The Royal Game by Stefan Zweig

"The Royal Game" is a gripping novella about a man who, while in solitary confinement by the Nazis, steals a book of past chess games and plays them all in his mind to keep his sanity. Once freed, he becomes a chess master but his mental state is fragile. On a cruise ship, he is challenged to a game by the reigning world champion, leading to a psychological battle that pushes him to the brink of madness.

The 829th greatest book of all time

Ranking Details:

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Total Points: 441

Since this book was first published in 1941, there is a penalty of 0%. The age adjusted score is 441.0.

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.