In the long history of literature, the novel as we know it today is a relatively recent invention. It wasn’t until the early 17th century that something approximating our idea of a novel emerged, with Miguel de Cervantes’s groundbreaking masterpiece Don Quixote.
Laurence Sterne's The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, first published in nine volumes over the course of seven years (1759-1767), is considered one of the greatest novels of the eighteenth century.
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, first published in 1813, is one of the most celebrated novels in the English language.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, first published in 1818, is often considered one of the earliest examples of the science fiction genre.
Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, first published in 1861, is a classic of 19th-century English literature.
Fydor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, first published in 1866, is often hailed as one of the most significant works of Russian literature.
Middlemarch, George Eliot's sprawling and ambitious novel, was first published in 1871-72 as a serialized work in a popular magazine.
Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time, originally published in France between 1913 and 1927, is often regarded as one of the most important novels of the twentieth century.
James Joyce's Ulysses is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential works of the 20th century.
Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children is a sprawling and fantastical novel that is considered one of the most influential works of literature to emerge from the late twentieth century.
Zadie Smith's debut novel, White Teeth, caused a sensation when it first appeared in 2000. It was clear that an exciting young voice – Smith was only 24 at the time of publication – had emerged, one with a talent for channeling the energy and chaos of contemporary urban life into a captivating story.