Best Literary Fiction (1548 books)

Literary fiction is serious fiction with claims to literary merit, and focuses more on style, psychological depth, and character. (As opposed to genre or popular fiction).

What are your favorites of literary fiction?

flag

All Votes Add Books To This List

1	To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 4.26 avg rating — 6,922,898 ratings score: 22,682, and 232 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 3.80 avg rating — 3,911,443 ratings score: 19,219, and 202 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3.93 avg rating — 5,951,718 ratings score: 18,889, and 195 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 4.16 avg rating — 2,337,000 ratings score: 17,744, and 187 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 4.14 avg rating — 1,897,939 ratings score: 16,944, and 176 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (Goodreads Author) 3.98 avg rating — 327,280 ratings score: 11,675, and 125 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates 3.93 avg rating — 93,772 ratings score: 11,236, and 120 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 4.30 avg rating — 4,837,625 ratings score: 10,960, and 116 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.29 avg rating — 1,092,269 ratings score: 10,597, and 110 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 3.87 avg rating — 950,951 ratings score: 10,458, and 113 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe 3.93 avg rating — 87,564 ratings score: 10,336, and 110 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	The Beasts of Success by Jasun Ether 4.12 avg rating — 434 ratings score: 10,203, and 105 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Little Book by Selden Edwards 3.75 avg rating — 5,081 ratings score: 9,513, and 100 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 3.80 avg rating — 277,230 ratings score: 9,372, and 101 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Secret History by Donna Tartt 4.15 avg rating — 1,042,411 ratings score: 9,325, and 100 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	1984 by George Orwell 4.20 avg rating — 5,510,860 ratings score: 9,168, and 100 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton 3.97 avg rating — 197,048 ratings score: 8,204, and 92 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Lord of the Flies by William Golding 3.70 avg rating — 3,217,095 ratings score: 8,176, and 86 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 4.31 avg rating — 1,259,087 ratings score: 8,146, and 84 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 3.90 avg rating — 2,122,094 ratings score: 7,841, and 84 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1) by Anne Rice 4.02 avg rating — 653,032 ratings score: 6,829, and 76 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez 4.12 avg rating — 1,111,750 ratings score: 6,309, and 66 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 4.10 avg rating — 937,151 ratings score: 6,289, and 70 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier 4.25 avg rating — 727,209 ratings score: 6,279, and 70 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1) by C.S. Lewis 4.24 avg rating — 3,164,418 ratings score: 5,977, and 64 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Animal Farm by George Orwell 4.02 avg rating — 4,591,497 ratings score: 5,857, and 65 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Color Purple by Alice Walker 4.28 avg rating — 755,611 ratings score: 5,630, and 62 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 4.16 avg rating — 2,115,666 ratings score: 5,489, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey 4.20 avg rating — 782,536 ratings score: 5,399, and 59 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 4.03 avg rating — 999,006 ratings score: 5,375, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1) by L.M. Montgomery 4.33 avg rating — 1,119,596 ratings score: 5,342, and 57 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.30 avg rating — 4,477,532 ratings score: 5,219, and 57 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Goodreads Author) 4.39 avg rating — 2,894,973 ratings score: 5,135, and 55 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author) 4.36 avg rating — 3,511,026 ratings score: 5,080, and 55 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 3.80 avg rating — 877,492 ratings score: 4,693, and 52 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett 4.17 avg rating — 1,302,599 ratings score: 4,470, and 49 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 4.17 avg rating — 367,619 ratings score: 4,414, and 51 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	East of Eden by John Steinbeck 4.44 avg rating — 647,364 ratings score: 4,381, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Beloved (Beloved Trilogy, #1) by Toni Morrison 3.98 avg rating — 493,676 ratings score: 4,359, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 3.97 avg rating — 2,861,102 ratings score: 4,026, and 46 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver 4.11 avg rating — 796,221 ratings score: 3,943, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.39 avg rating — 390,421 ratings score: 3,935, and 42 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 3.98 avg rating — 2,089,008 ratings score: 3,932, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Life of Pi by Yann Martel 3.94 avg rating — 1,758,787 ratings score: 3,898, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Goodreads Author) 3.85 avg rating — 862,600 ratings score: 3,807, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov 4.28 avg rating — 424,827 ratings score: 3,473, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes 4.24 avg rating — 801,742 ratings score: 3,379, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. 4.10 avg rating — 1,489,706 ratings score: 3,332, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Z213: EXIT by Dimitris Lyacos 4.26 avg rating — 249 ratings score: 3,298, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind 4.04 avg rating — 558,393 ratings score: 3,228, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author) 4.46 avg rating — 1,747,537 ratings score: 3,171, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (Goodreads Author) 4.24 avg rating — 338,246 ratings score: 3,134, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 4.31 avg rating — 724,974 ratings score: 3,058, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 3.90 avg rating — 2,853,411 ratings score: 3,015, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 4.33 avg rating — 2,498,903 ratings score: 2,988, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Deliverance by James Dickey 3.89 avg rating — 34,011 ratings score: 2,972, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 3.44 avg rating — 923,459 ratings score: 2,943, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	The Giver (The Giver, #1) by Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 2,822,783 ratings score: 2,938, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra 3.91 avg rating — 306,919 ratings score: 2,896, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith 4.30 avg rating — 515,304 ratings score: 2,866, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Catch-22 by Joseph Heller 3.99 avg rating — 889,411 ratings score: 2,856, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Little Women (Little Women, #1) by Louisa May Alcott 4.17 avg rating — 2,474,486 ratings score: 2,853, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez 3.94 avg rating — 549,127 ratings score: 2,846, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1) by Larry McMurtry 4.58 avg rating — 246,143 ratings score: 2,646, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 3,597,093 ratings score: 2,616, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Heidi (Heidi, #1-2) by Johanna Spyri 4.04 avg rating — 211,849 ratings score: 2,593, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway 3.81 avg rating — 1,322,013 ratings score: 2,542, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	Persuasion by Jane Austen 4.15 avg rating — 782,244 ratings score: 2,526, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 363,413 ratings score: 2,449, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	The Power of Persuasion by Shelagh Watkins (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 24 ratings score: 2,393, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	The World According to Garp by John Irving (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 239,380 ratings score: 2,378, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1) by Ken Follett (Goodreads Author) 4.35 avg rating — 834,870 ratings score: 2,377, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens 3.88 avg rating — 429,523 ratings score: 2,342, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Moby-Dick or, The Whale by Herman Melville 3.57 avg rating — 618,526 ratings score: 2,337, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 1,356,152 ratings score: 2,324, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Sophie’s Choice by William Styron 4.17 avg rating — 94,652 ratings score: 2,298, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	The Stranger by Albert Camus 4.03 avg rating — 1,418,955 ratings score: 2,271, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer 4.19 avg rating — 814,078 ratings score: 2,253, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 3.91 avg rating — 1,445,450 ratings score: 2,242, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides 4.04 avg rating — 664,954 ratings score: 2,192, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Les Misérables by Victor Hugo 4.21 avg rating — 846,566 ratings score: 2,117, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 1,705,368 ratings score: 2,101, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 4.33 avg rating — 1,031,184 ratings score: 2,070, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 4.05 avg rating — 1,235,535 ratings score: 2,063, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte 3.81 avg rating — 45,051 ratings score: 2,043, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Three Stories by Truman Capote 3.85 avg rating — 252,497 ratings score: 1,993, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	The Good Earth (House of Earth, #1) by Pearl S. Buck 4.01 avg rating — 261,318 ratings score: 1,977, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	The Once and Future King (The Once and Future King, #1-5) by T.H. White 4.07 avg rating — 119,236 ratings score: 1,907, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	The Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil 4.19 avg rating — 7,431 ratings score: 1,883, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole 3.89 avg rating — 299,663 ratings score: 1,790, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 163,977 ratings score: 1,725, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 633,469 ratings score: 1,723, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides 3.78 avg rating — 416,828 ratings score: 1,688, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge by Rainer Maria Rilke 3.92 avg rating — 10,012 ratings score: 1,669, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 3.88 avg rating — 1,015,993 ratings score: 1,651, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1) by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 2,445,452 ratings score: 1,603, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	Emma by Jane Austen 4.05 avg rating — 989,402 ratings score: 1,568, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.54 avg rating — 733,573 ratings score: 1,564, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf 3.78 avg rating — 359,217 ratings score: 1,532, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	The Road by Cormac McCarthy really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,044,523 ratings score: 1,489, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

← Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 15 16 Next →

1,548 books · 1,335 voters · list created January 27th, 2009 by Shelagh (votes) .

Tags: adult-fiction, best, fiction, literary-fiction

336 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (1335)

Shelagh 45 books
824 friends

Michael 84 books
1117 friends

Yvonne 30 books
61 friends

Chelle 150 books
282 friends

James 36 books
1133 friends

James 151 books
575 friends

Malcolm 701 books
646 friends

Barbara 89 books
693 friends

More voters…

Post a comment »
Comments Showing 1-16 of 16 (16 new)

date

newest »

message 1: by Yvonne (new)

Feb 17, 2009 05:23AM

I highly recommend this writer, she is a excellent read.
Yvonne

reply | flag

message 2: by Stuart (new)

Feb 17, 2009 02:34PM

'The Power of Persuasion' by Shelagh Watkins is a masterpiece of modern day writing -- highly recommended.

reply | flag

message 3: by Kimberly (new)

Feb 19, 2009 11:50AM

Brillant!

reply | flag

message 4: by Ann (new)

Feb 10, 2010 10:58AM

New York Trilogy by Paul Auster

reply | flag

message 5: by [deleted user] (new)

Jun 11, 2011 04:05PM

I wish people would learn to place books in the correct genres. This list has quite a few romance novels, which cannot by any stretch of the imagine be counted as works of literary fiction.

reply | flag

message 6: by Daniel (new)

Oct 22, 2012 02:23AM

Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy and Narnia are all good books, but they are definitely not literary fiction!

reply | flag

message 7: by Martinw (new)

Aug 28, 2017 12:40AM

deleted user wrote: "I wish people would learn to place books in the correct genres. This list has quite a few romance novels, which cannot by any stretch of the imagine be counted as works of literary fiction."

I was just scanning Goodreads for a list exactly like this, and I have to agree with Daniel. I like these books, but this is not the place for them. Hunger Games, too, should be removed.

reply | flag

message 8: by Donna (last edited Mar 07, 2018 01:51PM) (new)

Mar 07, 2018 01:14PM

Removed from page 2 as nonfiction: In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Also removed from #426, Pippi Longstocking (c'mon guys, "serious fiction"):
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

I question the inclusion of The Odyssey and The Iliad (page 2), which are poetry. Also...Shakespeare's plays, literary fiction? I'm not touching these until I see feedback, but...?

The system found and removed 3 duplicates.

I am surprised to see some unlikely contenders, yet there was no E.L. Doctorow, Russell Banks, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Willa Cather, Octavia Butler, Jesmyn Ward, or Michael Chabon. I have added them, but if you want to vote for them you'll have to flip to the back pages to find them.

Removed from #125, Speedy Reads
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

The system found and removed another duplicate.

reply | flag

message 9: by Cc (new)

May 25, 2021 12:35PM

I feel like Despite the Devil, The Drama Unfolds, Ballet Shoes, Percy Jackson, Thornbirds, and Outlander are not literary fiction. Same goes for Poison Study and Fablehaven, much as I like YA / middle grade

reply | flag

message 10: by EvanFlow (last edited Apr 01, 2023 09:16AM) (new)

Apr 01, 2023 09:13AM

Onyx and Crake is SF and not particurarly original one at that, no matter what the author what the author would like to believe. The Time Machine is pure genre-fiction though good and original. Jurassic Park? Really.

reply | flag

message 11: by Donna (last edited Apr 01, 2023 10:41PM) (new)

Apr 01, 2023 08:58PM

EvanFlow wrote: "Onyx and Crake is SF and not particurarly original one at that, no matter what the author what the author would like to believe. The Time Machine is pure genre-fiction though good and original. Jur..."

Thanks for the heads up. I haven't looked at this list in awhile; looks like it needs cleaning. I'll just grab my mop...

I am editing these with a light hand, because literary fiction has about a zillion definitions, and of course, a work of literary fiction may well occupy another (fictional) genre or genres as well. If I see a book that looks like it may not belong but I haven't read it, I check to see if it has been shelved (here, on GR) as literary fiction.

That said, please remember that a novel can be very well written, and yet not be literary fiction. If a book is a play, poetry, or any variety of nonfiction, it is not literary fiction. Also, not all classics are literary fiction.

While readers are preparing my hot tar and feathers, I'll proceed.

The system found and removed 3 duplicates.

Removed for genre:

Little House on the Prairie: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

Curious Reality: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

84 Charing Cross Road: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Pygmalion: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

The Help: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

The Hunger Games: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Frankenstein: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1....

This is just a beginning, but I'm out of time. I'll be back.

reply | flag

message 12: by Donna (last edited Apr 02, 2023 10:08PM) (new)

Apr 02, 2023 09:39PM

reply | flag

message 13: by Imaginary Inkwell (new)

Jan 12, 2024 08:22PM

Hey bookworms! Anyone here read 'The Wolf and the Shepherd' by C.J. Thorin? It's this indie book I came across, and wow, what a journey! Adventure, twists, you name it – it's packed with goodness. Just wanted to share the book love.

reply | flag

message 14: by Donna (new)

Oct 08, 2024 09:36PM

Lucas wrote: "To Kill a Mockingbird sucks. I wish the publishing houses would stop paying shills to artificially put it at the top of so many Goodreads' lists. Seriously."

(*cough!*) It's actually one of my favorite books.

reply | flag

message 15: by Patricia (new)

May 11, 2025 03:44PM

The listopia search field isn't working for this fine list. A friend showed me this list and I thought it was excellent. I tried to find this list on my own later by typing the title of this list "Best Literary Fiction" in the listopia search field but this list was nowhere to be found, only other lists showed up, most of them not even being relevant to my search key words. Weird. I had to ask my friend again to send me the link. A Goodreads error I guess. Hope this gets fixed because this is a great list

reply | flag

message 16: by Bria (new)

May 16, 2025 05:00PM

I also searched the lists here on GR. I put in "best literary fiction" and the results showed absolutely nothing. I put in "literary fiction" and I did find this list at the bottom of the page. Yeah, must be a GR error or something. This needs to be brought to GR attention and fixed, especially since it's such an excellent list. Maybe there is a much bigger error in all the lists (that includes this one) that needs to be fixed.

reply | flag