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13 Novels Conservatives Will Love
A discussion of 13 works of literary fiction in the context of their relevance to conservative beliefs.
Great novels are a remarkable confluence of complex characters, powerful storytelling, and beautiful language. They ask important questions and explore major ideas that can reflect a culture—and shape it. Yet if you talk to right-of-center readers about literary fiction that considers ideas of particular interest to conservatives, they tend to mention the same handful of books. They neglect greatness from across the centuries—hardly a conservative thing to do!
Christopher J. Scalia’s 13 Novels Conservatives Will Love (but Probably Haven’t Read) helps anyone interested in conservatism both restock their fiction shelves and better understand a great intellectual tradition. A former English professor and a widely published critic and opinion writer, Scalia discusses outstanding works of fiction by anglophone writers from Samuel Johnson to Zora Neale Hurston, Nathaniel Hawthorne to P. D. James, Willa Cather to Walter Scott. These novels explore topics like national identity, tradition, religion, human nature, and many more—without descending into simplistic propaganda. Scalia connects the themes of great works spanning four centuries to the insights of such thinkers as Edmund Burke, William F. Buckley, Roger Scruton, Michael Oakeshott, Gertrude Himmelfarb, and Russell Kirk.
Engaging, insightful, and funny, 13 Novels Conservatives Will Love (but Probably Haven’t Read) introduces readers to great literature and teaches them about principles central to conservativism.
Great novels are a remarkable confluence of complex characters, powerful storytelling, and beautiful language. They ask important questions and explore major ideas that can reflect a culture—and shape it. Yet if you talk to right-of-center readers about literary fiction that considers ideas of particular interest to conservatives, they tend to mention the same handful of books. They neglect greatness from across the centuries—hardly a conservative thing to do!
Christopher J. Scalia’s 13 Novels Conservatives Will Love (but Probably Haven’t Read) helps anyone interested in conservatism both restock their fiction shelves and better understand a great intellectual tradition. A former English professor and a widely published critic and opinion writer, Scalia discusses outstanding works of fiction by anglophone writers from Samuel Johnson to Zora Neale Hurston, Nathaniel Hawthorne to P. D. James, Willa Cather to Walter Scott. These novels explore topics like national identity, tradition, religion, human nature, and many more—without descending into simplistic propaganda. Scalia connects the themes of great works spanning four centuries to the insights of such thinkers as Edmund Burke, William F. Buckley, Roger Scruton, Michael Oakeshott, Gertrude Himmelfarb, and Russell Kirk.
Engaging, insightful, and funny, 13 Novels Conservatives Will Love (but Probably Haven’t Read) introduces readers to great literature and teaches them about principles central to conservativism.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 20, 2025
31 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 25, 2025
Writing about his experience reading a particularly dramatic scene in a Muriel Spark novel, Christopher J. Scalia tells us, "I must balance the compulsion to speed through the narrative and discover what happens next with the competing impulse to slow down and luxuriate in Spark's remarkable storytelling and style."
When I read that, I thought, "That's funny, I'm having the same challenge reading Mr. Scalia's book." Of the 13 novels recommended, I had read only three -- so I was eager to see what he had to say about my three as well as the other ten. Mr. Scalia writes beautifully, in clear, concise often-witty prose, and makes each of the 13 novels seem like a must-read. A former professor of English, he analyzes the works without resorting to academic jargon (and certainly not critical theory). Thus, with each chapter, we experience that search for the balance between rushing through to see what he says about the next novel and slowly savoring what he is saying about this one.
Mr. Scalia deliberately chose lesser-known novels -- Evelyn Waugh's "Scoop" over "Brideshead Revisited," for example, because the idea was to offer readers, particularly conservatives, books that they hadn't read before. To make the cut, the books had to examine underlying themes that appeal to conservatives -- tradition, faith, the universality of human nature, etc. -- without falling into the category of political propaganda. You don't have to be a conservative to enjoy this book.
In addition to the analysis of each of the 13 literary novels, Mr. Scalia offers discussion questions for each, plus additional recommendations for similar books that didn't quite make the list.
I admit that I pretty much rushed through the book the first time, so my strategy is to go back and read it again one chapter at a time and then read its recommended novel. Should make a good project for the summer.
When I read that, I thought, "That's funny, I'm having the same challenge reading Mr. Scalia's book." Of the 13 novels recommended, I had read only three -- so I was eager to see what he had to say about my three as well as the other ten. Mr. Scalia writes beautifully, in clear, concise often-witty prose, and makes each of the 13 novels seem like a must-read. A former professor of English, he analyzes the works without resorting to academic jargon (and certainly not critical theory). Thus, with each chapter, we experience that search for the balance between rushing through to see what he says about the next novel and slowly savoring what he is saying about this one.
Mr. Scalia deliberately chose lesser-known novels -- Evelyn Waugh's "Scoop" over "Brideshead Revisited," for example, because the idea was to offer readers, particularly conservatives, books that they hadn't read before. To make the cut, the books had to examine underlying themes that appeal to conservatives -- tradition, faith, the universality of human nature, etc. -- without falling into the category of political propaganda. You don't have to be a conservative to enjoy this book.
In addition to the analysis of each of the 13 literary novels, Mr. Scalia offers discussion questions for each, plus additional recommendations for similar books that didn't quite make the list.
I admit that I pretty much rushed through the book the first time, so my strategy is to go back and read it again one chapter at a time and then read its recommended novel. Should make a good project for the summer.
August 3, 2025
This is really good. I am really not sure how to rate it, but I can’t think of any reason to criticize it. So, five stars it is.
What makes a novel the type that a conservative would love? Well, that is basically the point of the book. But I might summarize Scalia’s thesis as what is stated in Philippians 4:8. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Particularly that first one: Whatever is true.
One thing I really liked is that many of these were surprising (or unknown) selections. In fact, I had not heard of a good chunk of them. Had I sat down before I read the book and guessed the books I thought Scalia would include, I probably would’ve only identified three at most—and that only if I had listed 20 to 30. Nor is this a list of old books; eight were written after 1900.
Scalia doesn’t quite write like his father did, but nobody really does. He writes well though, and his book was a joy to read for that reason, too.
What makes a novel the type that a conservative would love? Well, that is basically the point of the book. But I might summarize Scalia’s thesis as what is stated in Philippians 4:8. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Particularly that first one: Whatever is true.
One thing I really liked is that many of these were surprising (or unknown) selections. In fact, I had not heard of a good chunk of them. Had I sat down before I read the book and guessed the books I thought Scalia would include, I probably would’ve only identified three at most—and that only if I had listed 20 to 30. Nor is this a list of old books; eight were written after 1900.
Scalia doesn’t quite write like his father did, but nobody really does. He writes well though, and his book was a joy to read for that reason, too.
November 20, 2025
One of my favorite book genres is “books about books.” Mostly because reading these books leads to expanding my to-read list. Needless to say, my husband shudders when he sees me pick up this type of book!
That said, I thoroughly enjoyed Christopher Scalia’s 13 NOVELS CONSERVATIVES WILL LOVE (BUT PROBABLY HAVEN’T READ). I’m not too much of a novel reader (comparatively speaking), so I had only read 3 on his list going in. Now, I have 6 new novels coming from Amazon. 😁 Sorry, Babe.
Dr. Scalia has the gift for helping you understand why he loves these novels, which is actually more important to me than the connections he makes to a conservative worldview in them. I have always been of the opinion that the best art is inherently conservative, because it needs to be grounded in reality to truly be art. It must tell the truth. Conservatism, divorced in this sense from political persuasion, is a truth-telling worldview. Convince me that a work of fiction or music or film or sculpture is conveying something that is true, and I am willing to give it a chance.
Dr. Scalia writes very well—and with plenty of humor—about the works he recommends. It is so fun to "read the bookshelf" of an erudite man with catholic tastes in fiction who can make these novels readily accessible even to a gal who's been wrapped up in medieval Catholic spirituality for the past nine weeks. His winsome ways in luxuriating in these synopses makes him the authors' best friend. I want to be in his book club—or even just his library. Would we sit in wingback chairs, swirl our snifters of brandy, and nerd out over Jane Austen? Probably.
So, here's a bit about the six novels on order: I am most intrigued to start THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD by Zora Neale Hurston. Then, THE CHILDREN OF MEN by P.D. James (I'm a big mystery/detective story fan, so this could be the start of a new romance!). Having read three by George Eliot, I am looking forward to adding DANIEL DERONDA to my "read" shelf. Also, I just read A HOUSE FOR MR. BISWAS last year, so I'm adding another V.S. Naipaul to my to-reads with A BEND IN THE RIVER. I'll revisit Hawthorne for the first time since high school with THE BLITHEDALE ROMANCE. And who could resist Muriel Spark? I've had an advance reader's copy of her novel AIDING AND ABETTING on hand for (gulp) 25 years (from my B&N days), but have never read it. I will read THE GIRLS OF SLENDER MEANS, and, I imagine, then voraciously devour every other volume in her oeuvre—including the ARC I've toted with me around the country since 2000!
(The three I had already read? EVELINA, MY ANTONIA, and SCOOP.)
Thank you, Dr. Scalia, for a wonderful book about (what I presume are) wonderful books!
P.S. Read the endnotes section. More illumination and some fun lie there. Also, an explanation of why he says in his "If You Liked ... Try ..." section on Samuel Johnson's Rasselas, "I'm cheating again ..."
That said, I thoroughly enjoyed Christopher Scalia’s 13 NOVELS CONSERVATIVES WILL LOVE (BUT PROBABLY HAVEN’T READ). I’m not too much of a novel reader (comparatively speaking), so I had only read 3 on his list going in. Now, I have 6 new novels coming from Amazon. 😁 Sorry, Babe.
Dr. Scalia has the gift for helping you understand why he loves these novels, which is actually more important to me than the connections he makes to a conservative worldview in them. I have always been of the opinion that the best art is inherently conservative, because it needs to be grounded in reality to truly be art. It must tell the truth. Conservatism, divorced in this sense from political persuasion, is a truth-telling worldview. Convince me that a work of fiction or music or film or sculpture is conveying something that is true, and I am willing to give it a chance.
Dr. Scalia writes very well—and with plenty of humor—about the works he recommends. It is so fun to "read the bookshelf" of an erudite man with catholic tastes in fiction who can make these novels readily accessible even to a gal who's been wrapped up in medieval Catholic spirituality for the past nine weeks. His winsome ways in luxuriating in these synopses makes him the authors' best friend. I want to be in his book club—or even just his library. Would we sit in wingback chairs, swirl our snifters of brandy, and nerd out over Jane Austen? Probably.
So, here's a bit about the six novels on order: I am most intrigued to start THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD by Zora Neale Hurston. Then, THE CHILDREN OF MEN by P.D. James (I'm a big mystery/detective story fan, so this could be the start of a new romance!). Having read three by George Eliot, I am looking forward to adding DANIEL DERONDA to my "read" shelf. Also, I just read A HOUSE FOR MR. BISWAS last year, so I'm adding another V.S. Naipaul to my to-reads with A BEND IN THE RIVER. I'll revisit Hawthorne for the first time since high school with THE BLITHEDALE ROMANCE. And who could resist Muriel Spark? I've had an advance reader's copy of her novel AIDING AND ABETTING on hand for (gulp) 25 years (from my B&N days), but have never read it. I will read THE GIRLS OF SLENDER MEANS, and, I imagine, then voraciously devour every other volume in her oeuvre—including the ARC I've toted with me around the country since 2000!
(The three I had already read? EVELINA, MY ANTONIA, and SCOOP.)
Thank you, Dr. Scalia, for a wonderful book about (what I presume are) wonderful books!
P.S. Read the endnotes section. More illumination and some fun lie there. Also, an explanation of why he says in his "If You Liked ... Try ..." section on Samuel Johnson's Rasselas, "I'm cheating again ..."
November 22, 2025
I was surprised and pleased at how many of the books Scalia cites are new to me. In some cases he chooses less familiar books by familiar offers. He doesn’t stop at 13, either: a useful appendix “for further reading” will keep my To Be Read pile growing. One needn’t be a conservative to find this book worthwhile.
September 14, 2025
I started to read this, checked out from the library, but then it became due and I turned it in. It became available again later and I finished.
Some of the recommended books here I will never read. But some I already have or certainly will. My favorite of the 13 - Children of Men.
Some of the recommended books here I will never read. But some I already have or certainly will. My favorite of the 13 - Children of Men.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews