The 100 greatest British novels

BBC Culture, 2015. A critics list, ranked. See the original list

We use only the titles, authors and places from this list. 100 novels from it are in The Novel Index.

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28
Cover of Villette

Villette

Charlotte Brontë, 1853

  • Critics' Darling

On 1 of the 13 lists it was eligible for

30
Cover of Moll Flanders

Moll Flanders

Daniel Defoe, 1722

  • Critics' Darling

On 1 of the 13 lists it was eligible for

35
Cover of Remainder

Remainder

Tom McCarthy, 2005

  • Critics' Darling

On 1 of the 16 lists it was eligible for

73
Cover of The Blue Flower

The Blue Flower

Penelope Fitzgerald, 1995

  • Critics' Darling

On 1 of the 21 lists it was eligible for

80
Cover of Excellent Women

Excellent Women

Barbara Pym, 1952

  • Critics' Darling

On 1 of the 17 lists it was eligible for

81
Cover of The Jewel in the Crown

The Jewel in the Crown

Paul Scott, 1966

  • Critics' Darling

On 1 of the 17 lists it was eligible for

82

The Patrick Melrose Novels

Edward St Aubyn, 1992

  • Critics' Darling

On 1 of the 20 lists it was eligible for

83
Cover of Barchester Towers

Barchester Towers

Anthony Trollope, 1857

  • Critics' Darling

On 1 of the 13 lists it was eligible for

86

A Legacy

Sybille Bedford, 1956

  • Critics' Darling

On 1 of the 17 lists it was eligible for

89
Cover of The Horse’s Mouth

The Horse’s Mouth

Joyce Cary, 1944

  • Critics' Darling

On 1 of the 16 lists it was eligible for

91
Cover of The Forsyte Saga

The Forsyte Saga

John Galsworthy, 1906

  • Critics' Darling

On 1 of the 15 lists it was eligible for

94
Cover of The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner

The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner

James Hogg, 1824

  • Critics' Darling

On 1 of the 13 lists it was eligible for

95
Cover of The Buddha of Suburbia

The Buddha of Suburbia

Hanif Kureishi, 1990

  • Critics' Darling

On 1 of the 20 lists it was eligible for

The lists that agree with this one most

ListBooks in common
The 100 best novels of all time (The Guardian, 2026)32
The 100 best novels written in English (The Guardian / Observer, 2015)32
100 novels everyone should read (The Telegraph, 2009)30
The 100 greatest novels of all time (The Observer, 2003)28
100 Best Novels (board's list) (Modern Library, 1998)26