Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century facts for kids

The 100 Books of the Century (which in French is Les cent livres du siècle) is a special list of the most memorable books from the 1900s. This list was created in 1999 after a big poll in France. A French store called Fnac and a newspaper named Le Monde asked people to vote for their favorite books.

How the List Was Made

To create this list, they first made a starting list of 200 books. These books were chosen by bookstores and journalists. Then, about 17,000 people in France were asked a simple question: "Which books have stayed in your mind?" This means they wanted to know which books people remembered and felt connected to, not necessarily which ones were considered the "best" by experts.

What Kinds of Books Are On It?

The list includes many different types of books. You'll find classic novels, but also popular stories like those by J.R.R. Tolkien (who wrote The Lord of the Rings) and mystery writers like Agatha Christie. There are also poems, plays, and non-fiction books, such as essays by Sigmund Freud and the famous diary of Anne Frank.

Even comic books made the list! Five popular French or Italian comic series are included:

• Asterix
• Tintin
• Blake and Mortimer
• Gaston
• Corto Maltese

Since the poll was done in France, many of the books on the list are originally French novels. This is because the people who voted were mostly French. Other similar lists made in English-speaking countries, like the "Modern Library 100 Best Novels," often have more British and American authors for the same reason.

The 100 Books List

Here is the full list of the 100 books chosen by the French poll. The language listed is the language the book was first published in.

See Also

• 
• If you want to read this article in Spanish, you can find it here: Anexo:Los 100 libros del siglo XX según Le Monde para niños
• Modern Library 100 Best Novels (a similar list from the U.S.)
• The Big Read (a similar list from the U.K.)