Moderately Underrated Books (1,000 - 10,000 ratings)

An alternative to the popular "Best Books Ever" list, focusing on the less popular. You can vote for any book, in any genre so long as it has between 1,000 and 10,000 ratings on GRs. Before you add a book, please take a moment to look up its ratings on GRs to ensure it meets the parameters for this list.

There are lists for even more obscure books at:
Underrated Books (1,001 - 5,000 GR ratings)
Really Underrated Books (fewer than 1,000 GR ratings)
Really Seriously Underrated Books (fewer than 500 GR ratings)
REALLY Really Underrated Books (fewer than 100 GR ratings)
Super Underrated Books (fewer than 50 GR ratings)
Ridiculously Underrated Books (fewer than 20 GR ratings)
Really Underrated Children's Books (children's books with fewer than 100 GR ratings)
Just One Rating

Alternatively, see lists of books with the most ratings.

All Votes Add Books To This List

1	The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott 4.15 avg rating — 4,932 ratings score: 1,352, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier 3.84 avg rating — 8,875 ratings score: 1,153, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Seize the Day by Saul Bellow 3.54 avg rating — 9,536 ratings score: 1,129, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Little, Big by John Crowley 3.83 avg rating — 9,533 ratings score: 1,114, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Justine (The Alexandria Quartet #1) by Lawrence Durrell 3.89 avg rating — 6,473 ratings score: 1,072, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens 3.81 avg rating — 8,935 ratings score: 1,072, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	English Passengers by Matthew Kneale 4.06 avg rating — 5,918 ratings score: 1,062, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin 3.98 avg rating — 8,696 ratings score: 1,007, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Emigrants by W.G. Sebald 4.17 avg rating — 6,934 ratings score: 991, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz 4.15 avg rating — 6,376 ratings score: 973, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley 3.96 avg rating — 7,709 ratings score: 925, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt 3.94 avg rating — 7,616 ratings score: 901, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Milagro Beanfield War by John Nichols 4.10 avg rating — 9,547 ratings score: 837, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	In the Night Garden (The Orphan's Tales, #1) by Catherynne M. Valente (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 6,475 ratings score: 837, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Copenhagen by Michael Frayn 4.01 avg rating — 4,234 ratings score: 807, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The American by Henry James 3.67 avg rating — 5,748 ratings score: 804, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Swordspoint (Riverside, #1) by Ellen Kushner (Goodreads Author) 3.79 avg rating — 8,646 ratings score: 802, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The PreHistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit by Gary Larson 4.52 avg rating — 8,178 ratings score: 745, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin 3.78 avg rating — 8,002 ratings score: 734, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Doctor Faustus by Thomas Mann 4.08 avg rating — 9,240 ratings score: 713, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Open Secrets: Stories by Alice Munro 4.07 avg rating — 4,766 ratings score: 690, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Vurt by Jeff Noon 4.06 avg rating — 8,336 ratings score: 659, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree Jr. 4.20 avg rating — 3,489 ratings score: 658, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Assistant by Bernard Malamud 3.89 avg rating — 9,135 ratings score: 646, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The War With The Newts by Karel Čapek 4.17 avg rating — 9,004 ratings score: 646, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart 3.91 avg rating — 6,052 ratings score: 632, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Grass Is Singing by Doris Lessing 3.82 avg rating — 9,982 ratings score: 625, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon 4.07 avg rating — 8,822 ratings score: 624, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	The Light Princess by George MacDonald 4.02 avg rating — 6,359 ratings score: 617, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier 3.97 avg rating — 5,787 ratings score: 617, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman 4.44 avg rating — 7,183 ratings score: 613, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson 3.73 avg rating — 5,280 ratings score: 588, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter 3.92 avg rating — 9,597 ratings score: 585, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Gift of Asher Lev by Chaim Potok 4.16 avg rating — 6,850 ratings score: 572, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelinek 3.52 avg rating — 8,731 ratings score: 571, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch (Goodreads Author) 3.85 avg rating — 6,135 ratings score: 570, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Little Birds by Anaïs Nin 3.72 avg rating — 9,227 ratings score: 563, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories by Robin McKinley 3.77 avg rating — 4,762 ratings score: 554, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	The Snapper (The Barrytown Trilogy, #2) by Roddy Doyle 3.93 avg rating — 6,897 ratings score: 552, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor 4.06 avg rating — 5,905 ratings score: 547, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Foe by J.M. Coetzee 3.44 avg rating — 8,483 ratings score: 528, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne 3.36 avg rating — 4,913 ratings score: 511, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Garden Party and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield 3.86 avg rating — 6,368 ratings score: 507, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson 4.28 avg rating — 5,974 ratings score: 507, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas 4.15 avg rating — 5,172 ratings score: 504, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	The Sot-Weed Factor by John Barth 4.09 avg rating — 6,667 ratings score: 504, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	The Rings of Saturn by W.G. Sebald 4.26 avg rating — 9,432 ratings score: 504, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen 3.69 avg rating — 6,220 ratings score: 502, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Kristin Lavransdatter (Kristin Lavransdatter, #1-3) by Sigrid Undset 4.28 avg rating — 8,338 ratings score: 501, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Farthing (Small Change, #1) by Jo Walton (Goodreads Author) 3.81 avg rating — 4,529 ratings score: 493, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	The Riddle of the Sands: A Record of Secret Service by Erskine Childers 3.63 avg rating — 5,173 ratings score: 489, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain 3.92 avg rating — 7,692 ratings score: 481, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia by Samuel Johnson 3.46 avg rating — 5,453 ratings score: 479, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon 4.13 avg rating — 6,185 ratings score: 474, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Aspern Papers by Henry James 3.71 avg rating — 3,960 ratings score: 468, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Sacred Hunger (Sacred Hunger #1) by Barry Unsworth 4.10 avg rating — 5,992 ratings score: 465, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu 3.72 avg rating — 9,809 ratings score: 459, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton 4.20 avg rating — 6,538 ratings score: 456, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Game of Kings (The Lymond Chronicles, #1) by Dorothy Dunnett 4.20 avg rating — 7,199 ratings score: 448, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Moonheart by Charles de Lint (Goodreads Author) 4.06 avg rating — 5,874 ratings score: 439, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Hidden Warrior (The Tamír Triad, #2) by Lynn Flewelling (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 7,476 ratings score: 428, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	The Winthrop Woman by Anya Seton 4.09 avg rating — 4,914 ratings score: 425, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	The Futurological Congress: From the Memoirs of Ijon Tichy by Stanisław Lem 4.21 avg rating — 8,662 ratings score: 424, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	The Innocent by Ian McEwan 3.70 avg rating — 8,930 ratings score: 410, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Dogsbody by Diana Wynne Jones 4.08 avg rating — 6,091 ratings score: 397, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Cousin Bette by Honoré de Balzac 3.85 avg rating — 8,016 ratings score: 392, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell 3.80 avg rating — 6,202 ratings score: 388, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	A Severed Head by Iris Murdoch 3.73 avg rating — 4,206 ratings score: 387, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	Red Sorghum by Mo Yan 3.74 avg rating — 5,119 ratings score: 387, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Traitor's Moon (Nightrunner, #3) by Lynn Flewelling (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 9,760 ratings score: 377, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum 3.91 avg rating — 3,875 ratings score: 376, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	The Book of Salt by Monique Truong (Goodreads Author) 3.52 avg rating — 4,711 ratings score: 369, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	The Queen of Spades by Alexander Pushkin 3.94 avg rating — 7,176 ratings score: 369, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman by Angela Carter 3.80 avg rating — 2,621 ratings score: 368, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The Captain's Verses by Pablo Neruda 4.25 avg rating — 7,170 ratings score: 364, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	Glenn Beck's Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine by Glenn Beck 3.80 avg rating — 6,862 ratings score: 364, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	A Star Called Henry by Roddy Doyle 3.83 avg rating — 7,943 ratings score: 360, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	The Wapshot Chronicle by John Cheever 3.77 avg rating — 6,619 ratings score: 359, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery 4.13 avg rating — 7,183 ratings score: 356, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann 3.90 avg rating — 4,558 ratings score: 353, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Electra by Sophocles 3.82 avg rating — 7,888 ratings score: 350, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Leave It to Psmith (Psmith, #4) by P.G. Wodehouse 4.31 avg rating — 7,734 ratings score: 350, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	The War of the End of the World by Mario Vargas Llosa 4.22 avg rating — 7,968 ratings score: 346, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Under the Frog by Tibor Fischer 3.98 avg rating — 1,629 ratings score: 346, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Claimed (Dark Protectors, #2) by Rebecca Zanetti (Goodreads Author) 4.20 avg rating — 7,780 ratings score: 343, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	The Van (The Barrytown Trilogy, #3) by Roddy Doyle 3.94 avg rating — 6,229 ratings score: 342, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Manon Lescaut by Antoine François Prévost 3.51 avg rating — 8,799 ratings score: 338, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Amulet by Roberto Bolaño 3.78 avg rating — 5,643 ratings score: 338, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	Consumed (Dark Protectors, #4) by Rebecca Zanetti (Goodreads Author) 4.31 avg rating — 5,736 ratings score: 332, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	The Sound of the Mountain by Yasunari Kawabata 3.92 avg rating — 5,151 ratings score: 330, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	Howards End is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home by Susan Hill 3.67 avg rating — 3,320 ratings score: 327, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	A Free Man of Color (Benjamin January, #1) by Barbara Hambly (Goodreads Author) 3.99 avg rating — 2,842 ratings score: 323, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom 3.76 avg rating — 4,566 ratings score: 322, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	The Shadow of the Sun by Ryszard Kapuściński 4.37 avg rating — 9,758 ratings score: 316, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Lost Illusions by Honoré de Balzac 4.16 avg rating — 8,093 ratings score: 316, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	Provoked (Dark Protectors, #5) by Rebecca Zanetti (Goodreads Author) 4.31 avg rating — 5,627 ratings score: 314, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven 3.96 avg rating — 5,838 ratings score: 313, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	The Kingdom of This World by Alejo Carpentier 3.76 avg rating — 3,993 ratings score: 310, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Hawkmistress! by Marion Zimmer Bradley 3.99 avg rating — 4,136 ratings score: 310, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ 3.92 avg rating — 6,380 ratings score: 308, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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1,785 books · 562 voters · list created July 8th, 2009 by John Burns (votes) .

Tags: best, fiction, great, least-ratings, literature, obscure, rare, ratings, too-few-ratings, underrated, unsung

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Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (562)

John 724 books
43 friends

Greyweather 2654 books
72 friends

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads 3161 books
832 friends

Bettie 15451 books
120 friends

Miryam 175 books
22 friends

Keith 1538 books
152 friends

Kevin 422 books
0 friends

Stuart 285 books
15 friends

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Comments Showing 1-50 of 256 (256 new)

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message 1: by John (new)

Jul 10, 2009 07:39AM

War and peace will soon cross the 10,000 mark but i think it should be left on here. Many of these books would eventually cross the 10,000 mark anyway. As long as the book had few enough votes to be eligible when it was first added, it can stay here indefinitely. A book doesnt suddenly become widely read just because the number of people who've read it slowly passes a certain point.

As goodreads becomes more popular the number of ratings for every book on this site will increase anyway, so this rule makes sense.

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message 2: by Eli (new)

Nov 16, 2009 07:56PM

OK, but what about a book like Catch-22, which is at more than 4 times the max number of ratings for this list (40,000+ratings)? We need to cull books like that, or the list doesn't really mean anything at all.

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message 3: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Nov 17, 2009 10:52AM

Catch-22 removed.

Anything else with grossly too many reviews?

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message 4: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Jan 06, 2010 08:35AM

Not necessarily GROSSLY too many, but decidedly in excess of 10,000 ratings:

Stevenson, "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde"
Wells, "The Time Machine"
Tolstoy, "War and Peace"
Dick, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"
King, "Cujo"

Also, the "main" (interlinked) edition of Kafka's "Trial" -- http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17... -- has over 10,000 ratings. Does it make sense to nevertheless list a separate (as-yet unlinked) edition here?

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message 5: by Lobstergirl (new)

Jan 06, 2010 04:36PM

Themis-Athena wrote: "Not necessarily GROSSLY too many, but decidedly in excess of 10,000 ratings:

Stevenson, "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde"
Wells, "The Time Machine"
Tolstoy, "War and Peace"
Dick, "Do Androids Dream of ..."

Deleted.

As for the edition of The Trial on the list, it's a modern stage adaptation with its own playwright and thus on GR is separate from the original book. I left it because it has 14 ratings and there's no legitimate reason to delete it.

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message 6: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Jan 07, 2010 03:54AM

I see -- wasn't aware that it's an adaptation. If it only has 14 ratings, shouldn't it be on the list for SERIOUSLY underrated books, though?

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message 7: by Lobstergirl (new)

Jan 08, 2010 02:05PM

Themis-Athena wrote: "I see -- wasn't aware that it's an adaptation. If it only has 14 ratings, shouldn't it be on the list for SERIOUSLY underrated books, though?"

Good point. It needs to be deleted from here, and I don't know if there is such a list.

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message 8: by Lobstergirl (new)

Jan 08, 2010 02:08PM

Or is that the other list I've been visiting? I'm so confused. At any rate, I deleted the Trial adaptation.

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message 9: by Lobstergirl (new)

Jan 08, 2010 02:09PM

Deleted: The Goats. Insufficient ratings.

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message 10: by Lobstergirl (new)

Jan 08, 2010 02:12PM

Deleted: Chaucer's Poetry and Vampire Academy Box Set.

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message 11: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jan 10, 2010 07:28AM

There's another list for books with less than 1,000 rankings, yes.

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message 12: by Lobstergirl (new)

Jan 16, 2010 06:38PM

Removed: The Martian Chronicles.

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message 13: by Lobstergirl (new)

Feb 28, 2010 09:43PM

Removed: I Am Legend.

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message 14: by Lobstergirl (new)

Feb 28, 2010 09:46PM

Removed: Vampire Academy (#1).

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message 15: by Lobstergirl (new)

Feb 28, 2010 09:48PM

Removed for excessive ratings: Oryx and Crake.

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message 16: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (last edited Jan 11, 2012 09:03AM) (new)

Mar 02, 2010 01:08PM

Removed, but added to the list of REALLY underrated books (fewer than 1,000 ratings): The Golden Ass and The Celestial Omnibus.

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message 17: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (last edited Jan 11, 2012 09:00AM) (new)

Mar 02, 2010 01:11PM

Removed for excessive ratings:
The Last Olympian
The Hotel New Hampshire
Cujo
Ramona Quimby, Age 8
The Talisman

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message 18: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Mar 02, 2010 01:32PM

Removed for having less than 1,000 ratings: Song of Lawino & Song of Ocol. Based on the very small number of ratings, this book would certainly qualify for inclusion in the list of REALLY underrated books, though. (Won't add it there myself as I haven't read it.)

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message 19: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Mar 02, 2010 01:38PM

Removed for having less than 1,000 ratings: Alexandria: City of Memory. See previous comment on inclusion in the list of REALLY underrated books.

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message 20: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (last edited Jan 11, 2012 09:05AM) (new)

Mar 02, 2010 01:40PM

Removed for having less than 1,000 ratings:
Spirit Bound
Popular Music from Vittula

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message 21: by Lobstergirl (new)

Apr 28, 2010 11:26AM

Removed for excessive ratings: Winnie the Pooh.

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message 22: by Lobstergirl (new)

Apr 28, 2010 11:37AM

Removed for excessive ratings: Notes From Underground.

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message 23: by Lobstergirl (new)

Apr 28, 2010 11:41AM

Removed for excessive ratings: Frostbite (Vampire Academy, #2).

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message 24: by Lobstergirl (new)

Apr 28, 2010 11:41AM

Removed for excessive ratings: White Fang.

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message 25: by Lobstergirl (new)

Apr 28, 2010 11:47AM

Removed for excessive ratings: The Remains of the Day.

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message 26: by Lobstergirl (new)

Apr 28, 2010 11:51AM

Removed for excessive ratings: The Dharma Bums.

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message 27: by Lobstergirl (new)

Apr 28, 2010 11:53AM

And Starship Troopers is banished.

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message 28: by Lobstergirl (new)

Apr 28, 2010 11:55AM

And A Moveable Feast.

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message 29: by Lobstergirl (new)

Apr 28, 2010 12:04PM

And The Princess Diaries.

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message 30: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (last edited Jan 11, 2012 09:01AM) (new)

May 17, 2010 02:39AM

And I Capture the Castle, Shadow Kiss and Blue Bloods.

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message 31: by Deedee (new)

May 17, 2010 02:09PM

I don't know how much longer A Wizard of Earthsea will qualify for this list .... I just checked it and there are 9,975 ratings! 25 more and it hits 10,000!

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message 32: by Deedee (new)

May 27, 2010 10:03AM

As of today, A Wizard of Earthsea has 10,063 ratings.

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message 33: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

May 27, 2010 10:33AM

Wow. That was fast!

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message 34: by Antoine (new)

May 30, 2010 06:00AM

Deedee wrote: "I don't know how much longer A Wizard of Earthsea will qualify for this list .... I just checked it and there are 9,975 ratings! 25 more and it hits 10,000!"

I am very surprised to read that it only just crossed over. I would have expected it to be over that line quite a while ago...

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message 35: by Antoine (new)

May 30, 2010 06:03AM

Lobstergirl wrote: "Removed for excessive ratings: Winnie the Pooh."

Funny how few ratings The House at Pooh Corner has, considering how well known the material in it is. I wonder if many people forget that it is a separate book.

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message 36: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (last edited Jun 18, 2010 03:37AM) (new)

Jun 18, 2010 03:27AM

Removed for excessive ratings: Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, Blood Promise and Redwall.

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message 37: by Lobstergirl (new)

Jun 29, 2010 02:57PM

Removed for excessive ratings: This Lullaby.

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message 38: by Lobstergirl (new)

Jul 14, 2010 11:02PM

Removed for excessive ratings: A Brief History of Time.

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message 39: by Lobstergirl (new)

Jul 14, 2010 11:08PM

Removed for excessive ratings: Looking for Alaska.

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message 40: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (last edited Jul 30, 2010 02:25PM) (new)

Jul 30, 2010 01:22PM

Love the fact that the lists now display the number of a book's ratings, which is making it much less time-consuming to track what should and what shouldn't be on this particular list and the list for seriously underrated books. It would be even nicer if the number of ratings were updated in real time, as is the case on the individual book pages ... (E.g., Henry James' "The American" is still showing only 980 ratings here, whereas when you go to the actual book page, you find that the book has in fact over 1,000 ratings and is, therefore, quite rightly placed on this list. The same is true with regard to a number of other books, where the discrepancies are sometimes even considerably greater.)

That said, removed for really NOT having enough ratings: Alone in Berlin and If This Is a Man / The Truce. (Needless to say, these may always be added to the list for seriously underrated books.)

Removed for having excessive ratings: School's Out - Forever.

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message 41: by Lobstergirl (new)

Jul 30, 2010 05:00PM

Removed for excessive ratings: Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe.

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message 42: by Lobstergirl (new)

Jul 30, 2010 05:03PM

Themis-Athena wrote: "Love the fact that the lists now display the number of a book's ratings, which is making it much less time-consuming to track what should and what shouldn't be on this particular list and the list ..."

T-A, I posted the question in one of the Feedback (I think) threads of why a book would have a different number of ratings in two different places. The answer was that the lower number is actual ratings, the higher number is shelvings. I guess that means people have shelved it as to-read, or currently-reading or whatever, but have not actually rated it.

So these Listopias that depend on # of ratings may not exactly be totally accurate, depending on what number people are using.

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message 43: by Antoine (new)

Jul 30, 2010 05:55PM

Looking at this list is really interesting, especially in reference to other lists. Some books (Bleak House, with 5000+ ratings at present, for example) are VERY popular on Listopia—appearing in almost every list that they could conceivably qualify for—and yet do not, in fact, have very many readers. It makes me wonder: how far down the the Goodreads popularity list do you have to go—assuming there are rankings—before you hit the 10,000 mark? How much further below that is the 1,000 mark? What kind of curve do we see? And what does it mean if a book with only 5000 readers can mobilize so much enthusiasm, relative to a book with, say, 30,000?

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message 44: by Lobstergirl (new)

Aug 19, 2010 11:46PM

Removed for excessive ratings: Howl's Moving Castle.

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message 45: by Lobstergirl (new)

Aug 19, 2010 11:47PM

Removed for excessive ratings: The Idiot.

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message 46: by Lobstergirl (new)

Sep 02, 2010 12:55AM

Deleted for excessive ratings: Fairest.