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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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Terra Nostra
Terra Nostra
by Carlos Fuentes, Milan Kundera
A Boy's Own Story
A Boy's Own Story
by Edmund White
The Big Seven
The Big Seven
by Jim Harrison
The Wounds of My Father
The Wounds of My Father
by Roccie Hill
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4
by Sue Townsend
A River Runs through It and Other Stories
A River Runs through It and Other Stories
by Norman MacLean, Robert Redford
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My Brilliant Friend
My Brilliant Friend
by Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein
The House of Mirth
The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton
Survivor
Survivor
by Chuck Palahniuk
The Custom of the Country
The Custom of the Country
by Edith Wharton
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Bottomland
Bottomland
by Michelle Hoover
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Dialogues with the Devil
Dialogues with the Devil
by Taylor Caldwell
Coromandel Sea Change
Coromandel Sea Change
by Rumer Godden
The Old Jest
The Old Jest
by Jennifer Johnston
Jane and Prudence
Jane and Prudence
by Barbara Pym
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Plum Bun
Plum Bun
by Jessie Redmon Fauset
The Kashmir Shawl
The Kashmir Shawl
by Rosie Thomas
The Tremor of Forgery
The Tremor of Forgery
by Patricia Highsmith, Francine Prose
Across the River and Into the Trees
Across the River and Into the Trees
by Ernest Hemingway
Persuasion
Persuasion
by Jane Austen
Refiner's Fire
Refiner's Fire
by Mark Helprin
O Pioneers!
O Pioneers!
by Willa Cather
They Tell Me of a Home
They Tell Me of a Home
by Daniel Black
The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden
The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden
by Jonas Jonasson, Rachel Willson-Broyles
The 2020 Commission Report on the North Korean Nuclear Attacks Against the United States
The 2020 Commission Report on the North Korean Nuclear Attacks Against the United States
by Jeffrey Lewis
Serve the People!
Serve the People!
by Yan Lianke
Arthur Rex
Arthur Rex
by Thomas Berger
All Our Shimmering Skies
All Our Shimmering Skies
by Trent Dalton
A Fanatic Heart
A Fanatic Heart
by Edna O'Brien, Philip Roth
Man Gone Down
Man Gone Down
by Barry Thomas Thomas
Frankissstein
Frankissstein
by Jeanette Winterson
Siddhartha
Siddhartha
by Hermann Hesse
Beneficence
Beneficence
by Meredith Hall
Walk the Blue Fields
Walk the Blue Fields
by Claire Keegan
The Refugees
The Refugees
by Viet Thanh Nguyen
The Doll Factory
The Doll Factory
by Elizabeth Macneal
The Groves of Academe
The Groves of Academe
by Mary McCarthy
The Boat Runner
The Boat Runner
by Devin Murphy
The Colour of Milk
The Colour of Milk
by Nell Leyshon
Three Score and Ten
Three Score and Ten
by Angela Thirkell, C.A. Lejeune
Rhoda
Rhoda
by Ellen Gilchrist
The Robber Bridegroom
The Robber Bridegroom
by Eudora Welty
Confederates
Confederates
by Thomas Keneally
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The Far Field
The Far Field
by Madhuri Vijay
The Good Doctor
The Good Doctor
by Damon Galgut
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
by Charles Dickens
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
by Muriel Barbery, Alison Anderson
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
by Peter Hedges
Witches on the Road Tonight
Witches on the Road Tonight
by Sheri Holman
Snap
Snap
by Belinda Bauer
Showing 1-50 of 502 results

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.