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The Big Read top 100
BBC, 2003. A readers 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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19
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Louis de Bernières, 1994
On 1 of the 20 lists it was eligible for
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26
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30
31
32
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36
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson, 1883
On 1 of the 13 lists it was eligible for
37
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43
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50
The Shell Seekers
Rosamunde Pilcher, 1987
On 1 of the 19 lists it was eligible for
51
The Secret Garden
Frances Hodgson Burnett, 1912
On 1 of the 15 lists it was eligible for
52
53
54
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57
Swallows and Amazons
Arthur Ransome, 1930
On 1 of the 16 lists it was eligible for
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59
60
61
62
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64
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66
The Magic Faraway Tree
Enid Blyton, 1943
On 1 of the 16 lists it was eligible for
67
68
69
70
71
72
The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists
Robert Tressell, 1914
On 1 of the 15 lists it was eligible for
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The lists that agree with this one most
| List | Books in common |
|---|---|
| Readers' top 100 novels (The Guardian, 2026) | 41 |
| 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime (Amazon.co.uk, 2014) | 31 |
| The Great American Read (PBS, 2018) | 29 |
| The 100 greatest novels of all time (The Observer, 2003) | 22 |
| 100 novels everyone should read (The Telegraph, 2009) | 22 |