Best Fiction Books of All Time

 

 Origin of Fiction Writing - 

Fiction writing has been a very important part of human culture and will continue to be so. Taking an exact point in time and saying that this is where fiction writing was born, however, is a foolish task and anyone who tries to do so is wrong. Books were initially taken with great seriousness, the only place where a common man saw books was with priests and scientists. Thus it was natural that they assumed anything written in a book to be the truth. A change in this attitude was observed around the earlier centuries of the first millennium when Classic Sanskrit and Tamil Sangam literature was born. Stories and poems were written in the common man's language and people started getting used to the idea that books could be a work of imagination too 

 Fiction Writing has been around for ages and yet has kept evolving. New genres keep coming up along with fresh styles of writing. Some books can take more credit for this than others, these era defining works are still relevant today and are a must read in the study of English literature. Here is a list of some of these classics which have been widely accepted as the greatest English books ever written..

1. King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table - 

      If you will say that this book is the reason English fiction writing became popular, you will most probably be right. Written in 1485 by Sir Thomas Malory (in case someone cares), this book is a reworking of Arthurian Folklore, now widely regarded as one of the best works of middle English prose. The novel is a compilation of various stories about the legendary King Arthur of England and his select knights of the round table. It tells stories about bravery, romance, war and the youth of Arthur. This book has been adapted and retold many times, which is a testament to the impact it has had. 

2. The Great Gatsby

         Written in 1925 by the American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald (spell that on the first try, I dare you) this novel is set in New York and depicts the narrators interactions with a mysterious millionaire and his obsession to reunite with his former lover. Though this book was a commercial disappointment upon release, it gained popularity during WW2 and is now a core part of American academia and has had numerous stage and movie adaptations since then. The book was one of the first to tell a story in first-person narrative and popularized the style for ages to come. Scholars emphasize the novel's treatment of social class, inherited vs self made wealth, race and it's cynical attitude towards the American dream.

3. To Kill a Mockingbird 

         This book was written in 1960 by Harper Lee and was an instant hit, winning the Pulitzer Prize. It has become a classic of modern American literature and is read widely in high schools and middle schools. The story is loosely based on Lee's own experiences of an event that happened in her town when she was 10. It is the most read book regarding racial inequality in the 20th century. The author, despite such huge success on debut, did not write another book for decades until a first draft, 'Go, Set a Watchman' was published in 2015. In 2006, British librarians ranked the book ahead of the Bible as one every adult should read before they die. The book addresses issues of class, courage, compassion and gender roles in the deep south. 

         

4. The Godfather 

       One of my personal favorites, this crime novel was written by Mario Puzo originally published in 1969. It details the story of a fictional Mafia family living in Long Island, New York. It was adapted into a film in 1972 which is also called as one of the greatest movies of all time. It is thought that the main character was inspired by Frank Costello and Carlo Gambino, organized crime bosses. The Godfather, in a way, recreated the genre of crime fiction and is easily one of the best pieces of English literature which heavily influenced the genre for decades to come and has gained a cult following. 

5. Harry Potter 

      I realise this doesn't exactly fit in with the other books, it is most certainly not a classic yet, but to exclude the most sold and most read book in history out of the list would have been a pity. This series requires no introduction, one of the best fantasy novels to be ever written, J.K Rowling indeed gifted the world a masterpiece. No person can call himself an avid reader if he hasn't read all seven books in the series. Since the first novel was released in 1997, the books and the movies both have gained immense commercial and critical success, making J.K Rowling one of the richest authors of our time. (She's a billionaire, if yall didn't know). A series of many genres, the books explore many themes and cultural references. According to Rowling however, the main theme is death.