Discover new books on Goodreads
Meet your next favorite book

Books set in small towns or villages focusing on the lives of the inhabitants of said towns and villages. Generally realistic in approach; not romantic/idealistic.
1

by
3.91 avg rating — 15,998 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
2

by
3.78 avg rating — 806 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
2

by
4.09 avg rating — 5,361 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
2

by
3.76 avg rating — 15,006 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
2

by
4.95 avg rating — 87 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
6

by
4.35 avg rating — 1,500 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
6

by
4.27 avg rating — 2,435 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
6

by
4.05 avg rating — 83,376 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
9

by
4.09 avg rating — 2,750 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
9

by
4.29 avg rating — 1,986 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
9

by
3.58 avg rating — 9,731 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
12

by
4.26 avg rating — 226 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
12

by
4.31 avg rating — 2,134 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
12

by
4.06 avg rating — 137,576 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
15

by
4.22 avg rating — 14,943 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
15

by
4.14 avg rating — 3,600 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
15

by
3.83 avg rating — 105,270 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
18

by
4.35 avg rating — 1,556 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
18

by
4.21 avg rating — 19,542 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
20

by
4.28 avg rating — 2,163 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
20

by
4.04 avg rating — 130,730 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
22

by
3.81 avg rating — 1,013 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
22

by
4.02 avg rating — 184,113 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
24

by
3.78 avg rating — 806 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
24

by
4.01 avg rating — 180,816 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
26

by
3.82 avg rating — 1,270 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
26

by
3.98 avg rating — 119,552 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
28

by
3.47 avg rating — 38 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
28

by
3.59 avg rating — 4,603 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
30

by
3.63 avg rating — 15,189 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
31

by
3.78 avg rating — 392 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
32

by
3.78 avg rating — 115 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
33

by
3.34 avg rating — 1,673 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
34

by
3.70 avg rating — 317 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
35

by
3.42 avg rating — 141 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
36

by
4.16 avg rating — 857 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
37

by
4.07 avg rating — 1,113 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
38

by
4.11 avg rating — 1,618 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
39

by
3.92 avg rating — 395 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
40

by
3.86 avg rating — 471 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
41

by
4.18 avg rating — 23,439 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
42

by
3.82 avg rating — 67 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
43

by
4.12 avg rating — 57 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
44

by
3.55 avg rating — 325 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
45

by
3.53 avg rating — 2,241 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
46

by
3.69 avg rating — 6,717 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
47

by
3.48 avg rating — 17,184 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
48

by
3.83 avg rating — 266 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
49

by
3.90 avg rating — 18,512 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
50

by
3.64 avg rating — 329 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
51

by
3.52 avg rating — 448 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
52

by
4.03 avg rating — 182 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
53

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 14 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
54

by
4.27 avg rating — 1,184 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
55

by
3.99 avg rating — 3,060 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
56

by
4.33 avg rating — 9,363 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
57

by
3.83 avg rating — 266 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
57 books · 4 voters · list created April 7th, 2023 by Jonathan (votes) .
2 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


People Who Voted On This List (4)

Jonathan 5248 books
158 friends
Len 2035 books
199 friends
Fiona 1735 books
266 friends
Toni 4 books
0 friends



Comments Showing 1-1 of 1 (1 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Jonathan (last edited Apr 07, 2023 12:36PM) (new)

Jonathan I'm currently reading Marcel Pagnol's The Water of the Hills set in Provence. Some of my favourite authors are those that write 'rustic' novels: Marcel Pagnol, H.E. Bates, Jean Giono, Gabriel Chevallier, Laurie Lee. I think I should also include Nikos Kasantsakis and I'm wondering if Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio (a favourite novel of mine) should also be included. It depends on how elastic the genre should be, I guess.

I've often struggled to know what to call such a genre as I'm not just thinking of novels set in the country - I'm not thinking of novels where urbanites or artists travel to the country or 'pastoral' novels with an idealistic/unreal view of the country - but rather those that concentrate on the inhabitants of village/town life.

Anyway, add whatever you feel fits the description.


back to top