Here are Britannica's 12 most important books of all time. Number one will surprise you.

In these fast-paced times, a quiet moment with a book is a true luxury. Especially when it's a masterpiece that will linger in our memories for years to come. Britannica has compiled a list of 12 novels that changed literature and that everyone should know. How many of them have you read?

There are books that don't need marketing, Netflix adaptations, or TikTok controversy to resonate. From the Spanish knight errant, through the darkness of slavery and colonialism, to the illusions of the American dream.

The Most Important Books of All Time According to Britannica/Photo: Unsplash Olga Tutunaru

The Britannica editors , guided by their erudition and a certain literary audacity, have selected the 12 most important novels of all time. Not to end the discussion, but to ignite it. Interestingly, the list is incredibly diverse—geographically, culturally, thematically. You'll find not only well-known names on it, but also voices that have been marginalized for years, but are now finally being heard loud and clear.

A tragic story of love and betrayal in Tsarist Russia, where personal desires clash with convention and social pressure. It is also a philosophical tale about the search for meaning in life.

A moving story about racism and justice, seen through the eyes of a child who learns about the world through the courageous stance of his father. The novel has become a symbol of the fight for human rights.

A story of illusions and the emptiness hidden behind the glitz of wealth, set in the 1920s. Gatsby is the embodiment of a dream that shatters when confronted with reality.

The epic saga of the Buendía family, in which realism and magic intertwine to create a mythological tale of human fate and Latin American history, is a novel that redefined the boundaries of fiction.

A meeting of East and West, portrayed through the prism of misunderstandings, tensions, and colonial prejudices, Forster paints a portrait of a society where cultural differences lead to tragedy.

An intense and symbolic story about the exclusion and identity of a Black man in 20th-century America. The book exposes the mechanisms of prejudice that render people "invisible."

The adventures of an idealist who believes in a world of long-vanished values become a commentary on the human need for dreams and heroism. It is a satire, but also a tribute to the misfit dreamers.

A moving story of a former slave grappling with a past haunted by ghosts and trauma. The novel explores the boundaries of love, memory, and liberation.

A single day in a woman's life becomes a pretext for revealing her rich inner world and psychological nuances. Woolf experiments with time and consciousness, creating a new literary language.

A story of the collapse of traditional African society under the influence of colonialism and Christianity, Achebe gives voice to those who have been overlooked for centuries.

Jane, a steadfast and independent heroine, fights for the right to love and self-determination in a world full of limitations. The novel blends a Gothic atmosphere with 19th-century feminism.

The letters of a young African American woman become a testament to violence, strength, and rebirth in the brutal reality of racial segregation. It is a story of regaining voice and female solidarity.