Best German/Austrian/Swiss Literature (1029 books)

Books originally written in German, or by those born in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

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1	The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 3.90 avg rating — 1,416,328 ratings score: 21,135, and 218 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	All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque 4.11 avg rating — 518,623 ratings score: 16,392, and 171 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 Trial by Franz Kafka 3.94 avg rating — 393,319 ratings score: 16,338, and 169 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	Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse 4.13 avg rating — 214,577 ratings score: 13,806, and 146 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	Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind 4.04 avg rating — 550,763 ratings score: 13,180, and 138 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	Faust, First Part by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 3.83 avg rating — 85,847 ratings score: 12,582, and 132 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	Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse 4.08 avg rating — 873,829 ratings score: 11,682, and 124 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	The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann 4.13 avg rating — 61,351 ratings score: 11,262, and 117 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	The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 3.69 avg rating — 154,588 ratings score: 10,855, 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
10	Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family by Thomas Mann 4.20 avg rating — 35,537 ratings score: 10,763, 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	Chess Story by Stefan Zweig 4.27 avg rating — 171,363 ratings score: 9,063, and 99 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 Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil 4.19 avg rating — 7,374 ratings score: 8,764, and 91 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 Tin Drum by Günter Grass 3.95 avg rating — 46,642 ratings score: 7,970, 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
14	The Reader by Bernhard Schlink 3.79 avg rating — 230,950 ratings score: 7,798, and 83 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 Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm 4.23 avg rating — 221,066 ratings score: 7,680, and 83 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	Demian: Die Geschichte von Emil Sinclairs Jugend by Hermann Hesse 4.14 avg rating — 135,003 ratings score: 7,471, and 80 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 Neverending Story by Michael Ende 4.18 avg rating — 220,444 ratings score: 7,339, and 79 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	Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse 4.22 avg rating — 72,468 ratings score: 7,299, and 79 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	Death in Venice and Other Tales by Thomas Mann 3.92 avg rating — 16,183 ratings score: 6,622, and 71 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	The Complete Stories by Franz Kafka 4.33 avg rating — 28,429 ratings score: 6,607, and 71 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	Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche 4.07 avg rating — 175,769 ratings score: 6,243, 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
22	The Castle by Franz Kafka 3.91 avg rating — 75,223 ratings score: 6,120, and 68 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	The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse 4.10 avg rating — 42,327 ratings score: 5,576, and 61 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	The Radetzky March (Von Trotta Family, #1) by Joseph Roth 4.10 avg rating — 14,315 ratings score: 5,145, and 56 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	Doctor Faustus by Thomas Mann 4.08 avg rating — 13,865 ratings score: 4,770, 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
26	Berlin Alexanderplatz by Alfred Döblin 3.84 avg rating — 11,245 ratings score: 4,690, 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
27	Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald 3.98 avg rating — 26,717 ratings score: 4,378, and 48 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	Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke 4.27 avg rating — 121,497 ratings score: 4,363, and 48 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	The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum by Heinrich Böll 3.70 avg rating — 18,414 ratings score: 4,323, 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
30	Homo Faber by Max Frisch 3.68 avg rating — 31,380 ratings score: 3,884, 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
31	The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge by Rainer Maria Rilke 3.92 avg rating — 9,932 ratings score: 3,867, 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
32	Die Physiker by Friedrich Dürrenmatt 3.89 avg rating — 43,093 ratings score: 3,774, and 44 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 World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig 4.51 avg rating — 29,313 ratings score: 3,737, 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
34	The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht 3.88 avg rating — 14,430 ratings score: 3,512, and 40 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	Duino Elegies by Rainer Maria Rilke 4.39 avg rating — 10,057 ratings score: 3,471, 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
36	The Nibelungenlied by Unknown 3.82 avg rating — 8,914 ratings score: 3,367, and 39 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	The Clown by Heinrich Böll 3.93 avg rating — 31,909 ratings score: 3,338, 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
38	The Confusions of Young Törless by Robert Musil 3.67 avg rating — 10,170 ratings score: 3,297, and 37 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	The Wall by Marlen Haushofer 4.01 avg rating — 33,558 ratings score: 3,111, 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
40	Effi Briest by Theodor Fontane 3.27 avg rating — 16,301 ratings score: 2,983, 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
41	Momo by Michael Ende 4.34 avg rating — 95,721 ratings score: 2,939, 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
42	Galileo by Bertolt Brecht 3.66 avg rating — 18,732 ratings score: 2,908, 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
43	Der Richter und sein Henker by Friedrich Dürrenmatt 3.71 avg rating — 17,489 ratings score: 2,754, 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
44	Amerika by Franz Kafka 3.74 avg rating — 34,246 ratings score: 2,711, 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
45	Tales of Hoffmann by E.T.A. Hoffmann 4.02 avg rating — 2,312 ratings score: 2,707, 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
46	Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht 3.62 avg rating — 22,685 ratings score: 2,682, 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
47	Selected Poems and Fragments by Friedrich Hölderlin 4.32 avg rating — 895 ratings score: 2,680, 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
48	Beneath the Wheel by Hermann Hesse 3.88 avg rating — 22,338 ratings score: 2,666, 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
49	Dream Story by Arthur Schnitzler 3.76 avg rating — 21,195 ratings score: 2,645, 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
50	The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelinek 3.61 avg rating — 16,284 ratings score: 2,636, 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
51	Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada 4.27 avg rating — 36,646 ratings score: 2,552, 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
52	Storm of Steel by Ernst Jünger 4.15 avg rating — 21,510 ratings score: 2,541, 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
53	Wilhelm Tell by Friedrich Schiller 3.21 avg rating — 9,063 ratings score: 2,436, 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
54	The Marquise of O— and Other Stories by Heinrich von Kleist 3.48 avg rating — 4,668 ratings score: 2,432, 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
55	Der Schimmelreiter by Theodor Storm 3.38 avg rating — 9,767 ratings score: 2,373, 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
56	Woyzeck by Georg Büchner 2.95 avg rating — 26,320 ratings score: 2,291, 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
57	Der Sandmann by E.T.A. Hoffmann 3.56 avg rating — 27,659 ratings score: 2,168, 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
58	Heidi (Heidi, #1-2) by Johanna Spyri 4.04 avg rating — 210,966 ratings score: 2,138, 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
59	The Visit: A Tragi-Comedy by Friedrich Dürrenmatt 3.67 avg rating — 37,813 ratings score: 2,107, 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
60	Mephisto by Klaus Mann 4.08 avg rating — 5,864 ratings score: 2,054, 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
61	The Rings of Saturn by W.G. Sebald 4.22 avg rating — 17,560 ratings score: 2,008, and 22 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	The Emigrants by W.G. Sebald 4.17 avg rating — 11,411 ratings score: 2,003, and 22 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	Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 3.89 avg rating — 50,354 ratings score: 1,995, 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
64	Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach 3.73 avg rating — 3,908 ratings score: 1,837, and 22 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	I'm Not Stiller by Max Frisch 4.03 avg rating — 5,802 ratings score: 1,815, and 22 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	Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann 3.73 avg rating — 22,253 ratings score: 1,779, 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
67	Draußen vor der Tür by Wolfgang Borchert 4.09 avg rating — 6,753 ratings score: 1,757, 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
68	Rock Crystal by Adalbert Stifter 3.69 avg rating — 2,010 ratings score: 1,739, 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
69	Beware of Pity by Stefan Zweig 4.26 avg rating — 21,614 ratings score: 1,711, 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
70	Elective Affinities by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 3.68 avg rating — 13,706 ratings score: 1,698, 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
71	The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht 3.75 avg rating — 9,100 ratings score: 1,671, 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
72	Hymns to the Night by Novalis 4.01 avg rating — 2,915 ratings score: 1,630, and 18 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	Nathan der Weise by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing 3.31 avg rating — 19,402 ratings score: 1,629, 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
74	The Lord Chandos Letter and Other Writings by Hugo von Hofmannsthal 3.91 avg rating — 1,314 ratings score: 1,624, and 18 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	Jugend ohne Gott by Ödön von Horváth 3.85 avg rating — 14,154 ratings score: 1,612, 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
76	Spring's Awakening by Frank Wedekind 3.82 avg rating — 14,342 ratings score: 1,504, and 18 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	Das Buch der Lieder by Heinrich Heine 4.18 avg rating — 580 ratings score: 1,469, and 18 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	Wittgenstein’s Nephew by Thomas Bernhard 4.02 avg rating — 6,860 ratings score: 1,463, 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
79	Das Boot: The Boat by Lothar-Günther Buchheim 4.26 avg rating — 5,987 ratings score: 1,450, 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
80	Fabian. Die Geschichte eines Moralisten by Erich Kästner 4.15 avg rating — 9,096 ratings score: 1,423, 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
81	Die Strudlhofstiege oder Melzer und die Tiefe der Jahre by Heimito von Doderer 3.95 avg rating — 432 ratings score: 1,400, and 15 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	Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche 4.03 avg rating — 113,692 ratings score: 1,395, and 16 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	Der Untertan by Heinrich Mann 3.54 avg rating — 5,026 ratings score: 1,386, and 16 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	A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City: A Diary by Anonymous 4.29 avg rating — 17,657 ratings score: 1,375, and 16 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 Death of Virgil by Hermann Broch 4.15 avg rating — 1,794 ratings score: 1,365, and 16 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	Michael Kohlhaas by Heinrich von Kleist 3.55 avg rating — 6,423 ratings score: 1,365, and 18 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	Mario and the Magician by Thomas Mann 3.36 avg rating — 7,241 ratings score: 1,355, and 16 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 Pledge by Friedrich Dürrenmatt 3.90 avg rating — 11,014 ratings score: 1,345, and 16 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	Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kästner 3.98 avg rating — 11,969 ratings score: 1,308, 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
90	The City of Dreaming Books (Zamonia, #4) by Walter Moers 4.40 avg rating — 24,293 ratings score: 1,294, and 14 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	In the Penal Colony by Franz Kafka 3.92 avg rating — 32,775 ratings score: 1,248, and 15 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	Confessions of Felix Krull, Confidence Man: The Early Years by Thomas Mann 3.83 avg rating — 5,674 ratings score: 1,244, and 14 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 Golden Pot and Other Tales by E.T.A. Hoffmann 3.41 avg rating — 5,461 ratings score: 1,239, and 16 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 German Lesson by Siegfried Lenz 4.07 avg rating — 3,754 ratings score: 1,173, and 16 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	Medea by Christa Wolf 3.92 avg rating — 4,967 ratings score: 1,169, and 13 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	Maria Stuart by Friedrich Schiller 3.47 avg rating — 10,865 ratings score: 1,125, and 14 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	Vertigo by W.G. Sebald really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 6,133 ratings score: 1,108, and 13 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	Die Blendung by Elias Canetti 4.02 avg rating — 6,725 ratings score: 1,108, and 13 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	Inkheart (Inkworld, #1) by Cornelia Funke (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 442,487 ratings score: 1,096, and 14 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	Amok by Stefan Zweig 3.97 avg rating — 25,111 ratings score: 1,070, and 12 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

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1,029 books · 954 voters · list created July 31st, 2008 by Amy (votes) .

Tags: austria, austrian, fiction, german, germany, literary-fiction, swiss, switzerland

737 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (954)

Amy 1416 books
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Eli 4 books
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Antoine 949 books
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Aaron 15 books
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Comments Showing 1-38 of 38 (38 new)

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message 1: by Clarice (new)

Feb 10, 2009 11:55PM

How about widening the circle and also including Swiss German writers, such as Duerrenmatt?

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message 2: by Thom (new)

Aug 31, 2009 06:30PM

Who wrote Antigone and the Garden Gnomes ? Loved that story. I'm wondering, as well, if there isn't somewhere a song book of all the old sentimental favorites that still get sung at Oktoberfest here in Cincinnati: Du, Du liegst mir im herzen; Du kannst mich liebe fur drei tolle Tagen; Die Lorelei; etc.

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message 3: by 3535 (last edited Aug 31, 2009 11:59PM) (new)

Aug 31, 2009 11:55PM

And where, may I ask, is Heinz G. Konsalik? ;D

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message 4: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (last edited Sep 01, 2009 06:57AM) (new)

Sep 01, 2009 03:28AM

GOOD question -- where is he indeed? ;) (And Johannes Mario Simmel, come to think of it!)

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message 5: by [deleted user] (new)

Sep 03, 2009 08:32AM

is The Lorelei here? I would like to vote for it.

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message 6: by Kakanier (new)

Dec 06, 2009 09:46AM

Arthur Schnitzler? Kein Arthur Schnitzler?

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message 7: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Dec 06, 2009 11:03AM

Kakanier: There are several collections of works by Arthur Schnitzler on the list (currently nos. 66, 70 and 155).

Canary: Heine's "Buch der Lieder" and "Collected Poems" -- in English translation -- are on p. 2 of this list. You could vote for them ... or add a book with the ISBN no. 3446123024, which is a short book on the "Loreley" poem specifically. (I'd do it myself, but I've already exhausted my 100 permitted entries! :) )

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message 8: by [deleted user] (new)

Dec 06, 2009 06:12PM

Themis-Athena wrote: "Kakanier: There are several collections of works by Arthur Schnitzler on the list (currently nos. 66, 70 and 155).

Canary: Heine's "Buch der Lieder" and "Collected Poems" -- in English translation..."

Thanks! I voted for it here and may try to add it by ISBN number later but not up to it tonight.
Canary Alice

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message 9: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Dec 27, 2013 02:49AM) (new)

Dec 27, 2013 02:46AM

Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (currently no. 202) is not German but Dutch and should not be on this list. Apart from him being Dutch, his Praise of folly was written in Latin, as far as I know, and not in German.

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message 10: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Oct 03, 2015 07:59AM) (new)

Oct 03, 2015 07:58AM

Removed Praise of Folly (again). Not written in German, nor was Erasmus German. See above message.

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message 11: by Robobobo (new)

Jan 11, 2016 11:05AM

I've added Hans Henny Jahnn's Night of Lead . He should definitely be on this list with at least one book.

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message 12: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jun 11, 2016 09:42AM) (new)

Jun 11, 2016 09:38AM

Leseratte wrote: "I deleted some books, wich were not written in german."

Please, next time do mention which books you've deleted (see for intance message 10). Thanks!

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message 13: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Feb 28, 2017 07:14AM) (new)

Jun 11, 2016 07:20PM

@Leseratte
Gordon by Edith Templeton is one of the books I added. It was not writtten in German, I agree, but my reason for adding it is that the description of the Listopia says "... or by those born in Germany, Austria and Switzerland"

Edith Templeton was born in Prague, but as it was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, personally I'd say she belongs on this list (falls in the category of writers born in Austria, if you like), which is why I added the book (and which is why I took the liberty of adding it again).

Lilly Axster was born in Germany, according to her profile. And Ludwig Wittgenstein was born in Austria...

@Amy
As you are the creator of the list, do books by authors born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire count or not? When their place of birth is not part of present day Germany of Austria, I mean. Borders of countries have changed over the years, and Gordon is not the only title I've added by an author born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire who didn't write in German.

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message 14: by Tomasz (new)

Feb 28, 2017 03:17AM

Hanna Arendt's Origins of Totalitarianism was written orignially in English. In few days I will remove it , if there are no opposing votes.

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message 15: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Feb 28, 2017 07:15AM) (new)

Feb 28, 2017 06:00AM

Tomasz wrote: "Hanna Arendt's Origins of Totalitarianism was written orignially in English. In few days I will remove it , if there are no opposing votes."

I haven't read the book, nor do I know the author, but according to GR she was born in Germany, and the description of the Listopia clearly says "Books originally written in German, OR by those born in Germany, Austria and Switzerland".... (which is why I added a French novel written bij a Swiss author, an English novel by an Austrian author; see also my earlier comment)

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message 16: by Tomasz (new)

Feb 28, 2017 06:08AM

Booklovinglady wrote: "Tomasz wrote: "Hanna Arendt's Origins of Totalitarianism was written orignially in English. In few days I will remove it , if there are no opposing votes."

I haven't read the book, nor do I know t..."

You are right. Her first books were written in German, but later in her life she started writing in English. OoT was (AFAIK) the first of them.

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message 17: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Feb 28, 2017 06:34AM) (new)

Feb 28, 2017 06:17AM

Tomasz wrote: "You are right. Her first books were written in German, but later in her life she started writing in English. OoT was (AFAIK) the first of them. ..."

Being Jewish, she was forced to leave Germany in 1933, so it's only logical that she started writing in the language she then undoubtedly spoke (as, according to GR, she emigrated to the US in 1941 and the book you mentioned was published in 1951). Vicki Baum, for example, was also Jewish and wrote in English as well later on in her life.

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message 18: by George P. (new)

Jul 22, 2018 06:59PM

I've only read 7 of the top 100 even though I a have a German family name (my mother's maiden name was German too). I'd better get with it! The Magic Mountain is #17 in my TBR list so I expect to read it by the end of this year.

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message 19: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (new)

Jul 22, 2018 09:05PM

George wrote: "The Magic Mountain is #17 in my TBR list so I expect to read it by the end of this year...."

Not an easy book to read, but a great one!

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message 20: by Margareta (new)

Aug 03, 2019 10:36AM

I am looking for a list where the German books are in German... So I might skip the translations… Somebody who knows??

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message 21: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Aug 04, 2019 12:36AM) (new)

Aug 04, 2019 12:16AM

Margareta wrote: "I am looking for a list where the German books are in German... So I might skip the translations… Somebody who knows??"

On this list you'll find by far mostly books originally written in German... GR has the nasty habit to change books to the most popular edition, that's why there are translations on this list.

Also, have a look at
German Childrens' Books in German
German Contemporary Thrillers
Thrillers in German (original or translated)

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message 22: by Margareta (new)

Aug 04, 2019 07:57AM

Thanks! So then I will just keep on scrolling, because it is the literature I'm looking for :)

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message 23: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Aug 04, 2019 08:03AM) (new)

Aug 04, 2019 08:02AM

@Margareta

I personally have a shelf with mostly literature originally written in German:
german-austrian (The titles are in Dutch but the books were originally published in German)

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message 24: by Margareta (new)

Aug 04, 2019 10:10PM

Great! Dat klinkt alsof we gewoon Nederlands kunnen schrijven. Now I start to remember all the names of novellists I heard about at school.

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message 25: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Aug 05, 2019 02:23AM) (new)

Aug 05, 2019 12:32AM

Margareta wrote: "Great! Dat klinkt alsof we gewoon Nederlands kunnen schrijven. Now I start to remember all the names of novellists I heard about at school."

We kunnen inderdaad Nederlands schrijven 😃

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message 26: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (new)

Aug 05, 2019 02:23AM

@Margareta
Heb je er trouwens ooit aan gedacht om lid te worden van de Netherlands & Flanders group?

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message 27: by Margareta (new)

Aug 05, 2019 03:33AM

Wist niet dat die bestond…. Ik begin nu net zo'n beetje wat meer rond te neuzen en 'gericht' te zoeken in GR. Wat behelst die groep?

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message 28: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (new)

Aug 05, 2019 07:35AM

Margareta wrote: "Wist niet dat die bestond…. Ik begin nu net zo'n beetje wat meer rond te neuzen en 'gericht' te zoeken in GR. Wat behelst die groep?"

Kijk even rond, zou ik zeggen (volgens mij kan dat namelijk ook als je geen lid bent).

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message 29: by Müffelo (new)

Aug 18, 2019 12:30PM

I find it astonishing, as well as outrageous to merely see two female names in the first 100 authors. The canon of books worth reading, just like the resulting so-called "best literature" lists, where constructed under patriarchy and mostly by men. However, as should be clear, women writers have made important contributions to the field of literature in German-speaking countries. Let's acknowledge and further spread their work by equally including them here.

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message 30: by George P. (last edited Aug 19, 2019 09:07PM) (new)

Aug 19, 2019 09:05PM

Müffelo wrote: "I find it astonishing, as well as outrageous to merely see two female names in the first 100 authors. The canon of books worth reading, just like the resulting so-called "best literature" lists..."

It is remarkably disappointing. Are German-author readers historically more sexist than English- author readers? Germany does have a woman prime minister now.
I will plan on reading Malina by Ingeborg Bachmann, currently at #108. If one or two other readers do also, and vote for it, it can move into the top 100 in this poll.

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message 31: by Müffelo (last edited Aug 21, 2019 12:16AM) (new)

Aug 20, 2019 11:10PM

George P. wrote: "Müffelo wrote: "I find it astonishing, as well as outrageous to merely see two female names in the first 100 authors. The canon of books worth reading, just like the resulting so-called "best liter..."

Well, I believe it has everything to do with the patriarchal system(s) in German literary criticism in the past, as well as in the present. Works by male authors were celebrated as brilliant "classics" of world literature, whereas the (mostly male) critics did not even acknowledge women to have the potential to create literature as monumental as men, since they were assigned different competences. In patriarchy, men value other men, if any.

In the last couple of weeks, a hashtag has been trending on Twitter: #dichterdran (for those of you who understand German). It's all about current day literary criticism and how it treats genders differently. Women write about male authors just how male critics write about female authors. It's really entertaining and revealing, of course.

That sounds great. I would be interested in reading Malina. I'm currently trying to read more female authors published in the GDR, such as Christa Wold, Brigitte Reimann, or Maxie Wander.

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message 32: by David (last edited Nov 28, 2020 05:29AM) (new)

Nov 28, 2020 05:28AM

I find it interesting that there are several titles by W.G. Sebald, who wrote in English but was German by birth and nationality, as well as several by Kafka, who wrote in German, but was most definitely not German, nor Austrian nor Swiss. What are the criteria for inclusion?

Would Beckett be included among a similar list of French writers?

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message 33: by Book2Dragon (new)

Jul 16, 2021 08:53PM

BookLovingLady wrote: "@Margareta

I personally have a shelf with mostly literature originally written in German:
german-austrian (The titles are in Dutch but the books were originally published in German)"

How about making a list then?

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message 34: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jul 17, 2021 12:07AM) (new)

Jul 17, 2021 12:01AM

@Book2Dragon
Not interested. Thanks.
(I already made one quite a while ago, see Nederlandse vertalingen van Duitstalige auteurs)

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message 35: by George P. (new)

Mar 05, 2023 10:05AM

# 678 Heimwee Naar de Jungle was written by Cuban author Alejo Carpentier in Spanish with title Los Pasos Perdidos (titled The Lost Steps in English).

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message 36: by Sano (new)

Mar 07, 2023 03:16AM

David wrote: "I find it interesting that there are several titles by W.G. Sebald, who wrote in English but was German by birth and nationality, as well as several by Kafka, who wrote in German, but was most defi..."

I think you are misinformed: Sebald wrote in German! Of course, he could also write in English, if he chose to do so, but his famous novels were written in the German language.

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message 37: by Clarice (last edited May 06, 2023 10:52PM) (new)

May 06, 2023 10:51PM

George P. wrote: "# 678 Heimwee Naar de Jungle was written by Cuban author Alejo Carpentier in Spanish with title Los Pasos Perdidos (titled The Lost Steps in English)."

Kafka was a Bohemian German speaker and wrote in German. I think it's safe to say, we can include him on this list. The nationality in one's passport is not a criterium for inclusion on this list. And as we all know, the borders of Germany are / were in flux.

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message 38: by Novall (new)

Feb 21, 2024 08:52AM