The 100 Best Books from 1900 to the Present

This is one of the 743 lists we use to generate our main The Greatest Books list.

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  • That's How It Was by Natalia Ginzburg

    Cover of 'That's How It Was' by Natalia Ginzburg

    Set against the backdrop of post-war Italy, this poignant narrative delves into the intricacies of family dynamics and personal introspection. Through the eyes of a reflective protagonist, the story weaves together memories and moments of everyday life, capturing the essence of human relationships and the passage of time. The narrative is imbued with a sense of nostalgia and quiet resilience, offering a deeply personal exploration of identity, love, and the enduring impact of the past on the present.

    The 9209th Greatest Book of All Time

  • Dolly City by Orly Castel-Bloom

    Cover of 'Dolly City' by Orly Castel-Bloom

    Set in a dystopian version of Tel Aviv, this novel follows the chaotic life of a deranged doctor who adopts a baby she finds in a garbage bag. As she navigates the surreal and violent landscape of her city, she becomes obsessed with protecting her child from the dangers she perceives around every corner. Her extreme measures and bizarre medical experiments reflect the absurdity and paranoia of her world, blurring the lines between sanity and madness. Through dark humor and vivid imagery, the narrative explores themes of motherhood, identity, and the human condition in a society on the brink of collapse.

    The 2928th Greatest Book of All Time
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About this list

Yedioth Ahronoth, 102 Books

More than 100 Israeli writers, critics, editors, translators and scholars each submitted a personal Top‑10 of books published since 1900. Using a simple points system (10 pts for a first‑place vote, 9 pts for second, etc.) the culture desk of Yedioth Ahronoth aggregated the ballots into a master list, yielding 101 titles—expanded to 102 lines because Samuel Beckett’s “trilogy” was counted as its three component novels.

The result is a canon‑snapshot that leans heavily on world literature (≈90 translated works, 40 of them from English) yet still includes modern Hebrew landmarks. Only eight poetry collections and 27 books by women made the cut—figures that echo 20th‑century publishing realities. Curator Elad Zeret frames the project as “an anchor in rough seas,” a reminder that reading and storytelling outlast any moment of upheaval, and invites readers to craft and share their own Top‑10s.

This list was originally published in 2024 and was added to this site about 1 year ago.

How Good is this List?

This list has a weight of 95%. To learn more about what this means please visit the Rankings page.

Here is a list of what is decreasing the importance of this list:

  • Voters: are mostly from a single country/location

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List Information

Number of Voters:
100
Voter Count Unknown:
No
Voter Names Unknown:
No
High Quality Source:
No
Location Specific:
No
Category Specific:
No