I thought the thread title was "from other continents". So why are peeps mentioning African novels?
If that's the case then,I'm puttin Ogboju Ode ninu igbo eledumare on the by JO Fagunwa on the list. Thanks

shame the real reading publics arent nairalanders:
wheres:

dean koontz
john grisham
mario puzzo
john sandford
ann rice
susan isaac
stephen ludlum
wilbur smith
ken follett
scott turrow
james patterson
jovanovich
jk rowlings
and other suspense-spinners? someone should give us like 100 epic list and not just some scanty names!

Sidney Sheldon novels anytime

Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
Gullivers travels - Jonathan Swift
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Cry the beloved country - Alan Paton
Weep not, child - Ngugi wa thingo
Robinson Crusoe

Alawiye-Pa J.F Odunjo

things fall apart is kinda a world apart 4rm the others.
others:
eze goes to school
born without a silver spoon
beyound borders

I meant novels from other continents (excluding Africa) that could compete favorably with Things Fall Apart (Africa's most famous novel) in world wide acclaim and popularity. To Kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee is an American classic that is wildly popular in the USA. I dont know if has penetrated the borders of other continents as Things Fall Apart, likewise, "One hundred years of solitude" which is perhaps the most popular novel written by a Latino. Pride and Prejudice, which is adjudged the most famous novel in Europe also outpaces Things Fall Apart in popularity, globally.

The Messiah, a terrific novel, is at the top of my list. Others are the John Grisham classics: The Rainmaker, the chamber, A time to kill, the runaway jury, the client, the testament.
Also, Angel n Demon. Etc.
Nigerian novels that i read as part of high school compulsory literature include Rainbows are for Lovers, Second Chance, ade goes to school (pry sch) etc

things fall apart is a great book, so i'm not trying to put it down (how could I?). but i can't even imagine how it can rank as the 14th most famous novel. i mean, i can think of almost 20 authors with works more famous. between shakespeare & dickens the top 20 should be really hard to even get into. Paul Coelho's 'The Alchemist' is probably the most popular novel by a living author in terms of translations and copies sold. and it's not even on the list! Lord of the rings is 35, the bible is 41, and the koran & Da Vinci Code aren't even on the list!?! i think that list reflects the author's sentiments more than the public's.


for influential/famous contemporary books:

Harry Potter, Twilight, Da Vinci Code, Purpose Driven Life. they have amassed massive cult followings, authors like Stephen King, Anne Rice, Jeffery Archer, Mario Puzo, Dean Koontz, Stephen Ludlum, Danielle Steel.


older, very popular books/series:
enid blyton books
perry mason,
chronicles of narnia,
james bond novels,
sweet valley high series,
nancy drew books,
babysitters club,
hardy boys,

GL:

things fall apart is a great book, so i'm not trying to put it down (how could I?). but i can't even imagine how it can rank as the 14th most famous novel. i mean, i can think of almost 20 authors with works more famous. between shakespeare & dickens the top 20 should be really hard to even get into. Paul Coelho's 'The Alchemist' is probably the most popular novel by a living author in terms of translations and copies sold. and it's not even on the list! Lord of the rings is 35, the bible is 41, and the koran & Da Vinci Code aren't even on the list!?! i think that list reflects the author's sentiments more than the public's.



for influential/famous contemporary books:

Harry Potter, Twilight, Da Vinci Code, Purpose Driven Life. they have amassed massive cult followings,  authors like Stephen King, Anne Rice, Jeffery Archer, Mario Puzo, Dean Koontz, Stephen Ludlum, Danielle Steel.


older, very popular books/series:
enid blyton books
perry mason,
chronicles of narnia,
james bond novels,
sweet valley high series,
nancy drew books,
babysitters club,
hardy boys,

I excluded the Holy Bible from the List, because that is the greatest Book in the Universe.

delegiwa:

I'm sure nobody knows about this Igbo novel called

Juo Obinna.

Honestly can't remember the author. Read it while in secondary school all in Igbo lingo.

Juo Obinna was written by Tony Ubesie of blessed memory. Its a pity he died so young (at 34 I think).
He was a great Igbo novel writer. He wrote his first novel "Ukwa Ruo Oge Ya" when he was in secondary school.
He also wrote "Isi Akwu Dara na Ala". His Television serial play "Otu Anya Ji Isi Ugwo" was still running on ABS Enugu when he died.

He was an active member of the defunct Society For The Promotion of Igbo Language and Culture founded by Mazi F.C Ogbalu also of blessed memory.

My favourite novels of all time are:
1) The Big Four (by Agatha Christie)
2) Ziska - The Problem of a Wicked Soul (by Marie Corelli)
This two books are part of my treasures. Although the second book was written more than a hundred years ago, it seems it was written in the last decade. I never stop reading them, i even have a soft copy of the second book on my laptop and phone.

I think we are confusing very ‘good‘ books with very ‘famous‘ books. U v books dat r nat dat good n are famous, likewise u v books dat are very good n are nat dat famous. For instance, d chronicles of narnia is a very good series but its nat really known in nigeria.if anybody knows it,d only book dey wld b able to mention is ‘The Lion, The Witch n, The Wardrobe. Its hard to find some1 who‘s read ; D Magician‘s Nephew, D horse n D boy, Prince Caspian etc

I would like to add The adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Boring peeps

Where would you all place the Sherlock Holmes series by Sir Authur Canon Doyle?

Those are masterpieces.

from this continent - weep not child, African child, Aja loleru.
from other continent - 39 steps, oliver twist, lorna doone, barbara cartlands.

The God's are not to blame by Ola Rotimi
Animal Farm by George O.
Drummer Boy by Cyprian Eqwensi.
Ullysis is another great one can't remember who wrote that again maybe John Pepper Clark.

Personally I like reading from African writers

Bluhazel:

My favourite novels of all time are:
1) The Big Four (by Agatha Christie)
2) Ziska - The Problem of a Wicked Soul (by Marie Corelli)
This two books are part of my treasures. Although the second book was written more than a hundred years ago, it seems it was written in the last decade. I never stop reading them, i even have a soft copy of the second book on my laptop and phone.

@bluhazel, I love Marie Corelli ! I read two of her books "Vendetta" and "The Sorrows of Satan" over fifteen years ago. They are treasures indeed!
Can I possibly get your soft copy of Ziska ?

kain and abel
master of the game

A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin

Although this is not a classic novel, still one of the greatest fantasy books of all time.

HBO just started a TV series on the first book- Game of Thrones

Its puts the Lord of the Rings to shame, so I would definitely recommend watching it

And the newest book is coming out in July

The Bourne Trilogy - Robert Ludlum
The Vavinci Code - Dan Brown
The Harry potter Series!

fadhill:

Check these out:

Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Hamlet

Blah!
Even shakespeares agreed Hamlet was his most boring work. And Dan Brown of all people?
And JESUS! Stephenie Meyer? Who knew the damn book before the annoying movie

1) My fathers Daughters
2) Father Please dont say no
3) Nine lives
4)

Juo Obinna
Anu gbaa ajo oso
Isi akwu dara n'ala
Mmiri oku eji egbu mbe
Ukpana okpoko gburu
Onye oma Emeka

beautyline:

Juo Obinna was written by Tony Ubesie of blessed memory. Its a pity he died so young (at 34 I think).
He was a great Igbo novel writer. He wrote his first novel "Ukwa Ruo Oge Ya" when he was in secondary school.
He also wrote "Isi Akwu Dara na Ala". His Television serial play "Otu Anya Ji Isi Ugwo" was still running on ABS Enugu when he died.

He was an active member of the defunct Society For The Promotion of Igbo Language and Culture founded by Mazi F.C Ogbalu also of blessed memory.

Sec school? r u kidding? Am IMPRESSED! dat book is an Igbo classic! 2 tink he could analyse human feelings so well at dat age. Its a shame he died so young

anything by
richard wright
dr henrik clarke
zora neale hurston
langston hughes
w e b dubois
walter mosley
james baldwin

Famous novels from other continents is the topic not just any novel you have read. We have mostly agreed that Things Fall Apart is the most famous from Africa, it's undisputed that "To Kill a Mockingbird" is the most famous American novel, while I strongly believe that "One hundred years of solitude (check wikipedia) is the most famous novelist written by a South American. Yeah, Alchemist has sold more copies and is one of the most translated (if not the most translated) piece of fiction, but in the literary circle, it is not as highly regarded as "One hundred years of solitude." Forget Harry Potter, as popular and highly successful it is, it is not a literary landmark. Pride and Prejudice is, and though published more than a century ago, is still the most famous novel in the European world.

Now, what of Asian novels that can be placed alongside the aforementioned novels?

I think the big issue here then is that the thread title is misleading. You should have said most famous literary works (limited to prose of course) or something in that line

I agree that suspense novels and thrillers (whether espionage, romance, fantasy) dont count as significant contributions to literature.

North America- the Great Gatsby, Gone with the wind, the catcher in the rye
Europe- I think a lot of opinions are very anglo-biased. I would vote for Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo and the Three Musketeers, Hugo's Les Miserable, Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment", Tolstoy "War and Peace", Chekhov is also a good writer especially his short stories
South America- Only read a couple, dont know how relatively good they are to call them classics
Australia: Clueless
Asia: Only familiar with the Chinese and a bit of Japanese. I know of the four classical novels: Romance of the three kingdom, A Journey to the West, Dream of the Red Chamber and Water Margin. I have read Romance of the three kingdom and Dream of the Red Chamber but not the other two. Very different from western literature. I would advise any book nerd to try and read Dream of the Red Chamber. Very dense books though. Also read the Japanese book " A tale of Genji" but its a huge book and would only be suitable for long term readers.

In general I favor, long complex books as opposed to very short books, I like novels that have long and very complex plots.

dean koontz
john grisham
mario puzzo
john sandford
ann rice
susan isaac
stephen ludlum
wilbur smith
ken follett
scott turrow
james patterson
jovanovich
jk rowlings
and other suspense-spinners? someone should give us like 100 epic list and not just some scanty names!

This is not literature. This is for bored women who dont have boyfriends and are trying to pass time. Grisham

beautyline:

@bluhazel, I love Marie Corelli ! I read two of her books "Vendetta" and "The Sorrows of Satan" over fifteen years ago. They are treasures indeed!
Can I possibly get your soft copy of Ziska ?

Sorry for replying late, let me have your email id. I so much love her books and I have all her books in soft copies, just let me know if there is any other title you need.