Metacanon

Metacanon ranks tens of thousands of written works using data pulled from Wikipedia, the New York Times archive, and user ratings—all using customizable weights and filters. Create your own version of the canon by adjusting the settings.

1. Hamlet (1602) · William Shakespeare

8.27 | drama

2. Ulysses (1922) · James Joyce

8.01 | novel

3. Dracula (1897) · Bram Stoker

7.87 | novel

4. Macbeth (1623) · William Shakespeare

7.79 | drama

5. Frankenstein (1818) · Mary Shelley

7.74 | novel

6. Romeo and Juliet · William Shakespeare

7.71 | drama

7. A Midsummer Night's Dream (1600) · William Shakespeare

7.69 | drama

8. King Lear (1608) · William Shakespeare

7.68 | drama

9. Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) · Harriet Beecher Stowe

7.59 | novel

10. Othello · William Shakespeare

7.57 | drama

11. The Great Gatsby (1925) · F. Scott Fitzgerald

7.53 | novel

12. Paradise Lost (1667) · John Milton

7.52 | —

13. Death of a Salesman (1949) · Arthur Miller

7.51 | drama

14. The Tempest (1623) · William Shakespeare

7.51 | drama

15. Pride and Prejudice (1813) · Jane Austen

7.50 | novel

16. The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) · Oscar Wilde

7.47 | drama

17. Beloved (1987) · Toni Morrison

7.44 | novel

18. Our Town (1938) · Thornton Wilder

7.43 | drama

19. Waiting for Godot (1952) · Samuel Beckett

7.43 | drama

20. Democracy in America (1835) · Alexis de Tocqueville

7.33 | —

21. The Merchant of Venice (1600) · William Shakespeare

7.32 | drama

22. Moby Dick (1851) · Herman Melville

7.31 | novel

23. Treasure Island (1883) · Robert Louis Stevenson

7.30 | novel

24. The Grapes of Wrath (1939) · John Steinbeck

7.29 | novel

25. On the Origin of Species (1859) · Charles Darwin

7.29 | —

26. Les Misérables (1862) · Victor Hugo

7.29 | novel

27. The Handmaid's Tale (1985) · Margaret Atwood

7.28 | novel

28. To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) · Harper Lee

7.28 | novel

29. The Communist Manifesto (1848) · Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels

7.27 | non_fiction

30. Little Women (1869) · Louisa May Alcott

7.23 | novel

31. Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) · George Orwell

7.20 | novel

32. Histories · Herodotus

7.18 | —

33. Animal Farm (1945) · George Orwell

7.18 | novel, novella

34. Lolita (1955) · Vladimir Nabokov

7.17 | novel

35. Silent Spring (1962) · Rachel Carson

7.16 | —

36. The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) · Oscar Wilde

7.10 | novel

37. The Waste Land (1922) · T. S. Eliot

7.09 | —

38. Don Quixote (1605) · Miguel de Cervantes

7.08 | novel

39. Heart of Darkness (1899) · Joseph Conrad

7.05 | novella

40. The Scarlet Letter (1850) · Nathaniel Hawthorne

7.05 | novel

41. Gulliver's Travels (1726) · Jonathan Swift

7.02 | novel

42. Long Day's Journey into Night (1956) · Eugene O'Neill

7.00 | drama

43. Robinson Crusoe (1719) · Daniel Defoe

7.00 | novel

44. Gravity's Rainbow (1973) · Thomas Pynchon

6.96 | novel

45. Leaves of Grass (1855) · Walt Whitman

6.93 | collection_of_poetry

46. War and Peace (1869) · Leo Tolstoy

6.92 | novel

47. A Doll's House (1879) · Henrik Ibsen

6.92 | drama

48. Madame Bovary (1856) · Gustave Flaubert

6.91 | novel

49. The Sun Also Rises (1926) · Ernest Hemingway

6.90 | novel

50. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) · C. S. Lewis

6.90 | novel

1. Hamlet (1602) · William Shakespeare

8.27 | drama

2. Ulysses (1922) · James Joyce

8.01 | novel

3. Dracula (1897) · Bram Stoker

7.87 | novel

4. Macbeth (1623) · William Shakespeare

7.79 | drama

5. Frankenstein (1818) · Mary Shelley

7.74 | novel

6. Romeo and Juliet · William Shakespeare

7.71 | drama

7. A Midsummer Night's Dream (1600) · William Shakespeare

7.69 | drama

8. King Lear (1608) · William Shakespeare

7.68 | drama

9. Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) · Harriet Beecher Stowe

7.59 | novel

10. Othello · William Shakespeare

7.57 | drama

11. The Great Gatsby (1925) · F. Scott Fitzgerald

7.53 | novel

12. Paradise Lost (1667) · John Milton

7.52 | —

13. Death of a Salesman (1949) · Arthur Miller

7.51 | drama

14. The Tempest (1623) · William Shakespeare

7.51 | drama

15. Pride and Prejudice (1813) · Jane Austen

7.50 | novel

16. The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) · Oscar Wilde

7.47 | drama

17. Beloved (1987) · Toni Morrison

7.44 | novel

18. Our Town (1938) · Thornton Wilder

7.43 | drama

19. Waiting for Godot (1952) · Samuel Beckett

7.43 | drama

20. Democracy in America (1835) · Alexis de Tocqueville

7.33 | —

21. The Merchant of Venice (1600) · William Shakespeare

7.32 | drama

22. Moby Dick (1851) · Herman Melville

7.31 | novel

23. Treasure Island (1883) · Robert Louis Stevenson

7.30 | novel

24. The Grapes of Wrath (1939) · John Steinbeck

7.29 | novel

25. On the Origin of Species (1859) · Charles Darwin

7.29 | —

26. Les Misérables (1862) · Victor Hugo

7.29 | novel

27. The Handmaid's Tale (1985) · Margaret Atwood

7.28 | novel

28. To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) · Harper Lee

7.28 | novel

29. The Communist Manifesto (1848) · Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels

7.27 | non_fiction

30. Little Women (1869) · Louisa May Alcott

7.23 | novel

31. Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) · George Orwell

7.20 | novel

32. Histories · Herodotus

7.18 | —

33. Animal Farm (1945) · George Orwell

7.18 | novel, novella

34. Lolita (1955) · Vladimir Nabokov

7.17 | novel

35. Silent Spring (1962) · Rachel Carson

7.16 | —

36. The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) · Oscar Wilde

7.10 | novel

37. The Waste Land (1922) · T. S. Eliot

7.09 | —

38. Don Quixote (1605) · Miguel de Cervantes

7.08 | novel

39. Heart of Darkness (1899) · Joseph Conrad

7.05 | novella

40. The Scarlet Letter (1850) · Nathaniel Hawthorne

7.05 | novel

41. Gulliver's Travels (1726) · Jonathan Swift

7.02 | novel

42. Long Day's Journey into Night (1956) · Eugene O'Neill

7.00 | drama

43. Robinson Crusoe (1719) · Daniel Defoe

7.00 | novel

44. Gravity's Rainbow (1973) · Thomas Pynchon

6.96 | novel

45. Leaves of Grass (1855) · Walt Whitman

6.93 | collection_of_poetry

46. War and Peace (1869) · Leo Tolstoy

6.92 | novel

47. A Doll's House (1879) · Henrik Ibsen

6.92 | drama

48. Madame Bovary (1856) · Gustave Flaubert

6.91 | novel

49. The Sun Also Rises (1926) · Ernest Hemingway

6.90 | novel

50. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) · C. S. Lewis

6.90 | novel

Literary Works

Filters

1. Hamlet (1602) · William Shakespeare

2. Ulysses (1922) · James Joyce

3. Dracula (1897) · Bram Stoker

4. Macbeth (1623) · William Shakespeare

5. Frankenstein (1818) · Mary Shelley

6. Romeo and Juliet · William Shakespeare

7. A Midsummer Night's Dream (1600) · William Shakespeare

8. King Lear (1608) · William Shakespeare

9. Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) · Harriet Beecher Stowe

10. Othello · William Shakespeare

11. The Great Gatsby (1925) · F. Scott Fitzgerald

12. Paradise Lost (1667) · John Milton

13. Death of a Salesman (1949) · Arthur Miller

14. The Tempest (1623) · William Shakespeare

15. Pride and Prejudice (1813) · Jane Austen

16. The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) · Oscar Wilde

17. Beloved (1987) · Toni Morrison

18. Our Town (1938) · Thornton Wilder

19. Waiting for Godot (1952) · Samuel Beckett

20. Democracy in America (1835) · Alexis de Tocqueville

21. The Merchant of Venice (1600) · William Shakespeare

22. Moby Dick (1851) · Herman Melville

23. Treasure Island (1883) · Robert Louis Stevenson

24. The Grapes of Wrath (1939) · John Steinbeck

25. On the Origin of Species (1859) · Charles Darwin

26. Les Misérables (1862) · Victor Hugo

27. The Handmaid's Tale (1985) · Margaret Atwood

28. To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) · Harper Lee

29. The Communist Manifesto (1848) · Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels

30. Little Women (1869) · Louisa May Alcott

31. Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) · George Orwell

32. Histories · Herodotus

33. Animal Farm (1945) · George Orwell

34. Lolita (1955) · Vladimir Nabokov

35. Silent Spring (1962) · Rachel Carson

36. The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) · Oscar Wilde

37. The Waste Land (1922) · T. S. Eliot

38. Don Quixote (1605) · Miguel de Cervantes

39. Heart of Darkness (1899) · Joseph Conrad

40. The Scarlet Letter (1850) · Nathaniel Hawthorne

41. Gulliver's Travels (1726) · Jonathan Swift

42. Long Day's Journey into Night (1956) · Eugene O'Neill

43. Robinson Crusoe (1719) · Daniel Defoe

44. Gravity's Rainbow (1973) · Thomas Pynchon

45. Leaves of Grass (1855) · Walt Whitman

46. War and Peace (1869) · Leo Tolstoy

47. A Doll's House (1879) · Henrik Ibsen

48. Madame Bovary (1856) · Gustave Flaubert

49. The Sun Also Rises (1926) · Ernest Hemingway

50. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) · C. S. Lewis

Literary Works

Filters

1. Hamlet (1602) · William Shakespeare

2. Ulysses (1922) · James Joyce

3. Dracula (1897) · Bram Stoker

4. Macbeth (1623) · William Shakespeare

5. Frankenstein (1818) · Mary Shelley

6. Romeo and Juliet · William Shakespeare

7. A Midsummer Night's Dream (1600) · William Shakespeare

8. King Lear (1608) · William Shakespeare

9. Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) · Harriet Beecher Stowe

10. Othello · William Shakespeare

11. The Great Gatsby (1925) · F. Scott Fitzgerald

12. Paradise Lost (1667) · John Milton

13. Death of a Salesman (1949) · Arthur Miller

14. The Tempest (1623) · William Shakespeare

15. Pride and Prejudice (1813) · Jane Austen

16. The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) · Oscar Wilde

17. Beloved (1987) · Toni Morrison

18. Our Town (1938) · Thornton Wilder

19. Waiting for Godot (1952) · Samuel Beckett

20. Democracy in America (1835) · Alexis de Tocqueville

21. The Merchant of Venice (1600) · William Shakespeare

22. Moby Dick (1851) · Herman Melville

23. Treasure Island (1883) · Robert Louis Stevenson

24. The Grapes of Wrath (1939) · John Steinbeck

25. On the Origin of Species (1859) · Charles Darwin

26. Les Misérables (1862) · Victor Hugo