Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
This classic novel tells the story of a young scientist who creates a grotesque but sentient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. The scientist, horrified by his creation, abandons it, leading the creature to seek revenge. The novel explores themes of ambition, responsibility, guilt, and the potential consequences of playing God.
The 30th greatest book of all time
Ranking Details:
Our ranking system awards points to books based on their appearance and position on curated lists. Here's how it works:
Unranked Lists: For lists without specific rankings, each book receives points equivalent to the list's weight. This approach recognizes the book's inclusion on prestigious lists.
Ranked Lists: Books on ranked lists receive points in two ways:
- Base Points: Initially, every book is awarded points equal to the list's weight, acknowledging its significance.
- Bonus Points: Additionally, books earn bonus points based on their ranking. The total bonus pool, equal to 100% of the list's weight, is distributed among the books, with higher-ranked books receiving more points.
Exponential Distribution: The distribution of bonus points follows an exponential model. This means the top-ranked book (#1) receives significantly more bonus points than those further down the list (e.g., #100). Our algorithm ensures that higher placements are rewarded more generously, reflecting the achievement of a top rank on any given list.
This scoring system ensures that each book's ranking reflects both its presence on multiple lists and its positions within those lists, providing a comprehensive measure of its acclaim and popularity.
Total Points: 4062
Since this book was first published in 1818, there is a penalty of 0%. The age adjusted score is 4062.0.
This is to prevent newer books from reaching super high on the ranked list of the greatest books of all time. The greatest books should also stand the test of time.
- score: 144 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (Weight: 144)
- score: 133 -- The 100 Best Books of World Literature (Weight: 132)
- score: 126 -- 100 Novels That Shaped Our World (Weight: 126)
- score: 126 -- A Hundred Novels to Change Your Life (Weight: 126)
- score: 120 -- Best Books (Fiction, Prose) : Experts Choose Their Favourites (Weight: 120)
- score: 118 -- The 100 Greatest British Novels (Weight: 114)
- score: 108 -- 500 Great Books by Women (Weight: 108)
- score: 102 -- Finding Comfort in the Classics (Weight: 102)
- score: 102 -- Horror: The 100 Best Books (Weight: 102)
- score: 99 -- The Great American Read (Weight: 99)
- score: 96 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (Weight: 96)
- score: 96 -- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers (Weight: 96)
- score: 91 -- 50 Classics You Must Read Before You Die (Weight: 90)
- score: 90 -- Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (Weight: 90)
- score: 90 -- 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime (Weight: 90)
- score: 90 -- Best Books Ever (Weight: 90)
- score: 84 -- The 100 Favorite Novels of Librarians (Weight: 84)
- score: 84 -- The Big Read (Weight: 84)
- score: 84 -- Inteliquest's World's 100 Greatest Books of All-Time (Weight: 84)
- score: 84 -- 75 Books Every Woman Should Read (Weight: 84)
- score: 78 -- The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users (Weight: 78)
- score: 73 -- 50 Books to Read Before You Die (Weight: 69)
- score: 72 -- 75 Books by Women Whose Words Have Changed the World (Weight: 72)
- score: 69 -- Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 Novels (Weight: 69)
- score: 69 -- Great Books (Weight: 69)
- score: 69 -- Masterpieces of World Literature (Weight: 69)
- score: 67 -- 100 Best Books to Read by Women Authors (Weight: 66)
- score: 66 -- The Complete 500: OCLC (Weight: 66)
- score: 66 -- 50 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novels That Everyone Should Read (Weight: 66)
- score: 65 -- Click If You Dare: 100 Favorite Horror Stories (Weight: 63)
- score: 63 -- The Graphic Canon (Weight: 63)
- score: 63 -- 50 Books to (Re-)Read at 50 (Weight: 63)
- score: 63 -- The Best Classics (Weight: 63)
- score: 63 -- 110 Best Books: The Perfect Library (Weight: 63)
- score: 57 -- The Books You've Always Meant to Read (Weight: 57)
- score: 57 -- 100 Best Novels Written in English (Weight: 57)
- score: 57 -- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books (Weight: 57)
- score: 55 -- Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books (Weight: 54)
- score: 54 -- 87 Books Written by Women That Are So Good, You Won't Be Able to Put Them Down (Weight: 54)
- score: 54 -- Powell's Essential List: 25 Essential Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books Isn't Enough: Our 25 Honorable Mentions (Weight: 54)
- score: 53 -- The 100 Greatest Novels of All Time: The List (Weight: 51)
- score: 52 -- The Telegraph’s 100 Novels Everyone Should Read (Weight: 51)
- score: 51 -- The 100 Greatest Novels (Weight: 51)
- score: 51 -- The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (Weight: 51)
- score: 51 -- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers (Weight: 51)
- score: 51 -- The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics (Weight: 51)
- score: 51 -- 101 of the World's Greatest Books (1950) (Weight: 51)
- score: 51 -- How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Reading List (Weight: 51)
- score: 45 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (Weight: 45)
- score: 45 -- 50 Books to Read Before You Die (Weight: 45)
- score: 39 -- The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written (Weight: 39)
- score: 36 -- The 50 Best Sci-Fi Books for Every Kind of Reader (Weight: 36)
- score: 33 -- 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List (Weight: 33)
- score: 27 -- 100 Main Fantasy and Science-Fiction Books (Weight: 27)
- score: 27 -- The 100 Best Science Fiction Books of All Time (Weight: 27)
- score: 24 -- The 25 Best Science-Fiction Books of All Time (Weight: 21)
- score: 21 -- Top 200 Science Fiction Books (Pre-2000) (Weight: 21)