The prize-winning books of 1996
In 1996, the prizes ReadingRate follows named 13 winners. The most approachable is Independence Day by Richard Ford (difficulty 49/100, about 12 hours); the hardest is Every Man for Himself by Beryl Bainbridge (76/100).
- Nobel Prize in Literature: Wisława Szymborska — difficulty 58/100
- Booker Prize: Last Orders by Graham Swift — difficulty 71/100, about 9.1 hours
- Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: Independence Day by Richard Ford — difficulty 49/100, about 12 hours
- National Book Award for Fiction: Ship Fever and Other Stories by Andrea Barrett
- Women's Prize for Fiction: A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore — difficulty 73/100, about 12 hours
- Hugo Award for Best Novel: The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson — difficulty 58/100, about 14 hours
- Nebula Award for Best Novel: The Terminal Experiment by Robert J. Sawyer
- Prix Goncourt: Le Chasseur Zéro by Pascale Roze
- Dublin Literary Award: Remembering Babylon by David Malouf — difficulty 61/100, about 5.2 hours
- PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction: Independence Day by Richard Ford — difficulty 49/100, about 12 hours
- National Book Award for Nonfiction: An American Requiem by James P. Carroll
- Costa Novel Award: Every Man for Himself by Beryl Bainbridge — difficulty 76/100, about 7.3 hours
- Albert J. Beveridge Award: William Cooper's Town by Alan Taylor
Earlier: 1995 · Every year · Later: 1997
Other prizes: Nobel Prize in Literature, Booker Prize, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, International Booker Prize, National Book Award for Fiction, Women's Prize for Fiction, Hugo Award for Best Novel, Nebula Award for Best Novel, Prix Goncourt, Dublin Literary Award, PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, National Book Award for Nonfiction, Costa Novel Award, Albert J. Beveridge Award, Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction. Every literary prize; every winner of 2026.