World Book Day 2021: 10 of the best-selling books of all time

YOU ARE READING: World Book Day 2021: 10 of the best-selling books of all time AT PhebinhvanhocEN

World Book Day was instituted by UNESCO as a way to encourage reading for leisure.

First held in 1995, the annual event falls on April 23 each year.

You are reading: Best-selling books of all time 2021

While some may mark the occasion by choosing to return to old favorites, it can also be a good time to pick up a new novel that has won over readers past and present. this list below features some of the most popular works of all time.

However, the lack of full sales figures for several popular titles, including Alexander Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo, Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote, and J R R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, which has been sold as a trilogy and as a unique problem – it makes it difficult to come up with a definitive list.

But based on our research, these are 10 of the best-selling books of all time.

1. ‘don quixote’

the classic by miguel de cervantes tops the list, which seems appropriate since the date of world book day was selected to commemorate the day of his death.

Published in 1605, Don Quixote may have an unfair advantage over some of the other entries on this list, as the work is considered the first modern novel. it has sold over 500 million copies to date.

2. ‘a tale of two cities’

Published in 1859, Charles Dickens’s historical novel is set in London and Paris before and after the French Revolution. the novel has an unshakable root in popular culture and has had several adaptations for film, television, radio and theater. it has sold more than 200 million copies.

3. ‘the lord of the rings’

Author J R R Tolkien pictured aged 19

When it was published in 1954, jrr tolkien’s lord of the rings trilogy opened a door to a whole new world. Inhabited by orcs, elves, dwarves, and hobbits, each with their own culture, language, and lifestyle, Tolkien’s Middle-earth felt startlingly real and is one of the most detailed novels in existence. the work has sold more than 150 million copies.

4. ‘the little prince’

With its brilliant illustrations and crisp phrases, it’s easy to dismiss Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince as a children’s book at first glance. but the cosmic, cross-sectional magic of the novel is pitted against the jaded nature of adulthood. With fantastical characters including the little prince himself, a king without subjects, a businessman who catalogs the stars with the goal of owning them all, a talking fox, and a rose, the novel takes the reader on an adventure of love and loss. the little prince has sold more than 140 million copies.

5. ‘harry potter and the philosopher’s stone’

‘Harry Potter’ author J K Rowling. AP

the book that started a modern cultural phenomenon and made its author one of the richest women in the world. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has sold more than 120 million copies since it was first published in 1997. Being translated into 80 languages certainly helped. If you’re wondering, Harry Potter is the best-selling book series in history, with over 500 million copies sold combined.

6. ‘the hobbit’

A prequel to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit was published in 1937. The book gained admiration for helping hone the literacy skills of young readers. the work is often hailed as one of the greatest works of fantasy ever written and has sold over 100 million copies.

7. ‘and then there were none’

agatha christie’s and then there were none is the world’s best-selling mystery. there have been numerous adaptations of the novel on film, radio, television, and stage. The novel was also the inspiration for a 1980 video game called Mystery House, as well as a 2005 game that kept the book’s name. and then there was none has sold more than 100 million copies.

8. ‘dream of the red chamber’

Also called the Story of Stone, Cao Xueqin’s 18th-century work is considered a zenith in Chinese literature. the work is believed to be based on xueqin’s own life, as well as the rise and fall of his family. The Dream of the Red Chamber is praised for its accurate depiction of social structures and life in 18th-century China, ruled by the Qing dynasty. it has sold more than 100 million copies.

9. ‘the lion, the witch and the wardrobe’

written by c s lewis, the lion, the witch and the wardrobe caters to both adult readers and its young target audience. Telling the story of four brothers who walk through an old closet into another world, the story is packed with stunning imagery. the work has sold more than 100 million copies since its publication in 1950.

10. ‘the da vinci code’

dan brown’s thriller was a worldwide sensation when it was released in 2003 and turned us all into symbologists. The novel proposes an alternative religious history and sparked interest in the legend of the Holy Grail and the role of Mary Magdalene in the life of Jesus. the novel has been translated into 44 languages and has sold more than 80 million copies.

Other content