Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Set in early 19th-century England, this classic novel revolves around the lives of the Bennet family, particularly the five unmarried daughters. The narrative explores themes of manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage within the society of the landed gentry. It follows the romantic entanglements of Elizabeth Bennet, the second eldest daughter, who is intelligent, lively, and quick-witted, and her tumultuous relationship with the proud, wealthy, and seemingly aloof Mr. Darcy. Their story unfolds as they navigate societal expectations, personal misunderstandings, and their own pride and prejudice.
The 14th 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.
List Date Penalty Feature
In our continuous effort to provide the most accurate and fair rankings, we have introduced a new feature: the List Date Penalty. This feature aims to reduce recency bias in our rankings by applying a penalty to books based on their publication dates relative to the list's publication date.
How It Works
- Publication Date Comparison: For each book on a list, we compare its publication date to the publication date of the list.
-
Penalty Application:
- Maximum Penalty: If a book was published in the same year as the list, it receives the maximum penalty, as we believe it hasn't had enough time to stand the test of time.
- Proportional Penalty: Books that were published in the years leading up to the list's publication date receive a proportional penalty based on the number of years they have been available.
- No Penalty: Books that were published more than a specified number of years (max age for penalty) before the list's publication date do not receive any penalty, acknowledging their enduring relevance and influence.
Why This Matters
By mitigating recency bias, the List Date Penalty feature helps to ensure that books that have had more time to be evaluated by readers and critics are given their due weight. This results in a more equitable and historically balanced ranking that truly reflects the greatest books of all time.
Total Points: 5296
This book was first published in 1813
99 Lists
- score: 220 -- 'The perfect library': the 196 books selected by 133 personalities - 2020 (Weight: 190)
- score: 201 -- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers - 2024 (Weight: 190)
- score: 200 -- Top 100 Works in World Literature - 2002 (Weight: 200)
- score: 196 -- El Pais Favorite Books of 100 Spanish Authors - 2008 (Weight: 190)
- score: 190 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2006 (Weight: 180)
- score: 185 -- The 100 Greatest British Novels - 2015 (Weight: 160)
- score: 178 -- The Top 10: The Greatest Books of All Time - 2007 (Weight: 160)
- score: 160 -- The 100 Best Books of World Literature - 2018 (Weight: 160)
- score: 151 -- The Greatest Books of All Time - 2022 (Weight: 130)
- score: 144 -- 30 Books Every Adult Should Read Before They Die - 2006 (Weight: 130)
- score: 132 -- The 100 Stories that Shaped the World - 2019 (Weight: 120)
- score: 130 -- All-Time Classics, According to Academics - 1985 (Weight: 110)
- score: 116 -- 100 Life-Changing Books - 2006 (Weight: 110)
- score: 110 -- Five Books to Read on a Desert Island - 1983 (Weight: 110)
- score: 110 -- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature - 2021 (Weight: 110)
- score: 110 -- A Hundred Novels to Change Your Life - 2019 (Weight: 110)
- score: 106 -- 50 Greatest Books of All Time - 2008 (Weight: 100)
- score: 94 -- Finest Works of Fiction - 1980 (Weight: 89)
- score: 94 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read - 2009 (Weight: 89)
- score: 94 -- The Best Books of All Time, as Chosen by the Good Housekeeping Team - 2020 (Weight: 89)
- score: 89 -- Best Books Listed for High School Students - 1984 (Weight: 89)
- score: 84 -- 100 Novels That Shaped Our World - 2019 (Weight: 80)
- score: 84 -- Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books - 2011 (Weight: 70)
- score: 80 -- Big Read (Bulgarian) - 2009 (Weight: 70)
- score: 74 -- 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime - 2014 (Weight: 70)
- score: 74 -- 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime - 2014 (Weight: 70)
- score: 74 -- 125 Best Romance Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 70)
- score: 74 -- William H. F. Lamont’s 100 Best Novels (1947) - 1947 (Weight: 70)
- score: 74 -- The Great Books Reader - 2011 (Weight: 70)
- score: 70 -- Millennium Masterworks - 2000 (Weight: 70)
- score: 69 -- Our Users' Top 100 Favorite Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 60)
- score: 67 -- TrueLit's Top 100 Favorite Books (2023) - 2023 (Weight: 60)
- score: 63 -- The New Lifetime Reading Plan - 1999 (Weight: 60)
- score: 60 -- 100 Must-Read Classics, as Chosen by our Readers - 2022 (Weight: 50)
- score: 60 -- America’s 100 Favorite Books - 2024 (Weight: 50)
- score: 60 -- The Big Read - 2003 (Weight: 50)
- score: 60 -- My Favourite Book - Australian Big Read - 2004 (Weight: 50)
- score: 60 -- Top 100 Books, As Chosen By Canadians - 2005 (Weight: 50)
- score: 58 -- Top 50 Books - 2008 (Weight: 50)
- score: 57 -- The 101 Favorite Novels of 'Le Monde' Readers - 2019 (Weight: 50)
- score: 56 -- Big Read (German) - 2004 (Weight: 50)
- score: 53 -- 100 Books, 100 Companions - 2023 (Weight: 50)
- score: 53 -- Have You Read 100 Great Books? - 1950 (Weight: 50)
- score: 53 -- The 50 Best Romance Novels to Read Right Now - 2024 (Weight: 50)
- score: 53 -- Book by Book: Notes on Reading and Life (Michael Dirda) - 2007 (Weight: 50)
- score: 53 -- 150 Great Reads - 1988 (Weight: 50)
- score: 52 -- 100 Best Books - 2010 (Weight: 50)
- score: 51 -- Big Read (Hungarian) - 2005 (Weight: 50)
- score: 50 -- 100 Greatest Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 50)
- score: 48 -- The 100 Favorite Novels of Librarians - 1999 (Weight: 40)
- score: 42 -- Inteliquest's World's 100 Greatest Books of All-Time - 1993 (Weight: 40)
- score: 40 -- 100 Essential Books - 2009 (Weight: 40)
- score: 35 -- Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 Novels - 2013 (Weight: 30)
- score: 35 -- The Great American Read - 2018 (Weight: 30)
- score: 35 -- The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users - 2008 (Weight: 30)
- score: 31 -- Harenberg Buch der 1000 Bücher - 2005 (Weight: 30)
- score: 31 -- The American Library Association's Recommended Reading - 1998 (Weight: 30)
- score: 21 -- C.K. Shorter List of Best 100 Novels - 1898 (Weight: 20)
- score: 21 -- The Great Books Podcast from John J. Miller - 2025 (Weight: 20)
- score: 21 -- Peter Singer's Top 10 Books - 2001 (Weight: 20)
- score: 21 -- 101 Significant Books - 1989 (Weight: 20)
- score: 11 -- Top 25 Pre-20th Century Classics - 2000 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- One Hundred Best Books (1916) - 1916 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- 100 Best Novels in the World (Published in 1899) - 1899 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- 75 Books Every Woman Should Read - 2008 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- Masterpieces of World Literature - 1991 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- Select 100 - 2015 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- F. B. Perkins' List of 100 Best Fiction - 1877 (Weight: 10)
- score: 1 -- The Complete 500: OCLC - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 50 Best-Loved Novels Written by a Woman (United Kingdom) - 2003 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 100 Best Books to Read by Women Authors - 2021 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition - 2011 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Top 50 Books - 1997 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Telegraph’s 100 Novels Everyone Should Read - 2009 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 100 Greatest Novels - 2007 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time - 2004 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 500 Must Read Books - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Latitude Festival's Top 20 Books by Women - 2016 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Best Books Ever - 2006 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon - 1994 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Graphic Canon - 2012 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers - 2002 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 101 of the World's Greatest Books (1950) - 1950 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 50 Books to Read Before You Die - 2015 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written - 1979 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Well-Educated Mind - 2003 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- IWU Select 100 Must-Read Books - 1991 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics - 2001 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List - 2018 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 110 Best Books: The Perfect Library - 2008 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Top Books Recommended on Cambridge Reading Lists - 2025 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 87 Books Written by Women That Are So Good, You Won't Be Able to Put Them Down - 2020 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 75 Books by Women Whose Words Have Changed the World - 1992 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Reading List - 2003 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Books That Changed the World: The 50 Most Influential Books in Human History - 2009 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Great Books - 2006 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- #ThisBook - 2014 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- W. Somerset Maugham’s Ten Greatest Novels of All Time - 1954 (Weight: 1)