Novels are a form of fiction writing. They reflect the era and the society in which they are written. The 20th century provided us with literary modernism, post-modernism, realism, dystopian fiction, and new perspectives on race, empire, and gender.
The main focus was on character building while stories were mostly about the middle class and their issues. There is much more productive in these novels other than the typical novels of 18 and 19 centuries which were about praising their lords. Below, are the top 10 novels of the 20th century that anyone looking to read twentieth-century fiction should aim to read.
1- The Great Gatsby
At the top of the list of top 10 novels of the 20th century, we have The Great Gatsby written by American fiction writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. This American fiction writer also wrote screenplays for Hollywood in the last years of his life. The novel was written in 1924 in Paris and the US and was then published in 1925. It received normal reviews and the sales were also not good at that time due to which it was considered a failure. But soon after World War 2 the book got popular and was the most popular novel of the 20th century. The novel is set up in New York and is from the first-person point of view.
Storyline
It is a modern novel in which the story revolves around a person named Nick Carraway, who is also the narrator. So he shifted to New York on an island called Egg West. There he met a mysterious person name, Jay Gatsby. They became friends and Gatsby wants to reunite with his love who is his cousin's sister to Nick. The story goes on into different scenes and Gatsby is being murdered after which Nick realizes how great was Gatsby. The story goes through different phases but the main focus is on Gatsby and his lover.
 |
| The Great Gatsby |
2- Ulysses
On No. 2 of the top 10 novels of the 20th century, we have Ulysses, written by Irish writer James Joyce. The novel was published episode-wise in the American journal The Little Review between 1918-1920. Later on, in 1922 it was published in the form of a book on the occasion of Joyce's 40th birthday in Paris. It is considered to be world-famous work in modernistic literature.
Storyline
The story is set in Dublin, Ireland has a different point of view from different perspectives containing 18 chapters. The title of the book is taken from the poem of a Great Greek poet Homer called Odyssey. It is the story of a day on 16th June 1904. The novel shows similarities between the character Bloom and Odysseus and the allusive style of the novel intimates different eras of English literature.
 |
| Ulysses |
3- To the Lighthouse
To the Lighthouse is a very famous novel by Virginia Woolf written in 1920 in London, which was then published in 1927. An American publishing company ranked the novel 15 out of 100 best novels written in the 20th century.
Storyline
The story is set in Scotland having multiple perspectives of views. The novel is divided into three parts as
- The Window
- Time passes
- The Lighthouse.
The novel comprises less dialogue and hardly any direct action; most are written as thoughts and observations. The novel recalls the emotions of childhood and emphasizes relationships among adults. Amongst the many tropes and themes of the work are those of loss of subjectiveness, the nature of art, and the problem of perception.
Read More About Top 10 Richest People In The World
 |
| To The Lighthouse |
4- Lolita
Lolita is an English novel written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov from 1952-1955. It is famous for its controversial story due to which no one was ready to publish this book but then in 1955 Olympia Press published the book in Paris and later in the year 1958 it was translated to Russian and published in the US.
Storyline
The story is based on child sexual abuse. It is narrated by a doctor who reads a menu script of a psycho murderer “Humbert Humbert” who has an obsession with a 12-year-old girl named Dolores Haze with a pet name “Lolita”. This man tries to find a chance to abuse the little girl Lolita. The story ends when the girl leaves him for another man. The end is miserable and makes the reader speechless.
 |
| Lolita |
5- Lord of The Flies
Lord of the Flies is the first novel by William Golding in 1954, which surprisingly became a best seller. The work has universality and thus is still read by thousands.
Storyline
The story is about the evil nature of humans with an allegorical punch. The story starts in the midst of a nuclear war, where some British boys are being shipped from one place to another. On the way, their plane got crashed into the sea and they make it to the nearby island. There start the competition for survival. And these boys got evil, start inhuman things. They kill one of their friends and they don’t stop here, cook it and just eat the human flesh. This masterpiece story is about the end of innocence and the darkness of the human heart.
 |
| Lord Of Flies |
6- One Hundred Years of Solitude
The top 10 novels of the 20th century include one hundred years of solitude on the sixth number. The novel was written by Colombian author Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez between 1955-1967 in Mexico City and was then published in 1967. It is a magic realism novel set in Colombia having a third-person omniscient point of view.
Storyline
It is the story of the seven generations and is very complicated to understand. There are very much technical points and confusion among the characters but besides this, the story gave us an overview of the seven generations which is quite interesting. No doubt! This novel of the 20th century is a unique masterpiece of its own.
Read More About Top 10 Most Famous TV Shows in the world
 |
| One Hundred Years Of Solitude |
7- Nineteen Eighty-Four
The novel written by George Orwell is a science fiction and dystopian novel published in 1949, which was the ninth and the last novel of the author. It is also included in the list of 100 English novels of the 20th century by Modern Library. The novel is political, perhaps the most potent, effective, and frightening notion of 1984 is that full control of the whole nation under a totalitarian state is perfectly possible.
Storyline
The story followed the life of Winston Smith, a junior member of the "Party," frustrated by the party's pervasive eyes, and his formidable leader, Big Brother. Big Brother is in charge of all aspects of people's lives. He invented the language "Newspeak" in an attempt to eliminate political rebellion. The party controls what people read, talk, say, and do with the threat that if they disobey, they will be sent to the dreaded 101 chambers as an imminent punishment. The protagonist, Winston Smith, begins a subtle rebellion against the party by keeping a diary of his hidden thoughts, which is a crime of mortal thought. With his lover Julia, he begins a premeditated fight for freedom and justice, in a world where nobody else seems to see, or not to like, the oppression which the protagonist opposes.
 |
| Nineteen Eighty four |
8- Invisible Man
Invisible Man is in the top 10 novels of the 20th century. It is a landmark in American literature, a book that has continued to appeal to readers since its inception in 1952. It was the first novel by an unidentified author that lasts as a best seller for sixteen weeks and established Ralph Ellison as one of the important writers of the 20th century. The book also won National Book Award for Fiction and is ranked 19 by Modern Library in its list of 100 best English novels of the 20th century. The book is a powerhouse of passionate style and is full of spirit.
Storyline
The story represents all the social and intellectual problems faced by African Americans in the early 1900s. The title of this novel signifies its story narrated by an unknown narrator who shows his struggles in America which he faced due to his black skin color. He says that he is like an unwanted and invisible man in the huge population surrounding him, his life has no value here.
 |
| Invisible Man |
9- The Grapes of Wrath
A classic novel “The Grapes of Wrath” is one of the top 10 novels of the 20th century, written by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck. The novel is also taught in American Higher Secondary Schools and colleges as it has great lessons. This novel is part of realism which is the story of the American Great Depression.
Storyline
The story is about a poor family that is forced to move out of Oklahoma to find “green pastures” to restart another life. This book is a bare experience of all the hardships that came their way. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the air currents that followed shortly afterward, the plot incorporates social, moral, and political history into family history.
 |
| The Grapes Of Wrath |
10- Brave New World
Last but not the least Brave New World is a dystopian novel written by Aldous Huxley in 1932 in England. The novel got 5th ranking by Modern Library and is listed 87 on The Big Read. The title is taken from Shakespeare's play The Tempest.
Storyline
The story is set in London where a futuristic world is shown. If you've ever read 1984 by George Orwell, you'll love reading this one as well. It has to do with the fact that governments control technology too much. They even control the reproductive process. They control emotions, and the way people respond to happiness, and make them think they don't need a person or a truth to be happy. They created an illusion between what is true and what is blissful. But, you must focus during the reading of it or you will lose the character connection.
 |
| Brave New World |
Conclusion
The above was the list of the top 10 Novels of the 20th Century. The list doesn’t end here there is a great work of the 20th century still read and loved by literature lovers. 20th-century work is a milestone in modern literature.
Frequently Asked Questions
1- What is considered the greatest novel of the 20th century?
1984 by George Orwell is considered to be the greatest novel in 20th-century literature.
2- Which is the No.1 novel in the world?
“Da Vinci Code,” written by Brown Dan is a crime, thriller novel having the highest sales in the world and is No.1.
3- Who was the best writer of the 20th century?
Ernest Hemingway is known to be one of the best writers of the 20th century.
4- What is the most read book in the world?
“The Bible” holy book of Christians is the most read book in the world.
5- Which story is the most famous?
“The Odyssey” written by a great Greek author “Humor” is the most famous story written in the 8th century BC.