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The Best Literary Fiction Books and Novels

Often described as "serious" literature (think the Great American Novel), literary fiction often doesn't fit neatly into the parameters of other genres, and is usually more character-driven than plot-driven. But don't let that lofty definition put you off—plenty of literary fiction is accessible, fascinating, and all the more interesting for its fully fleshed-out characters. In fact, some of the most popular books of all time are literary fiction.

At the same time, a literary fiction label doesn’t mean a novel can’t have elements of other genres—there’s plenty of books shelved as literary suspense, literary romance, or even literary fabulism. You can expect these kinds of novels to still have those genre traits, but with elevated writing styles and more character development.

Another hallmark of literary fiction is the prizes. From Booker Prize winners to National Book Award winners to Pulitzer Prize winners, literary fiction features the kind of writing that deserves all the accolades.

Intrigued? Dive into our lists of recommended literary fiction books below.

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My Brilliant Friend
My Brilliant Friend
by Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein
Great Lion of God
Great Lion of God
by Taylor Caldwell
Actress
Actress
by Anne Enright
The Days of Abandonment
The Days of Abandonment
by Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein
The Turnbulls
The Turnbulls
by Taylor Caldwell
Total Chaos
Total Chaos
by Jean-Claude Izzo, Howard Curtis
A Novel Bookstore
A Novel Bookstore
by Laurence Cosse, Alison Anderson
The Death of Artemio Cruz
The Death of Artemio Cruz
by Carlos Fuentes, Alfred MacAdam
The Increment
The Increment
by David Ignatius
The Fifth Avenue Artists Society
The Fifth Avenue Artists Society
by Joy Callaway
The World to Come
The World to Come
by Dara Horn
Dalva
Dalva
by Jim Harrison
All God's Children
All God's Children
by Aaron Gwyn
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4
by Sue Townsend
Fight Club
Fight Club
by Chuck Palahniuk
A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange
by Anthony Burgess
Hogg
Hogg
by Samuel R. Delany
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The Custom of the Country
The Custom of the Country
by Edith Wharton
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The Easter Parade
The Easter Parade
by Richard Yates
The War of the End of the World
The War of the End of the World
by Mario Vargas Llosa, Helen R. Lane
The Hearth and Eagle
The Hearth and Eagle
by Anya Seton
The Slowworm's Song
The Slowworm's Song
by Andrew Miller
The Pope's Rhinoceros
The Pope's Rhinoceros
by Lawrence Norfolk
Jane and Prudence
Jane and Prudence
by Barbara Pym
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The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
by Muriel Spark
The Lost Daughter
The Lost Daughter
by Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein
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The Final Confession of Mabel Stark
The Final Confession of Mabel Stark
by Robert Hough
Cup of Gold
Cup of Gold
by John Steinbeck
Plum Bun
Plum Bun
by Jessie Redmon Fauset
Judah the Pious
Judah the Pious
by Francine Prose
Cold Mountain
Cold Mountain
by Charles Frazier
The Painted Bird
The Painted Bird
by Jerzy Kosinski
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Across the River and Into the Trees
Across the River and Into the Trees
by Ernest Hemingway
The Rib King
The Rib King
by Ladee Hubbard
Refiner's Fire
Refiner's Fire
by Mark Helprin
All Change
All Change
by Elizabeth Jane Howard
The Loving Spirit
The Loving Spirit
by Daphne Du Maurier
My Father's House
My Father's House
by Joseph O’Connor
Song of the River
Song of the River
by Sue Harrison
Collected Stories of Carson McCullers
Collected Stories of Carson McCullers
by Carson McCullers
Meridian
Meridian
by Alice Walker
Baudolino
Baudolino
by Umberto Eco
A Sport and a Pastime
A Sport and a Pastime
by James Salter
Ties
Ties
by Domenico Starnone, Jhumpa Lahiri
Lost Horizon
Lost Horizon
by James Hilton
Our Man in Havana
Our Man in Havana
by Graham Greene
The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock
The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock
by Imogen Hermes Gowar
Echoes of Our Ancestors
Echoes of Our Ancestors
by Brenda Vicars
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Literary fiction is a genre that focuses on style, theme, and character rather than plot. Literary fiction books are often an exploration of the human condition or social and political issues. Classics like To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, and A Tale of Two Cities are examples of literary fiction. 

This can be a difficult distinction because they have some overlap. But generally, literary fiction is character-driven, and focuses on character building, themes, and literary devices, while genre fiction is plot-driven, and focuses on tropes, plot structures, and archetypes. Additionally, genre fiction can be broken down into other sub-genres, while literary fiction cannot.