The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon

The novel is a political thriller that delves into the dark world of espionage and brainwashing during the Cold War. It follows the story of a former prisoner of war who, upon returning to the United States, is hailed as a war hero. Unbeknownst to him and the public, he has been programmed by a foreign power to be an unwitting assassin. His conditioning is triggered by a complex set of stimuli, and he is directed to carry out a high-profile political assassination that could alter the course of history. As the plot unfolds, a fellow soldier begins to unravel the conspiracy, racing against time to prevent the programmed soldier from executing his deadly mission, which is orchestrated by a Communist conspiracy aiming to seize control of the American government.

The 1190th greatest book of all time

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Total Points: 322

Since this book was first published in 1959, there is a penalty of 0%. The age adjusted score is 322.0.

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.