Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
This novel follows the life of Janie Crawford, a young African-American woman, in the early 20th century. She embarks on a journey through three marriages and self-discovery while challenging the societal norms of her time. The narrative explores her struggle for personal freedom, fulfillment, and identity against the backdrop of racism and gender expectations, ultimately emphasizing the importance of independence and personal growth.
The 49th 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: 3187
Since this book was first published in 1937, there is a penalty of 0%. The age adjusted score is 3187.0.
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: 150 -- The Top 10: The Greatest Books of All Time (Weight: 150)
- score: 144 -- The 50 best books of the past 100 years (Weight: 144)
- score: 144 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (Weight: 144)
- score: 128 -- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature (Weight: 126)
- score: 126 -- 100 Novels That Shaped Our World (Weight: 126)
- score: 108 -- The Booklist Century: 100 Books, 100 Years (Weight: 108)
- score: 104 -- The Best Southern Novels of All Time (Weight: 96)
- score: 99 -- The Great American Read (Weight: 99)
- score: 96 -- The Greatest Books of All Time (Weight: 96)
- score: 96 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (Weight: 96)
- score: 96 -- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers (Weight: 96)
- score: 93 -- Koen Book Distributors Top 100 Books of the Past Century (Weight: 90)
- score: 91 -- Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books (Weight: 90)
- score: 90 -- Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (Weight: 90)
- score: 86 -- Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels (Weight: 84)
- score: 84 -- 100 Best Books (Weight: 84)
- score: 84 -- The Great American Novels (Weight: 84)
- score: 84 -- The ZORA Canon: The 100 greatest books ever written by African American women (Weight: 84)
- score: 84 -- 75 Books Every Woman Should Read (Weight: 84)
- score: 81 -- TIME Magazine All Time 100 Novels (Weight: 81)
- score: 77 -- 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction (Weight: 75)
- score: 72 -- 75 Books by Women Whose Words Have Changed the World (Weight: 72)
- score: 71 -- 100 Best Novels in English Since 1900 (Weight: 69)
- score: 69 -- Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 Novels (Weight: 69)
- score: 69 -- A Century of Reading (Weight: 69)
- score: 67 -- 100 Best Books to Read by Women Authors (Weight: 66)
- score: 66 -- The Complete 500: OCLC (Weight: 66)
- score: 66 -- Books That Shaped America (Weight: 66)
- score: 66 -- 100 Great 20th Century English-language Works of Fiction by Women (Weight: 66)
- score: 63 -- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books (Weight: 63)
- score: 57 -- The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (Weight: 57)
- score: 57 -- 25 Books by Black Authors You Should Read This February (Weight: 57)
- score: 57 -- The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics (Weight: 57)
- score: 57 -- 87 Books Written by Women That Are So Good, You Won't Be Able to Put Them Down (Weight: 57)
- score: 51 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (Weight: 51)
- score: 51 -- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers (Weight: 51)
- score: 39 -- 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List (Weight: 39)
- score: 33 -- The 100 Greatest American Novels, 1893 – 1993 (Weight: 33)
- score: 24 -- 40 Essential Feminist Books to Read for Women's History Month (Weight: 24)