Literary critics, historians, avid readers, and even casual readers will all have different

opinions on which novel is truly the “greatest book ever written.” Is it a novel with
beautiful, captivating figurative language? Or one with gritty realism? A novel that has
had an immense social impact? Or one that has more subtly affected the world? Here is
a list of 12 novels that, for various reasons, have been considered some of the greatest
works of literature ever written.
 Anna Karenina
Greta Garbo in Anna Karenina

Greta Garbo in Anna Karenina (1935), directed by Clarence Brown.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Any fan of stories that involve juicy subjects like adultery, gambling, marriage
plots, and, well, Russian feudalism, would instantly place Anna Karenina at the
peak of their “greatest novels” list. And that’s exactly the ranking that
publications like Time magazine have given the novel since it was published in its
entirety in 1878. Written by Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, the eight-part towering
work of fiction tells the story of two major characters: a tragic, disenchanted
housewife, the titular Anna, who runs off with her young lover, and a lovestruck
landowner named Konstantin Levin, who struggles in faith and philosophy.
Tolstoy molds together thoughtful discussions on love, pain, and family in
Russian society with a sizable cast of characters regarded for their realistic
humanity. The novel was especially revolutionary in its treatment of women,
depicting prejudices and social hardships of the time with vivid emotion.