Literary fiction is a genre of fiction used to categorize novels and it is used quite liberally, spanning the genre widely. However, by definition, literary fiction focuses on aspects of a novel such as language, theme, and characters over plot. Literary fiction is also known to be more experimental than general fiction. Here are the 12 best literary fiction novels of all time.
12. Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami is a 2020 novel that depicts womanhood in modern-day Japan. The novel follows the story of Nastuko, a writer living in Tokyo who has spent her life trying to get her work published.
Not only is Breasts and Eggs a masterful piece of feminist literary fiction, displaying what womanhood can look like, but it also sets itself apart as a literary fiction novel by challenging typical storytelling with its unique prose style, mixing Kawakami’s humor with intense emotional depth. Breasts and Eggs is a groundbreaking piece of fiction and is one of the best literary fiction novels ever written.
11. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Never Let Me Go is a Nobel Prize winning novel published in 2005 by Kazuo Ishiguro. The novel is the story of three friends who grow up in an English boarding school and gradually come to the understanding that they are different from other people and how those differences will shape the rest of their lives.
This is a boundary breaking novel that critiques human arrogance and how we treat the vulnerable in our society. As a gripping mystery and a story about love and friendship, this novel deservedly earns its rank as one of the best literary fiction novels to date.
10. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Everything I Never Told You is a 2014 literary fiction novel by Celeste Ng which follows a Chinese American family in 1970s Ohio. When their daughter, Lydia, is found dead in a lake, readers watch the family’s history unfold and come to understand what drove Lydia’s death.
This novel, though published in the last ten years, has become a genre defining novel. Masterfully unfolding a harrowing family tale, Everything I Never Told You displays just how powerful focusing on aspects of the story beyond the plot can be, making it one of the best literary fiction novels ever written.
9. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is a 1963 novel published under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas, but later released under Plath’s real name. The novel follows Esther Greenwood as she slowly spirals into madness.
The Bell Jar has earned its rank as one of the best literary fiction novels of all time as Plath realistically depicts mental illness and how the pressures women face from society impacts it. As Plath was a poet, the novel is also known for its prose and its fresh, distinct voice.
8. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde was published in 1890 and is a beloved classic about a young man who purchases eternal youth at the expense of his soul.
This widely celebrated novel paints the portrait of evil and debauchery. Combining elements of literary horror and literary fiction, the novel creates a striking premise and earns the rank as one of the best literary fiction novels.
7. 1984 by George Orwell
1984 by George Orwell is a dystopian novel set in 1984 in Oceania, one of three warring totalitarian states.
Often recognized as one of the best literary fiction novels to date, 1984 is taught in high school English classes across the country. Critiquing totalitarianism and the corruption within politics, 1984 teaches readers to look for signs of facism, a perspective not often represented in literature.
6. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is a beloved American classic and coming of age story following a girl named Francie Nolan in a poor neighborhood in Brooklyn.
This poignant and moving story about a young girl earns its place in the genre of literary fiction as it focuses on the character development of Francie Nolan and the people around her instead of the plot. Filled with compassion, cruelty, grief, laughter, and love, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is one of the best literary fiction novels of all time.
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5. Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin is set in 1950s Paris where an American man has a doomed affair with a man named Giovanni.
In this novel, James Baldwin’s brilliant talent for narrative shines through, creating a story full of probing insight to the complexities of the human heart. This moving novel about love and death is one of the best literary fiction novels of all time.
4. The Secret History by Donna Tart
The Secret History is a 1992 dark academia literary fiction novel by Donna Tart. The novel follows a group of students studying the classics at a small, elite college in Vermont.
The Secret History is known to be a definitive novel in both the genres of dark academia and literary fiction. At the surface, the novel is a twisted and thrilling story about murder but at a deeper level, it explores class, privilege, arrogance, and how it intersects with evil.
Though The Secret History has a basic plot, it is tied together with the internal politics of its characters, depicting many toxic relationships and dangerous behavior. It is this that makes The Secret History one of the greatest literary fiction novels ever written.
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is not only one of the greatest novels of all time, but also one of the best literary fiction books ever. A coming of age novel about Scout Finch and her brother Jem, the novel is an American classic and has reached some of the highest acclaim.
This masterpiece of literary fiction explores the relationship between the American legacy and the racism rooted within it, making To Kill a Mockingbird one of the most powerful literary fiction novels ever written.
2. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men is by one of the greatest American authors, John Steinbeck. This masterful novel tells the tale of two men, George and Lenny, who have been moving from farm to farm, looking for work.
This savvy and incredibly smart novel exposes the lies of the American dream and the cycle of western capitalism. This powerful commentary on our society makes Of Mice and Men one of the best literary fiction novels.
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1. The Trial by Franz Kafka
The Trial by Franz Kafka is a 1925 novel about a respectable banker who is accused of a murder and he has to defend himself for a charge for which he can get no information.
Kafka may be the most definitive writer in the literary fiction genre and The Trial is no exception. Kafka’s novels focus on the ways post-industrial European society undermines and disempowers working men. These themes hold true in The Trial as well.
Inspiring the entire genre of literary fiction and the many novels to come, The Trial earns its rank on this list as the best literary fiction novel ever written.
