15 Best Seller Books of All Time

Updated on August 02, 2022 16:49 PM by Andrew Koschiev

Historically, books were considered the most important medium of education, information, and entertainment. This hasn't changed even now in the age of television, the internet, computers, smartphones, and other sorts of gadgets. Millions of buyers still buy books every week. So, let us see which are 15 best-seller books of all time.

The Alchemist – More than 65 million copies sold

Paulo Coelho, a Portuguese author, wrote the book The Alchemist, which was first published in 1988. Initially, it was written in Portuguese but quickly became one of the most translated books in the history of books and later on became an international bestseller. The novel is about a young shepherd who is from Andalusia. He travels to the Egyptian pyramids after a recurring dream of finding the treasure.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – More than 65 copies sold

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth book in the Harry Potter series. This penultimate novel talks about the past of Harry's opponent Lord Voldemort and how Harry prepared for his final and last battle with Lord Voldemort. The book was released in the UK and US on 16 July 2005. Nine million copies of the book were sold in just twenty-four hours. This book won the 'Book of the Year award in the year 2006. A movie based on the Half-Blood Prince was released on July 15, 2009.

Think and Grow Rich – More than 70 million

The book was written in 1937 by Napoleon Hill. Think and Grow Rich is a self-improvement and personal development book. Napoleon inspired the book from a suggestion from Andrew Carnegie, a railroad business magnate. If you want to make positive changes in your life and want a well-tried formula for success, then this book is worth your time.

Add Block
The Da Vinci Code – More than 80 million copies sold

This is a mystery thriller novel written by Dan Brown that was released in the year 2003. It is a sequel to Brown's book Angels and Demons in 2000 that also had Robert Langdon's character. Since its release, the book has been translated into 44 languages. Due to the book's popularity, its movie adaptation was released by Columbia Pictures in 2006, becoming the second-grossing movie of that year.

She: A History of Adventure – More than 80 million copies sold

The book is written by H. Rider Haggard, who is an English novelist. It became trendy following its release in the year1887, and surprisingly it has never been out of print since then. The author's experiences in South Africa and British Columbia inspire the book. She is written in first person narrative, which follows Leo Vincey and Horace Holly on their journey for a lost city in the interiors of Africa. The novel is well known for exploring female behavior and authority. It received both praise and criticism for its depiction of womanhood.

The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe – More than 80 million copies sold

It is a renowned book that C.S. Lewis wrote in 1950. The fantasy novel is best known as the part of Chronicles of Narnia. It was considered the first book in the Chronicles, but a new book was added later. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe featured in 100 Best Young-Adult books ever by Time Magazine.

Add Block
The Hobbit – More than 100 million copies sold

The child fantasy novel was first published in 1937 and was written by J.R.R. Tolkien. The novel instantly got nominated for Carnegie Medal. New York Herald Tribunal awarded it the best juvenile fiction prize. The novel was never out of print and, later on, was adapted into a film series released in 2012.

Add Block

Dream of the Red Chamber – More than 100 million copies sold

The book is considered one of the four great classic novels of China. It was written during the Quid dynasty in the eighteenth century. Red Chamber has received worldwide praise as it is the masterpiece of Chinese literature and the epitome of Chinese fiction.

And Then There Were None – More than 100 copies sold

This is a mystery novel written by English author Agatha Christie. The story was published in the US in 1940. In 1939, Collins Crime Club published the book in the UK with a different name for the first time. And Then There Were None is considered the best mystery novel of all time.

Add Block
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone – More than 120 million copies sold

Philosophers Stone is the first novel in the fantasy Harry Potter series, and it is also the debut novel by British author J.K. Rowlings. Bloomsbury first time published the novel in the UK in 1997. It was published in the US the following year with the name Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The book won plenty of book awards in the UK and the US. It has been translated into 73 languages, and this was the first book of the Harry Potter series to be adapted into a feature film.

Add Block

The Little Prince – More than 142 million copies sold

A French aristocrat and author Antoine de Saint wrote The Little Prince. In 1943, Reynal and Hitchcock published the book in English and French in the US for the first time. The novel is about a boy who travels to different planets and addresses universal themes like love, loneliness, loss, and friendship. It became the most successful work of Exupery and is also among the most translated book of all time.

The Lord of the Rings – More than 150 million copies sold

It is a sequel to the Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. This one is a high-intensity fantasy novel. The book is a part of a three-volume series, first – The Fellowship of the Ring, second - The Two Towers, and third and the last one – The Return of the King. All three volumes have been adapted into award-winning movies. The BBC's The Big Read in 2003 named the book Britain's best novel.

A Tale of Two Cities – More than 200 copies sold

This is a historical novel by Charles Dickens published in 1859. The novel's plot is set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The story is about Manette, an eighteen-year-old French doctor who is in Bastille Prison, Paris. And after his release, he lives with his daughter Lucie in London. A Tale of Two Cities inspires the screenplay of The Dark Night Rises by Jonathan Nolan.

Add Block

Xinhua Zidian – More than 400 million copies sold

It is completely different from all the other books on this list because this one is the Chinese language dictionary. It was regarded as the most popular dictionary by Guinness World Records in 2016. The pocket-sized dictionary has 3,300 compounds and more than 13,000 logograms – including conventional Chinese characters and variant Chinese characters.

Don Quixote – More than 500 million copies sold

Don Quixote is a Spanish novel written by Miguel de Cervantes and was released in two parts – 1605 and 1615. The book is considered the most influential work of the Spanish Age. Many regard it as the foundation of modern literature.