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The Most Popular Book of Each Year Since 1920

By Taylor Hurles, Eliza Siegel: "Book popularity year by year can offer a fascinating insight into what topics occupied the minds of Americans over the last century. Many stories that captivated the country explore such topics as race, class, and the changing cultural roles of different people. While some books reflect the biases of their time, providing a window into outdated mindsets, other narratives pushed back on the cultural limitations of the era, providing a place where the hypothetical or even futuristic can become tangible. Running the gamut from political memoir to fantasy, Stacker used data from Publisher's Weekly to compile a list of the most popular books in America each year since 1920. From John Steinbeck classics to modern memoirs, browse the list below for a look into what was popular the year you were born—you might even find your next favorite."
(YES, The Robe is listed twice. 4 books were most popular in 2 years each.)
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from msn.com · made by CindyH
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Page 1 of 3
1
The Man of the Forest (Grey, Zane)
The Man of the Forest
Grey, Zane
2
The Brimming Cup (Dorothy Canfield Fisher)
The Brimming Cup
Dorothy Canfield Fisher
3
If Winter Comes (A.S.M. Hutchison)
If Winter Comes
A.S.M. Hutchison
4
Black Oxen (Gertrude Atherton)
Black Oxen
Gertrude Atherton
5
So Big (Edna Ferber)
So Big
Edna Ferber
6
Soundings (A Hamilton Gibbs)
Soundings
A Hamilton Gibbs
7
The Private Life of Helen of Troy (John Erskine)
The Private Life of Helen of Troy
John Erskine
8
Elmer Gantry (Sinclair Lewis)
Elmer Gantry
Sinclair Lewis
9
The Bridge of San Luis Rey (Thornton Wilder)
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
Thornton Wilder
10
All Quiet on the Western Front (Erich Maria Remarque)
All Quiet on the Western Front
Erich Maria Remarque
11
Cimarron
Cimarron
12
The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
The Good Earth
Pearl S. Buck
13
Anthony Adverse (Hervey Allen)
Anthony Adverse
Hervey Allen
14
Green Light (Lloyd Douglas)
Green Light
Lloyd Douglas
15
Gone With the Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
Gone With the Wind
Margaret Mitchell
16
The Yearling (Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings)
The Yearling
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
17
The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
The Grapes of Wrath
John Steinbeck
18
How Green Was My Valley (Richard Llewellyn)
How Green Was My Valley
Richard Llewellyn
19
The Keys of the Kingdom (A.J. Cronin)
The Keys of the Kingdom
A.J. Cronin
20
The Song of Bernadette (Franz Werfel)
The Song of Bernadette
Franz Werfel
21
The Robe (Lloyd Douglas)
The Robe
Lloyd Douglas
22
Strange Fruit (Lillian E. Smith)
Strange Fruit
Lillian E. Smith
23
Forever Amber
Forever Amber
24
The King's General (Daphne Du Maurier)
The King's General
Daphne Du Maurier
25
The Miracle of the Bells (Russell Janney)
The Miracle of the Bells
Russell Janney
26
The Big Fisherman
The Big Fisherman
27
The Egyptian (Mika Waltari)
The Egyptian
Mika Waltari
28
The Cardinal (Henry Morton Robinson)
The Cardinal
Henry Morton Robinson
29
From Here to Eternity (James Jones)
From Here to Eternity
James Jones
30
The Silver Chalice (Thomas B. Costain)
The Silver Chalice
Thomas B. Costain
31
The Robe (Lloyd C. Douglas)
The Robe
Lloyd C. Douglas
32
Not as a Stranger (Morton Thompson)
Not as a Stranger
Morton Thompson
33
Marjorie Morningstar (Herman Wouk)
Marjorie Morningstar
Herman Wouk
34
Don't Go Near the Water (William Brinkley)
Don't Go Near the Water
William Brinkley
35
By Love Possessed (James Gould Cozzens)
By Love Possessed
James Gould Cozzens
36
Doctor Zhivago (Boris Pasternak)
Doctor Zhivago
Boris Pasternak
37
Exodus (Leon Uris)
Exodus
Leon Uris
38
Advise and Consent
Advise and Consent
39
The Agony and the Ecstasy (Stone, Irving)
The Agony and the Ecstasy
Stone, Irving
40
Ship of Fools (Katherine Anne Porter)
Ship of Fools
Katherine Anne Porter
Page 1 of 3
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