The Top 21: The Best Novels of the 21st Century

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

About this list

De Groene Amsterdammer, 23 Books

This list, created by De Groene Amsterdammer and published on March 27, 2025, but backdated to March 4, 2020, highlights what are considered the best books of the 21st century so far. The list was curated based on a literary survey conducted among 81 critics, writers, academics, and publishers. The methodology involved collecting opinions from these literary professionals to determine the top 21 books, reflecting a broad range of critical perspectives and expertise. The list reflects a curated selection process rather than a public vote, emphasizing the insights of those deeply engaged with the literary field.

This list was originally published in 2020 and was added to this site about 1 year ago.

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