Animal Farm by George Orwell
"Animal Farm" is a satirical fable set on a farm where the animals revolt, overthrow their human farmer, and take over the running of the farm for themselves. The story is an allegory of the Russian Revolution and the rise of Stalin, and the tale is told by the animals that inhabit the farm, primarily pigs who become the ruling class. Despite their initial attempts at creating an equal society, corruption and power ultimately lead to a regime as oppressive as the one they overthrew.
The 54th 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: 2720
This book was first published in 1945
49 Lists
- score: 190 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2006 (Weight: 180)
- score: 190 -- 'The perfect library': the 196 books selected by 133 personalities - 2020 (Weight: 190)
- score: 163 -- The 100 Greatest British Novels - 2015 (Weight: 160)
- score: 140 -- The 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century - 1999 (Weight: 140)
- score: 137 -- 100 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2020 (Weight: 130)
- score: 135 -- The 100 Stories that Shaped the World - 2019 (Weight: 120)
- score: 127 -- The Booklist Century: 100 Books, 100 Years - 2005 (Weight: 120)
- score: 116 -- 100 Best Political Books - 2017 (Weight: 110)
- score: 106 -- Daily Telegraph's 100 Books of the Century, 1900-1999 - 1999 (Weight: 100)
- score: 101 -- The Hundred Most Influential Books Since The War (WW2) - 1995 (Weight: 96)
- score: 94 -- Books Of The Century - 1999 (Weight: 80)
- score: 94 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read - 2009 (Weight: 89)
- score: 91 -- Koen Book Distributors Top 100 Books of the Past Century - 1999 (Weight: 80)
- score: 68 -- Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels - 1998 (Weight: 60)
- score: 66 -- Fantasy and Horror: A Critical and Historical Guide - 1999 (Weight: 60)
- score: 65 -- The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels - 1999 (Weight: 60)
- score: 64 -- Our Users' Top 100 Favorite Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 60)
- score: 63 -- The New Lifetime Reading Plan - 1999 (Weight: 60)
- score: 60 -- 4chan’s Literature Board’s Aggregate Top 100 Books for the Decade 2014 - 2024 - 2024 (Weight: 60)
- score: 57 -- Top 50 Books - 2008 (Weight: 50)
- score: 55 -- The Big Read - 2003 (Weight: 50)
- score: 54 -- Edmonton's Top 100 - 1998 (Weight: 50)
- score: 53 -- Books that Shaped the Century - 2020 (Weight: 50)
- score: 50 -- My Favourite Book - Australian Big Read - 2004 (Weight: 50)
- score: 50 -- The 101 Favorite Novels of 'Le Monde' Readers - 2019 (Weight: 50)
- score: 47 -- Waterstone's Books of the Century - 1997 (Weight: 40)
- score: 42 -- TIME Magazine All Time 100 Novels - 2005 (Weight: 40)
- score: 42 -- Kanon na koniec wieku (Canon at the end of the century) - 2002 (Weight: 40)
- score: 33 -- 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: 22 -- Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books - 2011 (Weight: 20)
- score: 22 -- The Modern Library's 100 Best Novels: The Readers' List - 1998 (Weight: 20)
- score: 21 -- The Great Books Podcast from John J. Miller - 2025 (Weight: 20)
- score: 10 -- Select 100 - 2015 (Weight: 10)
- score: 1 -- The Complete 500: OCLC - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The new modern classics — the nation’s favourite 20th century novels - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Top 50 Books - 1997 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 500 Must Read Books - 2013 (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 -- The Best Classics - 2006 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics - 2001 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 100 Best Books in the World - 2021 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 50 Books to (Re-)Read at 50 - 2012 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 100 Greatest Novels - 2007 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written - 1979 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- IWU Select 100 Must-Read Books - 1991 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Great Books of the Western World - 1990 (Weight: 1)