The Worlds Greatest Books According To Folio

October 11, 2018

If bookshelves could talk, what would they ask to be filled with? Would they love to be weighed down with the words of Shakespeare, proudly hold up tales of human achievement, or display prose that nurtures the soul? Some books are so powerful, poignant, loved and admired, that everyone should own a copy and, after much discussion, we’ve agreed on the five books that should be on your bookshelf.

5. Nineteen Eighty-Four

Big Brother is watching in Orwell’s satirical attack on the state.

4. The Lord of the Rings

The trilogy that has sold over 100 million copies.

3. The Complete Plays

The master puts the English language through its paces in this complete collection of his plays based on the First Folio.

2. A Tale of Two Cities

We’re spoilt for choice with Dickens but we’ve selected his tale of love and revolution over orphans and spinsters.

This book is no longer available from Folio. Check out our selection of Classic Fiction.

1. Ulysses

James Joyce’s modernist masterpiece spans a single day; took seven years to write and is one of the greatest novels of the 20th century.

This book is no longer availble from Folio. Check out our selection of Fiction

Illustration credits: Interpreter of Maladies illustrated by Shreya Gupta

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The Worlds Greatest Books According To Folio