Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
The novel follows the life of Billy Pilgrim, a World War II veteran who has become "unstuck in time," experiencing his life events out of order. This includes his experiences as a prisoner of war in Dresden during the Allies' firebombing, his post-war life as a successful optometrist, his abduction by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore, and his eventual death. The book is a critique of war and a demonstration of the destructive nature of time, with a nonlinear narrative that reflects the chaos and unpredictability of life.
The 63rd 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: 3047
This book was first published in 1969
62 Lists
- score: 190 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2006 (Weight: 180)
- score: 182 -- The Top 10: The Greatest Books of All Time - 2007 (Weight: 180)
- score: 180 -- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers - 2024 (Weight: 170)
- score: 177 -- Books Of The Century - 1999 (Weight: 150)
- score: 175 -- The Great American Novels - 2024 (Weight: 166)
- score: 169 -- Harenberg Buch der 1000 Bücher - 2005 (Weight: 160)
- score: 150 -- 100 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2020 (Weight: 142)
- score: 150 -- 50 Best Cult Books - 2016 (Weight: 142)
- score: 148 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read - 2009 (Weight: 140)
- score: 125 -- The 75 Best Books of the Past 75 Years - 2016 (Weight: 118)
- score: 106 -- IWU Select 100 Must-Read Books - 1991 (Weight: 100)
- score: 105 -- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature - 2021 (Weight: 105)
- score: 100 -- Koen Book Distributors Top 100 Books of the Past Century - 1999 (Weight: 89)
- score: 100 -- As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition - 2011 (Weight: 100)
- score: 89 -- The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels - 1999 (Weight: 79)
- score: 87 -- Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels - 1998 (Weight: 80)
- score: 85 -- TrueLit's Top 100 Favorite Books (2023) - 2023 (Weight: 80)
- score: 74 -- Books That Shaped America - 2012 (Weight: 70)
- score: 72 -- Quintessential American Fiction, According to the Rest of the World - 2015 (Weight: 60)
- score: 66 -- Our Users' Top 100 Favorite Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 60)
- score: 64 -- The 100 Greatest Novels - 2008 (Weight: 61)
- score: 50 -- 4chan’s Literature Board’s Aggregate Top 100 Books for the Decade 2014 - 2024 - 2024 (Weight: 50)
- score: 48 -- 50 Memorable Books from 50 Years of Books to Remember - 2005 (Weight: 46)
- score: 42 -- 150 Great Reads - 1988 (Weight: 40)
- score: 40 -- Waterstone's Books of the Century - 1997 (Weight: 40)
- score: 40 -- The Ultimate Book Bucket List: The 75 Best Books Of All Time - 2023 (Weight: 38)
- score: 33 -- The Modern Library's 100 Best Novels: The Readers' List - 1998 (Weight: 30)
- score: 32 -- 100 Best 20th-Century American Books - 1999 (Weight: 31)
- score: 31 -- 50 Essential Reads by Contemporary Authors - 2004 (Weight: 30)
- score: 21 -- The 100 Novels You Must Read in Your Lifetime - 2023 (Weight: 20)
- score: 16 -- TIME Magazine All Time 100 Novels - 2005 (Weight: 16)
- score: 11 -- Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books - 2011 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- 50 Books to (Re-)Read at 50 - 2012 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- 25 Books to Read Before You Die - 2023 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- Everything You Should Read without Being a Library Rat - 1972 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- 100 Main Fantasy and Science-Fiction Books - 2008 (Weight: 10)
- score: 6 -- The 50 Best Sci-Fi Books for Every Kind of Reader - 2024 (Weight: 6)
- score: 1 -- Top 200 Science Fiction Books (Pre-2000) - 2021 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Greatest Books of All Time - 2022 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- A Century of Reading - 2018 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Books You've Always Meant to Read - 2020 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 501 Must-Read Books - 2006 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 100 Best Science Fiction Books of All Time - 2019 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Top 100 Books - 1999 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime - 2014 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List - 2018 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 50 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novels That Everyone Should Read - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Select 100 - 2015 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Best Books Ever - 2006 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 80 Books Every Man Should Read - 2015 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Best War and History Books of All Time - 2014 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 100 Books to Love - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 100 Greatest American Novels, 1893 – 1993 - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers - 2002 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 500 Must Read Books - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Must-read Sci-Fi Classics - 2023 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Complete 500: OCLC - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction - 1999 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 25 Best Science-Fiction Books of All Time - 2020 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 100 Favorite Novels of Librarians - 1999 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Most Significant SF & Fantasy Books of the Last 50 Years From 1953-2002 - 2003 (Weight: 1)