What are the 5 best-selling books in the world?

The story of the book must be one of the most interesting that can be told. This object is the legacy of a tradition born as oral; Then, with the invention of writing, it was handwritten and handmade. The publishing industry began with Gutenberg’s printing press and, Right now we are going through the beginning of the digital version.

There are stories that have spanned more than one era in the world, such as the sacred books (The Bible and the Koran), or the Iliad and the Odyssey, by Homer.

If the question is which of the books was the best seller, We are talking about a phase that began with printing in the year 1440. Before then the manuscript codes were part of the libraries of the convents and Rare was a copy that any king or noble could order and pay for.

The book is an object (tangible or virtual) that transmits human thought through writing on a durable and transportable support. This is how the Baratz Community defines it in its entry on the history of the book.

The 5 best-selling books in history

In any modern world ranking, The Bible It is the most read and sold book in history. We don’t include it in today’s list, because we direct it to pure fiction books. But it is good to review some passages from the Bible to understand the history of the book. And a massive read.

The Bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek over 900 years before Christ. That version was The Old Testament which constitutes the Bible, to which in the early years of the Christian era the New Testament will be added, which is the work of Jesus Christ.

But copies of Old Testament They were read by educated people from the Jewish world and then from the Christian world. Jewish history, which is the story of Jesus, is written in those enormous Old Testament prophets with their stories.

In the year 1440 a brilliant inventor, Johannes Gutenberg, develops the press and changes the world of culture. It was that German inventor who decided to print all the parts of the Bible in one, because he saw that in the churches there were partial copies of a part of the Bible. It is believed that he finished printing it between 1454 and 1455.

The truth is that Gutenberg’s Bible became the first publishing success in Europe and the world. According to the Spanish blog Unebook, 5 billion copies of the Bible have been sold and it has been translated in full into 438 languages, as well as thousands of partial translations.

Having said this, let’s leave the sacred book aside and tell you which are the five fiction books that follow the Bible in the best seller rankings.

1. Don Quixote of La Mancha

Written in Spain by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in 1605 it sold 500 million copies and was translated into more than 140 languages, according to a text in the prestigious National Geographic.

It is the story of poor hidalgo Alonso Quijano who goes mad reading chivalric novels so much and comes to believe he is a knight errant. The Quijoteas we say, it brought together the two universes: that of sales (it continues to be translated into all languages ​​and read in all countries) with that of prestige: there is no great writer or university of stature that does not teach and praise this novel definitely magical.

2. A tale of two cities

Book by the well-known English writer Charles Dickensis a historical novel published in 1859 and has sold more than 200 million copies.

It tells of the clash between old and new, wisdom and madness, at the time of the French Revolution. With characters having indelible experiences, London represents order and Paris represents chaos. Conflicts live across the Channel.

3. The Lord of the Rings

In 1954 JRR Tolkien publishes this fantasy novel which, according to the author, is the continuation of The Hobbit (1937).

There are thousands of pages (divided into three volumes) inhabited by mythological beings, which for some are metaphors for the real world. This story has sold 150 million copies, which can be added to the 100 million accumulated by The Hobbit

4. The little prince

This short philosophical novel, written by Antoine de Saint de Exupéry in half Second World Warit was first published in the United States (1943) and only after the withdrawal of the Nazis from France, was it published by Gallimard in his native country.

Its main themes are the meaning of life, love, friendship and detachment through the eyes of a child. A short book, it became a notable classic. Who doesn’t know of its existence? It has sold 140 million copies.

5. Dream in the red pavilion

Written between 1759 and 1791 by the Chinese writer Cao Xuequinit is an autobiographical story similar to an oriental Don Quixote who travels through imperial China showing its decadence.

The 100 million copies sold to date ensure it a place on this list.