The Great American Read

The Great American Read was an eight-part series with viewer participation to select America’s favorite novel, told through the prism of America’s 100 best-loved novels. It investigated writers’ fictional worlds, how we as readers are affected by these stories, and what the 100 different books have to say about our diverse nation and our shared human experience. Click here to learn more.

Where did the list of 100 books come from? PBS determined their "selection criteria," which consisted of the following:

1. Each author was limited to one title on the list (to keep the list varied).

2. Books published in series or featuring ongoing characters counted as one eligible entry on the list (e.g. the Harry Potter series or Lord of the Rings) to increase variety.

3. Books could be from anywhere in the world as long as they were published in English.

4. Only fiction could be included in the poll.

5. Each advisory panel member was permitted to select one book for discussion and possible inclusion on the top 100 list from the longer list of survey results.

This contest, "The Great American Read," launched Tuesday, May 22, 2018, with a two-hour episode on PBS. (Five more episodes aired throughout the summer.)

The list (check it out here) was determined by a “demographically and statistically representative survey” of 7,200 people as well as by a panel of experts.