The Most Popular Books of All Time

THE MOST POPULAR BOOKS OF ALL TIME



Storytelling has been around as long as language has existed. We love to tell stories and we love to share stories.



The most popular stories appeal to people the world over, regardless of culture, age or language.



Let's take a look at the data on some of the most popular books the world has ever seen.



Key interpreting the Data



1 translation



100 editions



10 Million Copies Sold



Odyssey 8th century BC

Homer

Homer

BETWEEN 750 to 650 BC

Number of Translations over 250

Number of Editions 902

Copies Sold 45 Million



The Holy Quran 644

Number of Translations 50

Number of Editions 398

printed 3+ Billion



Romeo and Juliet 1597

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

1564 - 1616

Number of Translations 80

Number of Editions 902

Never copyrighted



The King James Bible 1611

Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek

Number of Translations 66

Number of Editions 1193

printed 2.5+ Billion



Don Quixote 1612

Miguel de Cervantes

Miguel de Cervantes

1547 - 1616

Number of Translations 35

Number of Editions 963

Copies Sold 500 Million



Robinson Crusoe 1719

Daniel Defoe

Number of Translations 100

Number of Editions 1039

Copies Sold 9 Million



Dream of the Red Chamber 1754

Cao Xueqin

Number of Translations 1

Number of Editions 83

Copies Sold 100 Million



Prid and Prejudice 1813

Jane Austin

Number of Translations 35

Number of Editions 1480

Copies Sold 20 Million



A Tale of Two Cities 1859

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens

1812 - 1870

Number of Translations 35

Number of Editions 889

Copies Sold 200 Million



Andersen's Fairy Tales 1835-1852

Hans Christian Anderson

Hans Christian Anderson

1805 - 1875

Number of Translations 153

Number of Editions 111

Copies Sold 20 Million



Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea 1870

Jules Verne

Jules Verne

1828 - 1905

Number of Translations 147

Number of Editions 711

Copies Sold 60 Million



Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 1865

Lewis Carroll

Number of Translations 97

Number of Editions 1513

Copies Sold 100 Million



The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1885

Mark Twain

Mark Twain

1835 - 1910

Number of Translations 65

Number of Editions 705

Copies Sold 20 Million



She: A History of Adventure 1887

H. Rider Haggard

Number of Translations 44

Number of Editions 129

Copies Sold 83 Million



The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 1887

Arthur Conan Doyle

Number of Translations 60

Number of Editions 590

Copies Sold 60 Million



Dracula 1897

Bram Stoker

Number of Translations 50

Number of Editions 1054

Copies Sold 12 Million



The Great Gatsby 1925

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Number of Translations 44

Number of Editions 608

Copies Sold 25 Million



Gone With the Wind 1936

Margaret Mitchell

Number of Translations 32

Number of Editions 210

Copies Sold 30 Million



The Hobbit 1937

J.R.R. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien

1892 - 1973

Number of Translations 40

Number of Editions 614

Copies Sold 100 Million



And Then There Were None 1939

Agatha Christie

Number of Translations 103

Number of Editions 265

Copies Sold 100 Million



Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) 1943

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Number of Translations 250

Number of Editions 545

Copies Sold 140 Million



Nineteen Eighty-Four 1949

George Orwell

George Orwell

1903 - 1950

Number of Translations 65

Number of Editions 443

Copies Sold 25 Million



The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 1950

C.S. Lewis

Number of Translations 47

Number of Editions 319

Copies Sold 85 Million



The Catcher in the Rye 1951

J.D. Salinger

Number of Translations 35

Number of Editions 234

Copies Sold 65 Million



The Lord of the Rings 1954-1955

J.R.R. Tolkien

Number of Translations 39

Number of Editions 368

Copies Sold 150 Million



To Kill a Mockingbird 1960

Harper Lee

Number of Translations 40

Number of Editions 213

Copies Sold 30 Million



The Very Hungry Caterpillar 1969

Eric Carle

Number of Translations 45

Number of Editions 95

Copies Sold 30 Million



Watership Down 1972

Richard Adams

Number of Translations 19

Number of Editions 122

Copies Sold 50 Million



Quotations from Chairman Mao 1964

Mao Zedong

Number of Translations 20

Number of Editions 34

Copies Sold 800 Million



Harry Potter 1997-2007

J.K. Rowling

Number of Translations 67

Number of Editions 298

Copies Sold 450 Million



The Da Vinci Code 2003

Dan Brown

Number of Translations 44

Number of Editions 73

Copies Sold 80 Million



Millennium Trilogy 2005-2007

Stieg Larsson

Number of Translations 30

Number of Editions 215

Copies Sold 50 Million THE MOST POPULAR BOOKS OF ALL TIME Key to Interpreting the Data Storytelling has been around as long as language has existed. We love to tell stories and we love to share stories. 1 translation The most popular stories appeal to people the world over, regardless of culture, age or language. 100 editions Let's take a look at the data on some of the most popular books the world has ever seen. 10 Million Copies Sold Odyssey 8th century BC The Holy Quran 644 Romeo and Juliet 1597 Homer William Shakespeare Number of Translations 50 HOMER WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 1564 - 1616 BETWEEN 750 TO 650 BC Number Editions 398 Number of Translations over 250 Number of Translations printed 3+ Billion 80 Don Quixote 1612 Miguel de Cervantes Number of Editions 902 Number of Editions 902 Copies Sold 45 Million Never copyrighted The King James Bible 1611 MIGUEL DE CERVANTES Robinson Crusoe 1719 Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek 1547 - 1616 Daniel Defoe Number of Translations Number of Translations 66 Number of Translations 35 100 Number of Editions Number of Editions Number of Editions 1193 963 1039 printed 2.5+ Billion Copies Sold 500 Million Copies Sold 9 Million Dream of the Red Chamber 1754 Pride and Prejudice 1813 A Tale of Two Cities 1859 Cao Xueqin Jane Austin Charles Dickens Number of Translations Number of Translations 35 CHARLES DICKENS 1812 - 1870 Number of Editions 83 Number of Editions 1480 E E E E EE EE E E Number of Translations 35 Copies Sold 100 Million Copies Sold 20 Million Andersen's Fairy Tales 1835-1852 Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea 1870 Hans Christian Andersen Jules Verne Number of Editions 889 Copies Sold 200 Million Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 1865 HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN JULES VERNE Lewis Carroll 1805 - 1875 1828 - 1905 Number of Translations Number of Translations Number of Translations 153 147 97 Number of Editions 111 Number of Editions 711 Number of Editions 1513 Copies Sold 20 Million Copies Sold Copies Sold 60 Million 100 Million She: A History of Adventure 1887 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 1887 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1885 H. Rider Haggard Arthur Conan Doyle Mark Twain Number of Translations Number of Translations 44 60 Number of Editions 129 Number of Editions 590 MARK TWAIN 1835 - 1910 Copies Sold 60 Million Copies Sold Number of Translations 65 83 Million The Great Gatsby 1925 Gone With the Wind 1936 F. Scott Fitzgerald Margaret Mitchell Number of Translations Number of Translations 44 32 Number of Editions 705 Copies Sold 20 Million Dracula 1897 Bram Stoker Number of Editions Number of Editions 608 210 Number of Translations 50 Copies Sold 25 Million Copies Sold 30 Million And Then There Were None 1939 Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) 1943 Agatha Christie Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Number of Translations Number of Translations 103 250 Number of Editions 1054 Copies Sold 12 Million Number of Editions Number of Editions 265 545 The Hobbit 1937 E E EE E E EE J. R. R. Tolkien Copies Sold 100 Million Copies Sold 140 Million The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 1950 The Catcher in the Rye 1951 C.S. Lewis J.D. Salinger Number of Translations Number of Translations 47 35 J. R. R. TOLKIEN V1892 - 1973 Number of Translations 40 Number of Editions Number of Editions 319 234 Copies Sold 85 Million Copies Sold 65 Million Number of Editions 614 E E EE £EEEEE Copies Sold 100 Million The Lord of the Rings J.R. R. Tolkien 1954-1955 To Kill a Mockingbird 1960 Harper Lee Number of Translations Number of Translations 39 40 Nineteen Eighty-Four 1949 George Orwell Number of Editions Number f Editions 368 213 GEORGE ORWELL Copies Sold 1903 - 1950 150 Million Copies Sold 30 Million Number of Translations 65 Watership Down 1972 Quotations from Chairman Mao 1964 Richard Adams Mao Zedong Number of Translations 19 Number of Translations 20 Number of Editions 443 Number of Editions Copies Sold 25 Million 122 Number of Editions 34 E E E E EE E E E £ Copies Sold 50 Million The Very Hungry Caterpillar 1969 Eric Carle E E E E EE EE E E Number of Translations 45 Harry Potter 1997-2007 J.K. Rowling E E EE E E E££E Number of Translations 67 E E E EE E E EEE E E E E E E E E E E Number of Editions 95 Copies Sold 800 Million Copies Sold 30 Million Number of Editions Millennium Trilogy 2005-2007 298 Stieg Larsson Number of Translations The Da Vinci Code 2003 30 Dan Brown E EE E £EEEEE Number of Translations 44 E EE££££££E Copies Sold 450 Million Number of Editions 215 Number of Editions 73 Copies Sold 50 Million Copies Sold 80 Million www.lovereading.co.uk