Essential Literary Fiction

Novels that define modern literary taste.

Literary Fiction4.2

A Farewell to Arms

Ernest Hemingway · 1929

Challenging · 579 pp.

Literary Fiction4.3

A Man Called Ove

Fredrik Backman · 2012

Accessible · 433 pp.

Literary Fiction3.8

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini · 2007

Challenging · 288 pp.

Literary Fiction3.8

And the Mountains Echoed

Khaled Hosseini · 2013

Moderate · 533 pp.

Literary Fiction3.7

Beloved

Toni Morrison · 1987

Moderate · 686 pp.

Literary Fiction3.8

Cloud Atlas

David Mitchell · 2004

Accessible · 694 pp.

Literary Fiction3.9

East of Eden

John Steinbeck · 1952

Moderate · 380 pp.

Literary Fiction3.9

Ethan Frome

Edith Wharton · 1911

Accessible · 436 pp.

Literary Fiction3.9

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Ernest Hemingway · 1940

Challenging · 303 pp.

Literary Fiction3.8

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Maya Angelou · 1969

Moderate · 281 pp.

Literary Fiction4.3

Klara and the Sun

Kazuo Ishiguro · 2021

Challenging · 573 pp.

Literary Fiction4.1

Life of Pi

Yann Martel · 2001

Moderate · 683 pp.