The final list contained one hundred titles selected by 17,000 French participants to reflect emotional connections rather than literary distinction. Journalist Josyane Savigneau described this outcome as a reflection of the French populace preferences.
Albert Camus ranked number one with his 1942 novel The Stranger while Marcel Proust held the second spot for In Search of Lost Time published between 1913 and 1927. Franz Kafka's The Trial secured the third rank even though it was originally published in German in 1925.
Le Monde included genre fiction such as J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings at rank fifty-eight whereas English lists often omitted such works. Modern Library selections excluded any work first published outside the English language creating a stark regional disparity.
Sigmund Freud's Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality from 1905 appeared within the top twenty-five alongside Anne Frank's diary. The list also embraced philosophical essays by Jean-Paul Sartre demonstrating that emotional resonance mattered more than strict adherence to novelistic form.
The final hundred titles included comic albums from five distinct Francophone or Italian series including Asterix the Gaul from 1959 and Tintin. This inclusion marked a significant departure from traditional literary canons by embracing graphic narratives alongside poetry and drama.