138)
- score: 150 -- Top 100 Works in World Literature (Weight: 150)
- score: 144 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (Weight: 144)
- score: 142 -- El Pais Favorite Books of 100 Spanish Authors (Weight: 138)
- score: 138 -- Världsbiblioteket (The World Library) (Weight: 138)
- score: 135 -- The 100 Best Books of World Literature (Weight: 132)
- score: 132 -- William H. F. Lamont’s 100 Best Novels (1947) (Weight: 132)
- score: 126 -- 100 Life-Changing Books (Weight: 126)
- score: 124 -- Pour une Bibliothèque Idéale (Weight: 120)
- score: 114 -- Big Read (Bulgarian) (Weight: 111)
- score: 108 -- 50 Greatest Books of All Time (Weight: 108)
- score: 106 -- The Main Works of Russian literature (Weight: 102)
- score: 106 -- The Greatest Stories Ever Told (Weight: 102)
- score: 102 -- The Bigger Read List (Weight: 102)
- score: 102 -- ZEIT-Bibliothek der 100 Bücher (Weight: 102)
- score: 101 -- The Celebrity Reading List (Weight: 96)
- score: 99 -- The Great American Read (Weight: 99)
- score: 96 -- The New Lifetime Reading Plan (Weight: 96)
- score: 96 -- Finest Works of Fiction (Weight: 96)
- score: 96 -- Six Professors from "Esteemed" Universities Favorite Books (Weight: 96)
- score: 96 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (Weight: 96)
- score: 96 -- Best Books Listed for High School Students (Weight: 96)
- score: 96 -- What Harvard Professors Think Greatest Books Ever: Top 20 List (1977) (Weight: 96)
- score: 94 -- Big Read (Hungarian) (Weight: 93)
- score: 90 -- Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (Weight: 90)
- score: 87 -- 100 Best Books (Weight: 84)
- score: 85 -- The Big Read (Weight: 84)
- score: 85 -- My Favourite Book - Australian Big Read (Weight: 84)
- score: 84 -- Big Read (German) (Weight: 84)
- score: 84 -- 100 Essential Books (Weight: 81)
- score: 84 -- Inteliquest's World's 100 Greatest Books of All-Time (Weight: 84)
- score: 84 -- Select 100 (Weight: 84)
- score: 78 -- The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users (Weight: 78)
- score: 71 -- Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 Novels (Weight: 69)
- score: 69 -- Masterpieces of World Literature (Weight: 69)
- score: 69 -- The 50 Most Influential Books of All Time (Weight: 69)
- score: 66 -- The Complete 500: OCLC (Weight: 66)
- score: 63 -- The Best Classics (Weight: 63)
- score: 63 -- 50 Books to (Re-)Read at 50 (Weight: 63)
- score: 63 -- 110 Best Books: The Perfect Library (Weight: 63)
- score: 57 -- Books That Changed the World: The 50 Most Influential Books in Human History (Weight: 57)
- score: 53 -- The 100 Greatest Novels (Weight: 51)
- score: 52 -- The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (Weight: 51)
- score: 51 -- W. Somerset Maugham’s Ten Greatest Novels of All Time (Weight: 51)
- score: 51 -- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers (Weight: 51)
- score: 45 -- Top 50 Books (Weight: 42)
- score: 45 -- The 100 Best Books in the World (Weight: 45)
- score: 45 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (Weight: 45)
- score: 39 -- The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written (Weight: 39)
- score: 39 -- The 100 Most Influential Books Ever Written (Weight: 39)
- score: 39 -- The 80 Books Every Man Should Read (Weight: 39)
- score: 33 -- Recommended Reading List for Students (China 2020) (Weight: 33)
- score: 33 -- 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List (Weight: 33)
- score: 9 -- The 100 Best Books of the Decade(2000) (Weight: 9)