Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.

This selection first published 2009.

Compelling and astonishing, Nick Cave's acclaimed first novel is a fantastic journey into a world of Gothic tragedy.


First published 1989.

When they buy a 200-year-old farmhouse in the South of France, Peter Mayle and his wife little expect the delights that await them - from six-course lunches and epic games of boule, to encounters with charming but unpredictable builders.
Both witty and affectionate, this is an idyllic portrait of the pleasures of rural life.

Holly Golightly - brashly beautiful with a slim black dress, a mysterious past and dark glasses over varicoloured eyes - entrances all the men she meets, including the young writer living above her, though her recklessness may yet catch up with her.

Also containing three short stories, this edition shows the elegance and warmth of Capote's writing at its most flawless.

First published 1958.

Packed with invention and joie de vivre, Cannery Row is Steinbeck's high-spirited tribute to his native California.

First published 1945

Told with deadpan humour and bitter irony, Kurt Vonnegut's cult tale of global destruction is a funny and frightening satire on the end of the world and the madness of mankind.

A hilarious and merciless parody of rural melodramas, Cold Comfort Farm is one of the best-loved comic novels of all time.