Mental Floss

BOOKS















Gene Hackman, William Friedkin, Roy Scheider, Eddie Egan, and Randy Jurgensen in The French Connection (1971).

'The French Connection' still stands as one of the greatest films of the 1970s because of its gritty visual style, powerhouse performances, and one of the greatest car chase sequences ever put on film.

Matthew Jackson




Find out biographical facts about Charles Dickens's books, legacy, and family life—and brush up on his most memorable quotes.

Ellen Gutoskey






ConstantinosZ/iStock via Getty Images

From dystopian YA novels to a series that started as R-rated fan fiction, these were the best-selling books of the decade.

Michele Debczak

Find out more about Virginia Woolf’s best books, quotes, and the fascinating life she led.

Ellen Gutoskey