Popular books have a way of finding their way into homes across the globe. Indeed, certain books transcend geographical boundaries and entice readers from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds. But which books have earned their place among the best-selling tomes of all time? Though it’s hard to compile an indisputable list of history’s best-selling books, as sales of religious texts such as The Bible and the Quran, which are routinely distributed for free, are hard to quantify, the following are some of the best-selling non-religious texts to ever find their way onto a shelf.
“Don Quixote” by Miguel de Cervantes: This tragicomedy initially published in 1605 (part two was published a decade later) is estimated to have sold half a billion copies.
“A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens: This novel with the famed opening line of “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” has sold an estimated 200 million copies since it was first published in 1859.
“The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupery: This tale, published in 1943, was written for children but has proven equally popular with adult audiences, which no doubt accounts for its sales estimated at around 140 million copies.
“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling: This is just one of a handful of books in Rowling’s Harry Potter series that are among the best-selling titles of all time. Estimates indicate this first book in the series is the best-selling Harry Potter title to date, with roughly 120 million copies sold since its initial publication in 1997.
“And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie: English mystery master Agatha Christie was a prolific writer, with more than 66 detective novels to her credit. None sold more than this classic murder mystery, which has sales of around 100 million copies since it was first published in 1939.
“Dream of the Red Chamber” by Cao Xueqin: Western audiences may not recognize this title as readily as the other books that qualify for the list of the best-selling works of all time, but this classic Chinese novel written in 1791 has sold roughly 100 million copies over the centuries.
“The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien: “The Hobbit” preceded Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy,” sales of which are believed to have exceeded 150 million copies (the trilogy was serialized, but many copies have since been sold in a single-volume work, making it difficult to determine where each book ranks on a list of best-selling titles of all time). Popular in its own right, “The Hobbit” has sold an estimated 100 million copies since Tolkien first introduced the world to “Bilbo Baggins” in 1937.
“The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis: Many a child across the globe has had this 1950 work from C.S. Lewis on their bookshelf. Kids simply love the world of Narnia, which has helped to sell 85 million copies of this beloved tale.
These are just some of the best-selling books of all time, and each are worthy of a read or re-read for book lovers who enjoy a good page turner.
