Marginal Revolution Book Rankings

Tyler and Alex's favorites from Marginal Revolution

How it works: I scraped every post categorized under 'books'. Then extracted book titles and relevant review context from each post. I then submitted a couple million pairs of reviews to an LLM to compare and determine which book review had more positive sentiment. I used these comparisons to fit a Bradley-Terry model which produces these rankings. I racked up a gemini bill so stopped shy of exhaustive 16 million comparisons, so it's not perfect, but roughly accurate.

Genre: Historical Fiction ×
Showing 106 books in Historical Fiction
H
1. Hamnet
BT: 6.23 361 comparisons
fiction historical fiction novel
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2. The Disappearance of Josef Mengele
BT: 5.57 135 comparisons
fiction historical fiction holocaust fiction literary fiction +1
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3. To Say Nothing of the Dog
BT: 5.53 143 comparisons
comedy fantasy fiction historical fiction +2
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4. The Henriad
BT: 5.51 139 comparisons
drama english literature historical fiction literature +1
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5. The Blue Hour
BT: 5.40 278 comparisons
fiction historical fiction latin american literature literary fiction +2
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6. The Name of the Rose
BT: 4.93 174 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction mystery
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7. Kolyma Stories
BT: 4.56 535 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction political fiction +3
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8. Ivanhoe
BT: 4.50 154 comparisons
classic literature fiction historical fiction
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9. Cause for Alarm
BT: 4.30 156 comparisons
fiction historical fiction thriller
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10. The Age of Innocence
BT: 4.28 235 comparisons
american literature classic literature fiction historical fiction +1
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11. Pachinko
BT: 4.16 315 comparisons
fiction historical fiction japanese history korean history +1
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12. The Last September
BT: 3.87 251 comparisons
fiction historical fiction irish fiction literary fiction +1
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13. The Marriage Portrait: A novel
BT: 3.85 158 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction
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14. Cancer Ward
BT: 3.69 189 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction political fiction +1
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15. Red Plenty
BT: 3.53 204 comparisons
economic history economics fiction historical fiction +4
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16. Home
BT: 3.27 198 comparisons
fiction historical fiction indonesian literature literary fiction
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17. The Nature of Monsters
BT: 3.12 226 comparisons
fiction gothic fiction historical fiction mystery +2
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18. The War of the End of the World
BT: 3.11 231 comparisons
brazilian history epic fiction fiction historical fiction +1
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19. The Crimson and the White
BT: 3.09 209 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction
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20. Oswald’s Tale: An American Mystery
BT: 2.85 238 comparisons
american history fiction historical fiction mystery
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21. Shogun
BT: 2.84 261 comparisons
fiction historical fiction japan japanese history
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22. Lederstrumpf
BT: 2.77 229 comparisons
adventure fiction american literature fiction frontier fiction +3
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23. Small Country
BT: 2.75 407 comparisons
african literature fiction historical fiction literary fiction +1
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24. Amongst Women
BT: 2.72 244 comparisons
fiction historical fiction irish literature literary fiction +1
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25. Small Things Like These
BT: 2.18 509 comparisons
fiction historical fiction irish fiction literary fiction
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26. Everything Flows
BT: 2.15 274 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction soviet literature +1
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27. The People’s Act of Love
BT: 2.11 231 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction
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28. The Underground Railroad
BT: 1.94 254 comparisons
american history fiction historical fiction literary fiction
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29. An Instance of the Fingerpost
BT: 1.92 278 comparisons
fiction historical fiction historical mystery literary fiction +1
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C
30. Cryptonomicon
BT: 1.88 754 comparisons
fiction historical fiction science fiction
MR Post MR Post +1 more
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31. Europe Central
BT: 1.40 268 comparisons
european history fiction historical fiction literary fiction
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32. A Fine Balance
BT: 1.31 294 comparisons
fiction historical fiction indian fiction literary fiction +1
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33. Milkman
BT: 1.15 294 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction northern ireland
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34. The White Guard
BT: 1.08 328 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction russian literature +1
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35. Fear: A Novel of World War I
BT: 0.95 314 comparisons
fiction historical fiction military fiction war fiction +1
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36. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
BT: 0.82 337 comparisons
fantasy fiction historical fiction humorous fiction +1
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37. The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln
BT: 0.71 292 comparisons
american history fiction historical fiction legal fiction +1
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38. Zama
BT: 0.66 348 comparisons
fiction historical fiction latin american literature literary fiction +1
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39. Man in the Wilderness
BT: 0.61 332 comparisons
adventure american frontier fiction historical fiction +2
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40. Kristin Lavransdatter
BT: 0.42 330 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction
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41. Suite Francaise
BT: 0.34 1117 comparisons
fiction french literature historical fiction literary fiction +1
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42. The Maniac
BT: 0.12 381 comparisons
artificial intelligence fiction historical fiction science +1
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43. The Books of Jacob
BT: 0.05 783 comparisons
eastern european history european history fiction historical fiction +7
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44. Wolf Among Wolves
BT: -0.02 388 comparisons
economics european history fiction historical fiction +1
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45. Life and Fate
BT: -0.07 648 comparisons
20th-century history fiction historical fiction literary fiction +3
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46. Silence
BT: -0.26 739 comparisons
christianity fiction historical fiction japanese history +3
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47. Dictionary of the Khazars
BT: -0.27 337 comparisons
experimental fiction fiction historical fiction literary fiction +1
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48. Victory City
BT: -0.45 342 comparisons
fiction historical fiction indian history literary fiction +1
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49. Tale of Genji
BT: -0.48 984 comparisons
classic literature fiction historical fiction japanese literature +1
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J
50. Julian
BT: -0.49 396 comparisons
fiction historical fiction
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51. In the First Circle
BT: -0.60 497 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction political fiction +2
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52. Polostan
BT: -0.62 706 comparisons
atomic age fiction fiction historical fiction spy fiction +1
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53. Memoirs of Hadrian
BT: -0.63 390 comparisons
european history fiction historical fiction literary fiction +1
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54. A Tale of Two Cities
BT: -0.68 332 comparisons
european history fiction historical fiction literary fiction
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55. War and Peace
BT: -0.78 1399 comparisons
european history family saga fiction historical fiction +3
MR Post MR Post +3 more
D
56. Deerslayer
BT: -0.78 531 comparisons
adventure fiction american fiction fiction frontier fiction +2
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57. The Narrow Road to the Deep North
BT: -0.98 467 comparisons
australian fiction fiction historical fiction literary fiction +2
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58. Les Miserables
BT: -1.11 377 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction
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59. Lincoln
BT: -1.20 351 comparisons
american history biography fiction historical fiction +1
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60. Grapes of Wrath
BT: -1.22 887 comparisons
economics fiction historical fiction literary fiction +2
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A
61. A Passage to India
BT: -1.33 630 comparisons
colonial literature fiction historical fiction india +1
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62. The Warden
BT: -1.37 369 comparisons
british literature bureaucracy fiction fiction historical fiction +2
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63. Uncle Tom’s Cabin
BT: -1.37 857 comparisons
american history fiction historical fiction literary fiction +3
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64. The Island of Crimea
BT: -1.38 399 comparisons
alternate history fiction historical fiction russian literature
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65. Gone With The Wind
BT: -1.52 1492 comparisons
fiction historical fiction
MR Post MR Post +2 more
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66. Zuleikha
BT: -1.78 592 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction novel +2
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67. Kingdom of the Wicked
BT: -1.78 410 comparisons
alternate history fiction historical fiction political fiction +2
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68. The Luminaries
BT: -1.83 391 comparisons
crime fiction fiction historical fiction literary fiction +2
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69. Waverely
BT: -1.89 422 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction
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70. The Prisoner of Ankara
BT: -1.92 413 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction turkish literature
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71. Guy Mannering
BT: -1.99 374 comparisons
fiction historical fiction novel
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72. Sea of Poppies
BT: -1.99 382 comparisons
fiction historical fiction indian literature literary fiction
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73. Stalingrad
BT: -2.01 378 comparisons
european history fiction historical fiction literary fiction +2
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74. The End of Days
BT: -2.20 393 comparisons
european history fiction german history historical fiction +1
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75. On Chesil Beach
BT: -2.28 355 comparisons
british fiction fiction historical fiction literary fiction +2
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76. The Prague Cemetery
BT: -2.30 352 comparisons
fiction historical fiction thriller
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77. Mason & Dixon
BT: -2.36 369 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction
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78. A Brief History of Seven Killings
BT: -2.59 339 comparisons
caribbean literature fiction historical fiction literary fiction
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79. Girl With A Pearl Earring
BT: -2.60 275 comparisons
fiction historical fiction
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80. Tipping the Velvet
BT: -2.75 331 comparisons
fiction historical fiction lgbtq+ fiction victorian fiction
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81. To Kill a Mockingbird
BT: -2.76 717 comparisons
american fiction classic fiction coming-of-age fiction fiction +2
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82. Mr. Britling Sees It Through
BT: -2.90 246 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction social novel +1
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83. The Tower [Der Turm]
BT: -3.13 372 comparisons
fiction german literature historical fiction literary fiction
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84. His Bloody Project
BT: -3.15 325 comparisons
crime fiction fiction historical fiction legal fiction +1
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T
85. The Castle in the Forest
BT: -3.22 347 comparisons
european history fiction historical fiction psychological fiction
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86. The Buried Giant: A Novel
BT: -3.25 278 comparisons
fantasy fiction historical fiction literary fiction
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87. Colonel Chabert
BT: -3.31 493 comparisons
fiction french literature historical fiction literary fiction
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88. Girl at War
BT: -3.37 291 comparisons
croatia fiction historical fiction literary fiction +1
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89. House of Glass
BT: -3.39 274 comparisons
fiction historical fiction indonesian literature
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90. The Garden of the Finzi-Continis
BT: -3.60 283 comparisons
fiction historical fiction italian literature literary fiction +1
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91. Forty Days of Musa Dagh
BT: -3.71 308 comparisons
austrian literature fiction historical fiction literary fiction
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92. Julius Cesar
BT: -3.72 502 comparisons
classical literature drama european literature historical fiction +2
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93. Paul Clifford
BT: -3.91 248 comparisons
british literature crime fiction fiction historical fiction +1
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94. The Informers
BT: -3.92 269 comparisons
fiction historical fiction latin american literature literary fiction
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95. Las Benévolas
BT: -4.15 168 comparisons
fiction historical fiction literary fiction world war ii fiction
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96. We, the Drowned
BT: -4.17 150 comparisons
danish literature european literature fiction historical fiction +1
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97. The Land of Green Plums
BT: -4.30 205 comparisons
fiction german literature historical fiction literary fiction +1
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W
98. Wolf Hall: A Novel
BT: -4.39 133 comparisons
british history fiction historical fiction literary fiction
MR Post
B
99. Beloved
BT: -4.61 160 comparisons
african american literature fiction historical fiction literary fiction
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T
100. The Story of the Stone [Dream of the Red Chamber]
BT: -4.75 180 comparisons
chinese literature fiction historical fiction literary fiction
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T
101. The Scarlet Letter
BT: -4.78 116 comparisons
american literature classic literature fiction historical fiction +1
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B
102. Baudolino
BT: -5.89 107 comparisons
european history fiction historical fiction literary fiction +1
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A
103. Ancient Evenings
BT: -6.43 84 comparisons
ancient egypt egypt fiction historical fiction +1
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W
104. What is the What
BT: -6.46 98 comparisons
african literature fiction historical fiction literary fiction +2
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105. The Three Musketeers
BT: -7.09 89 comparisons
adventure fiction classic literature fiction historical fiction
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Q
106. Quo Vadis
BT: -7.20 72 comparisons
fiction historical fiction novel polish literature
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