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The 100 best novels written in English: the full list

After two years of careful consideration, Robert McCrum has reached a verdict on his selection of the 100 greatest novels written in English. Take a look at his list

  • Robert McCrum reflects on his choices
  • One in five doesn’t represent over 300 years of women in literature: a response
  • What is missing: readers’ alternative list
  • The world’s 100 greatest novels of all time (2003)

1. The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan (1678)

A story of a man in search of truth told with the simple clarity and beauty of Bunyan’s prose make this the ultimate English classic.

2. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (1719)

By the end of the 19th century, no book in English literary history had enjoyed more editions, spin-offs and translations. Crusoe’s world-famous novel is a complex literary confection, and it’s irresistible.

3. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift (1726)

A satirical masterpiece that’s never been out of print, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels comes third in our list of the best novels written in English

4. Clarissa by Samuel Richardson (1748)

Clarissa is a tragic heroine, pressured by her unscrupulous nouveau-riche family to marry a wealthy man she detests, in the book that Samuel Johnson described as “the first book in the world for the knowledge it displays of the human heart.”

5. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding (1749)

Tom Jones is a classic English novel that captures the spirit of its age and whose famous characters have come to represent Augustan society in all its loquacious, turbulent, comic variety.

6. The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne (1759)

Laurence Sterne’s vivid novel caused delight and consternation when it first appeared and has lost little of its original bite.

7. Emma by Jane Austen (1816)

Jane Austen’s Emma is her masterpiece, mixing the sparkle of her early books with a deep sensibility.

8. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)

Mary Shelley’s first novel has been hailed as a masterpiece of horror and the macabre.

9. Nightmare Abbey by Thomas Love Peacock (1818)

The great pleasure of Nightmare Abbey, which was inspired by Thomas Love Peacock ’s friendship with Shelley , lies in the delight the author takes in poking fun at the romantic movement.

10. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe (1838)

Edgar Allan Poe’s only novel – a classic adventure story with supernatural elements – has fascinated and influenced generations of writers.

11. Sybil by Benjamin Disraeli (1845)

The future prime minister displayed flashes of brilliance that equalled the greatest Victorian novelists.

A whirlwind success … Jane Eyre

12. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1847)

Charlotte Brontë’s erotic, gothic masterpiece became the sensation of Victorian England. Its great breakthrough was its intimate dialogue with the reader.

13. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (1847)

Emily Brontë’s windswept masterpiece is notable not just for its wild beauty but for its daring reinvention of the novel form itself.

14. Vanity Fair by William Thackeray (1848)

William Thackeray’s masterpiece, set in Regency England, is a bravura performance by a writer at the top of his game.

15. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (1850)

David Copperfield marked the point at which Dickens became the great entertainer and also laid the foundations for his later, darker masterpieces.

16. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850)

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s astounding book is full of intense symbolism and as haunting as anything by Edgar Allan Poe.

17. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville (1851)

Wise, funny and gripping, Melville’s epic work continues to cast a long shadow over American literature.

18. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865)

Lewis Carroll’s brilliant nonsense tale is one of the most influential and best loved in the English canon.

19. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (1868)

Wilkie Collins’s masterpiece, hailed by many as the greatest English detective novel, is a brilliant marriage of the sensational and the realistic.

20. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1868-9)

Louisa May Alcott’s highly original tale aimed at a young female market has iconic status in America and never been out of print.

21. Middlemarch by George Eliot (1871-2)

This cathedral of words stands today as perhaps the greatest of the great Victorian fictions.

22. The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope (1875)

Inspired by the author’s fury at the corrupt state of England, and dismissed by critics at the time, The Way We Live Now is recognised as Trollope’s masterpiece.

23. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1884/5)

Mark Twain’s tale of a rebel boy and a runaway slave seeking liberation upon the waters of the Mississippi remains a defining classic of American literature.

24. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886)

A thrilling adventure story, gripping history and fascinating study of the Scottish character, Kidnapped has lost none of its power.

25. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome (1889)

Jerome K Jerome’s accidental classic about messing about on the Thames remains a comic gem.

26. The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle (1890)

Sherlock Holmes’s second outing sees Conan Doyle’s brilliant sleuth – and his bluff sidekick Watson – come into their own.

Helmut Berger and Richard Todd in the 1970 adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

27. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1891)

Wilde’s brilliantly allusive moral tale of youth, beauty and corruption was greeted with howls of protest on publication.

28. New Grub Street by George Gissing (1891)

George Gissing’s portrayal of the hard facts of a literary life remains as relevant today as it was in the late 19th century.

29. Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy (1895)

Hardy exposed his deepest feelings in this bleak, angry novel and, stung by the hostile response, he never wrote another.

30. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane (1895)

Stephen Crane’s account of a young man’s passage to manhood through soldiery is a blueprint for the great American war novel.

31. Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)

Bram Stoker’s classic vampire story was very much of its time but still resonates more than a century later.

32. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (1899)

Joseph Conrad’s masterpiece about a life-changing journey in search of Mr Kurtz has the simplicity of great myth.

33. Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser (1900)

Theodore Dreiser was no stylist, but there’s a terrific momentum to his unflinching novel about a country girl’s American dream.

34. Kim by Rudyard Kipling (1901)

In Kipling’s classic boy’s own spy story, an orphan in British India must make a choice between east and west.

35. The Call of the Wild by Jack London (1903)

Jack London’s vivid adventures of a pet dog that goes back to nature reveal an extraordinary style and consummate storytelling.

36. The Golden Bowl by Henry James (1904)

American literature contains nothing else quite like Henry James’s amazing, labyrinthine and claustrophobic novel.

37. Hadrian the Seventh by Frederick Rolfe (1904)

This entertaining if contrived story of a hack writer and priest who becomes pope sheds vivid light on its eccentric author – described by DH Lawrence as a “man-demon”.

38. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (1908)

The evergreen tale from the riverbank and a powerful contribution to the mythology of Edwardian England.

39. The History of Mr Polly by HG Wells (1910)

The choice is great, but Wells’s ironic portrait of a man very like himself is the novel that stands out.

40. Zuleika Dobson by Max Beerbohm (1911)

The passage of time has conferred a dark power upon Beerbohm’s ostensibly light and witty Edwardian satire.

41. The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford (1915)

Ford’s masterpiece is a searing study of moral dissolution behind the facade of an English gentleman – and its stylistic influence lingers to this day.

42. The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan (1915)

John Buchan’s espionage thriller, with its sparse, contemporary prose, is hard to put down.

43. The Rainbow by DH Lawrence (1915)

The Rainbow is perhaps DH Lawrence’s finest work, showing him for the radical, protean, thoroughly modern writer he was.

44. Of Human Bondage by W Somerset Maugham (1915)

Somerset Maugham’s semi-autobiographical novel shows the author’s savage honesty and gift for storytelling at their best.

45. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (1920)

The story of a blighted New York marriage stands as a fierce indictment of a society estranged from culture.

46. Ulysses by James Joyce (1922)

This portrait of a day in the lives of three Dubliners remains a towering work, in its word play surpassing even Shakespeare.

47. Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis (1922)

What it lacks in structure and guile, this enthralling take on 20s America makes up for in vivid satire and characterisation.

48. A Passage to India by EM Forster (1924)

EM Forster’s most successful work is eerily prescient on the subject of empire.

49. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos (1925)

A guilty pleasure it may be, but it is impossible to overlook the enduring influence of a tale that helped to define the jazz age.

50. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (1925)

Woolf’s great novel makes a day of party preparations the canvas for themes of lost love, life choices and mental illness.

Carey Mulligan and Leonardo DiCaprio in The Great Gatsby

51. The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald (1925)

Fitzgerald’s jazz age masterpiece has become a tantalising metaphor for the eternal mystery of art.

52. Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner (1926)

A young woman escapes convention by becoming a witch in this original satire about England after the first world war.

53. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (1926)

Hemingway’s first and best novel makes an escape to 1920s Spain to explore courage, cowardice and manly authenticity.

54. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (1929)

Dashiell Hammett’s crime thriller and its hard-boiled hero Sam Spade influenced everyone from Chandler to Le Carré.

55. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner (1930)

The influence of William Faulkner’s immersive tale of raw Mississippi rural life can be felt to this day.

56. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932)

Aldous Huxley’s vision of a future human race controlled by global capitalism is every bit as prescient as Orwell’s more famous dystopia.

57. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons (1932)

The book for which Gibbons is best remembered was a satire of late-Victorian pastoral fiction but went on to influence many subsequent generations.

58. Nineteen Nineteen by John Dos Passos (1932)

The middle volume of John Dos Passos’s USA trilogy is revolutionary in its intent, techniques and lasting impact.

59. Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller (1934)

The US novelist’s debut revelled in a Paris underworld of seedy sex and changed the course of the novel – though not without a fight with the censors.

60. Scoop by Evelyn Waugh (1938)

Evelyn Waugh’s Fleet Street satire remains sharp, pertinent and memorable.

61. Murphy by Samuel Beckett (1938)

Samuel Beckett’s first published novel is an absurdist masterpiece, a showcase for his uniquely comic voice.

Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall in The Big Sleep.

62. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (1939)

Raymond Chandler’s hardboiled debut brings to life the seedy LA underworld – and Philip Marlowe, the archetypal fictional detective.

63. Party Going by Henry Green (1939)

Set on the eve of war, this neglected modernist masterpiece centres on a group of bright young revellers delayed by fog.

64. At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O’Brien (1939)

Labyrinthine and multilayered, Flann O’Brien’s humorous debut is both a reflection on, and an exemplar of, the Irish novel.

65. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939)

One of the greatest of great American novels, this study of a family torn apart by poverty and desperation in the Great Depression shocked US society.

66. Joy in the Morning by PG Wodehouse (1946)

PG Wodehouse’s elegiac Jeeves novel, written during his disastrous years in wartime Germany, remains his masterpiece.

67. All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren (1946)

A compelling story of personal and political corruption, set in the 1930s in the American south.

68. Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry (1947)

Malcolm Lowry’s masterpiece about the last hours of an alcoholic ex-diplomat in Mexico is set to the drumbeat of coming conflict.

69. The Heat of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen (1948)

Elizabeth Bowen’s 1948 novel perfectly captures the atmosphere of London during the blitz while providing brilliant insights into the human heart.

Richard Burton and John Hurt in Nineteen Eighty-four

70. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (1949)

George Orwell’s dystopian classic cost its author dear but is arguably the best-known novel in English of the 20th century.

71. The End of the Affair by Graham Greene (1951)

Graham Greene’s moving tale of adultery and its aftermath ties together several vital strands in his work.

72. The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger (1951)

JD Salinger’s study of teenage rebellion remains one of the most controversial and best-loved American novels of the 20th century.

73. The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow (1953)

In the long-running hunt to identify the great American novel, Saul Bellow’s picaresque third book frequently hits the mark.

74. Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954)

Dismissed at first as “rubbish & dull”, Golding’s brilliantly observed dystopian desert island tale has since become a classic.

75. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (1955)

Nabokov’s tragicomic tour de force crosses the boundaries of good taste with glee.

76. On the Road by Jack Kerouac (1957)

The creative history of Kerouac’s beat-generation classic, fuelled by pea soup and benzedrine, has become as famous as the novel itself.

77. Voss by Patrick White (1957)

A love story set against the disappearance of an explorer in the outback, Voss paved the way for a generation of Australian writers to shrug off the colonial past.

78. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)

Her second novel finally arrived this summer , but Harper Lee’s first did enough alone to secure her lasting fame, and remains a truly popular classic.

79. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (1960)

Short and bittersweet, Muriel Spark’s tale of the downfall of a Scottish schoolmistress is a masterpiece of narrative fiction.

80. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (1961)

This acerbic anti-war novel was slow to fire the public imagination, but is rightly regarded as a groundbreaking critique of military madness.

81. The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing (1962)

Hailed as one of the key texts of the women’s movement of the 1960s, this study of a divorced single mother’s search for personal and political identity remains a defiant, ambitious tour de force.

Malcolm Macdowell in A Clockwork Orange

82. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (1962)

Anthony Burgess’s dystopian classic still continues to startle and provoke, refusing to be outshone by Stanley Kubrick’s brilliant film adaptation.

83. A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood (1964)

Christopher Isherwood’s story of a gay Englishman struggling with bereavement in LA is a work of compressed brilliance.

84. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (1966)

Truman Capote’s non-fiction novel, a true story of bloody murder in rural Kansas, opens a window on the dark underbelly of postwar America.

85. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (1966)

Sylvia Plath’s painfully graphic roman à clef, in which a woman struggles with her identity in the face of social pressure, is a key text of Anglo-American feminism.

86. Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth (1969)

This wickedly funny novel about a young Jewish American’s obsession with masturbation caused outrage on publication, but remains his most dazzling work.

87. Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor (1971)

Elizabeth Taylor’s exquisitely drawn character study of eccentricity in old age is a sharp and witty portrait of genteel postwar English life facing the changes taking shape in the 60s.

88. Rabbit Redux by John Updike (1971)

Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom, Updike’s lovably mediocre alter ego, is one of America’s great literary protoganists, up there with Huck Finn and Jay Gatsby.

89. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (1977)

The novel with which the Nobel prize-winning author established her name is a kaleidoscopic evocation of the African-American experience in the 20th century.

90. A Bend in the River by VS Naipaul (1979)

VS Naipaul’s hellish vision of an African nation’s path to independence saw him accused of racism, but remains his masterpiece.

91. Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie (1981)

The personal and the historical merge in Salman Rushdie’s dazzling, game-changing Indian English novel of a young man born at the very moment of Indian independence.

92. Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson (1981)

Marilynne Robinson’s tale of orphaned sisters and their oddball aunt in a remote Idaho town is admired by everyone from Barack Obama to Bret Easton Ellis.

Nick Frost as John Self Martin Amis's Money.

93. Money: A Suicide Note by Martin Amis (1984)

Martin Amis’s era-defining ode to excess unleashed one of literature’s greatest modern monsters in self-destructive antihero John Self.

94. An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro (1986)

Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel about a retired artist in postwar Japan, reflecting on his career during the country’s dark years, is a tour de force of unreliable narration.

95. The Beginning of Spring by Penelope Fitzgerald (1988)

Fitzgerald’s story, set in Russia just before the Bolshevik revolution, is her masterpiece: a brilliant miniature whose peculiar magic almost defies analysis.

96. Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler (1988)

Anne Tyler’s portrayal of a middle-aged, mid-American marriage displays her narrative clarity, comic timing and ear for American speech to perfection.

97. Amongst Women by John McGahern (1990)

This modern Irish masterpiece is both a study of the faultlines of Irish patriarchy and an elegy for a lost world.

98. Underworld by Don DeLillo (1997)

A writer of “frightening perception”, Don DeLillo guides the reader in an epic journey through America’s history and popular culture.

99. Disgrace by JM Coetzee (1999)

In his Booker-winning masterpiece, Coetzee’s intensely human vision infuses a fictional world that both invites and confounds political interpretation.

100. True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey (2000)

Peter Carey rounds off our list of literary milestones with a Booker prize-winning tour-de-force examining the life and times of Australia’s infamous antihero, Ned Kelly.

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The Greatest Books of All Time

Click to learn how this list is calculated.

This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books in literature. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 210 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed literary works. For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details about the selection process can be found on the rankings page .

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1. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Cover of 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This novel is a multi-generational saga that focuses on the Buendía family, who founded the fictional town of Macondo. It explores themes of love, loss, family, and the cyclical nature of history. The story is filled with magical realism, blending the supernatural with the ordinary, as it chronicles the family's experiences, including civil war, marriages, births, and deaths. The book is renowned for its narrative style and its exploration of solitude, fate, and the inevitability of repetition in history.

2. Ulysses by James Joyce

Cover of 'Ulysses' by James Joyce

Set in Dublin, the novel follows a day in the life of Leopold Bloom, an advertising salesman, as he navigates the city. The narrative, heavily influenced by Homer's Odyssey, explores themes of identity, heroism, and the complexities of everyday life. It is renowned for its stream-of-consciousness style and complex structure, making it a challenging but rewarding read.

3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Cover of 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Set in the summer of 1922, the novel follows the life of a young and mysterious millionaire, his extravagant lifestyle in Long Island, and his obsessive love for a beautiful former debutante. As the story unfolds, the millionaire's dark secrets and the corrupt reality of the American dream during the Jazz Age are revealed. The narrative is a critique of the hedonistic excess and moral decay of the era, ultimately leading to tragic consequences.

4. In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust

Cover of 'In Search of Lost Time' by Marcel Proust

This renowned novel is a sweeping exploration of memory, love, art, and the passage of time, told through the narrator's recollections of his childhood and experiences into adulthood in the late 19th and early 20th century aristocratic France. The narrative is notable for its lengthy and intricate involuntary memory episodes, the most famous being the "madeleine episode". It explores the themes of time, space and memory, but also raises questions about the nature of art and literature, and the complex relationships between love, sexuality, and possession.

5. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Cover of 'Don Quixote' by Miguel de Cervantes

This classic novel follows the adventures of a man who, driven mad by reading too many chivalric romances, decides to become a knight-errant and roam the world righting wrongs under the name Don Quixote. Accompanied by his loyal squire, Sancho Panza, he battles windmills he believes to be giants and champions the virtuous lady Dulcinea, who is in reality a simple peasant girl. The book is a richly layered critique of the popular literature of Cervantes' time and a profound exploration of reality and illusion, madness and sanity.

6. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Cover of 'The Catcher in the Rye' by J. D. Salinger

The novel follows the story of a teenager named Holden Caulfield, who has just been expelled from his prep school. The narrative unfolds over the course of three days, during which Holden experiences various forms of alienation and his mental state continues to unravel. He criticizes the adult world as "phony" and struggles with his own transition into adulthood. The book is a profound exploration of teenage rebellion, alienation, and the loss of innocence.

7. Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Cover of 'Moby Dick' by Herman Melville

The novel is a detailed narrative of a vengeful sea captain's obsessive quest to hunt down a giant white sperm whale that bit off his leg. The captain's relentless pursuit, despite the warnings and concerns of his crew, leads them on a dangerous journey across the seas. The story is a complex exploration of good and evil, obsession, and the nature of reality, filled with rich descriptions of whaling and the sea.

8. Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell

Cover of 'Nineteen Eighty Four' by George Orwell

Set in a dystopian future, the novel presents a society under the total control of a totalitarian regime, led by the omnipresent Big Brother. The protagonist, a low-ranking member of 'the Party', begins to question the regime and falls in love with a woman, an act of rebellion in a world where independent thought, dissent, and love are prohibited. The novel explores themes of surveillance, censorship, and the manipulation of truth.

9. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Cover of 'Crime and Punishment' by Fyodor Dostoevsky

A young, impoverished former student in Saint Petersburg, Russia, formulates a plan to kill an unscrupulous pawnbroker to redistribute her wealth among the needy. However, after carrying out the act, he is consumed by guilt and paranoia, leading to a psychological battle within himself. As he grapples with his actions, he also navigates complex relationships with a variety of characters, including a virtuous prostitute, his sister, and a relentless detective. The narrative explores themes of morality, redemption, and the psychological impacts of crime.

10. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Cover of 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Brontë

This classic novel is a tale of love, revenge and social class set in the Yorkshire moors. It revolves around the intense, complex relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, an orphan adopted by Catherine's father. Despite their deep affection for each other, Catherine marries Edgar Linton, a wealthy neighbor, leading Heathcliff to seek revenge on the two families. The story unfolds over two generations, reflecting the consequences of their choices and the destructive power of obsessive love.

11. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Cover of 'War and Peace' by Leo Tolstoy

Set in the backdrop of the Napoleonic era, the novel presents a panorama of Russian society and its descent into the chaos of war. It follows the interconnected lives of five aristocratic families, their struggles, romances, and personal journeys through the tumultuous period of history. The narrative explores themes of love, war, and the meaning of life, as it weaves together historical events with the personal stories of its characters.

12. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Cover of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll

This novel follows the story of a young girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantastical world full of peculiar creatures and bizarre experiences. As she navigates through this strange land, she encounters a series of nonsensical events, including a tea party with a Mad Hatter, a pool of tears, and a trial over stolen tarts. The book is renowned for its playful use of language, logic, and its exploration of the boundaries of reality.

13. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Cover of 'Lolita' by Vladimir Nabokov

The novel tells the story of Humbert Humbert, a man with a disturbing obsession for young girls, or "nymphets" as he calls them. His obsession leads him to engage in a manipulative and destructive relationship with his 12-year-old stepdaughter, Lolita. The narrative is a controversial exploration of manipulation, obsession, and unreliable narration, as Humbert attempts to justify his actions and feelings throughout the story.

14. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Cover of 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen

Set in early 19th-century England, this classic novel revolves around the lives of the Bennet family, particularly the five unmarried daughters. The narrative explores themes of manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage within the society of the landed gentry. It follows the romantic entanglements of Elizabeth Bennet, the second eldest daughter, who is intelligent, lively, and quick-witted, and her tumultuous relationship with the proud, wealthy, and seemingly aloof Mr. Darcy. Their story unfolds as they navigate societal expectations, personal misunderstandings, and their own pride and prejudice.

15. The Bible by Christian Church

Cover of 'The Bible' by Christian Church

This religious text is a compilation of 66 books divided into the Old and New Testaments, forming the central narrative for Christianity. It encompasses a variety of genres, including historical accounts, poetry, prophecy, and teaching, telling the story of God's relationship with humanity, from creation to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the early Christian church. It is considered by believers to be divinely inspired and serves as a guide for faith and practice.

16. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Cover of 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad

This classic novel follows the journey of a seaman who travels up the Congo River into the African interior to meet a mysterious ivory trader. Throughout his journey, he encounters the harsh realities of imperialism, the brutal treatment of native Africans, and the depths of human cruelty and madness. The protagonist's journey into the 'heart of darkness' serves as both a physical exploration of the African continent and a metaphorical exploration into the depths of human nature.

17. The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

Cover of 'The Divine Comedy' by Dante Alighieri

In this epic poem, the protagonist embarks on an extraordinary journey through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Paradise (Paradiso). Guided by the ancient Roman poet Virgil and his beloved Beatrice, he encounters various historical and mythological figures in each realm, witnessing the eternal consequences of earthly sins and virtues. The journey serves as an allegory for the soul's progression towards God, offering profound insights into the nature of good and evil, free will, and divine justice.

18. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Cover of 'The Brothers Karamazov' by Fyodor Dostoevsky

This classic novel explores the complex, passionate, and troubled relationship between four brothers and their father in 19th century Russia. The narrative delves into the themes of faith, doubt, morality, and redemption, as each brother grapples with personal dilemmas and family conflicts. The story culminates in a dramatic trial following a murder, which serves as a microcosm of the moral and philosophical struggles faced by each character, and by extension, humanity itself.

19. The Odyssey by Homer

Cover of 'The Odyssey' by Homer

This epic poem follows the Greek hero Odysseus on his journey home after the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca after the ten-year Trojan War. Along the way, he encounters many obstacles including mythical creatures, divine beings, and natural disasters. Meanwhile, back in Ithaca, his wife Penelope and son Telemachus fend off suitors vying for Penelope's hand in marriage, believing Odysseus to be dead. The story concludes with Odysseus's return, his slaughter of the suitors, and his reunion with his family.

20. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Cover of 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' by Mark Twain

The novel follows the journey of a young boy named Huckleberry Finn and a runaway slave named Jim as they travel down the Mississippi River on a raft. Set in the American South before the Civil War, the story explores themes of friendship, freedom, and the hypocrisy of society. Through various adventures and encounters with a host of colorful characters, Huck grapples with his personal values, often clashing with the societal norms of the time.

21. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Cover of 'Anna Karenina' by Leo Tolstoy

Set in 19th-century Russia, this novel revolves around the life of Anna Karenina, a high-society woman who, dissatisfied with her loveless marriage, embarks on a passionate affair with a charming officer named Count Vronsky. This scandalous affair leads to her social downfall, while parallel to this, the novel also explores the rural life and struggles of Levin, a landowner who seeks the meaning of life and true happiness. The book explores themes such as love, marriage, fidelity, societal norms, and the human quest for happiness.

22. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Cover of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee

Set in the racially charged South during the Depression, the novel follows a young girl and her older brother as they navigate their small town's societal norms and prejudices. Their father, a lawyer, is appointed to defend a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman, forcing the children to confront the harsh realities of racism and injustice. The story explores themes of morality, innocence, and the loss of innocence through the eyes of the young protagonists.

23. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Cover of 'Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens

A young orphan boy, living with his cruel older sister and her kind blacksmith husband, has an encounter with an escaped convict that changes his life. Later, he becomes the protégé of a wealthy but reclusive woman and falls in love with her adopted daughter. He then learns that an anonymous benefactor has left him a fortune, leading him to believe that his benefactor is the reclusive woman and that she intends for him to marry her adopted daughter. He moves to London to become a gentleman, but his great expectations are ultimately shattered when he learns the true identity of his benefactor and the reality of his love interest.

24. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Cover of 'Madame Bovary' by Gustave Flaubert

Madame Bovary is a tragic novel about a young woman, Emma Bovary, who is married to a dull, but kind-hearted doctor. Dissatisfied with her life, she embarks on a series of extramarital affairs and indulges in a luxurious lifestyle in an attempt to escape the banalities and emptiness of provincial life. Her desire for passion and excitement leads her down a path of financial ruin and despair, ultimately resulting in a tragic end.

25. The Iliad by Homer

Cover of 'The Iliad' by Homer

This epic poem focuses on the final weeks of the Trojan War, a conflict between the city of Troy and the Greek city-states. The story explores themes of war, honor, wrath, and divine intervention, with a particular focus on the Greek hero Achilles, whose anger and refusal to fight have devastating consequences. The narrative also delves into the lives of the gods, their relationships with humans, and their influence on the course of events.

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  • 12 Essential English Novels Everyone Should Read

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The classic novels on this list are my (non-exhaustive) selection of ‘must-read’ books for anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of English literature. What counts as English literature spans over a thousand years, but you’ll find most of the great classics that well-educated people are often expected to have read – what’s known as the ‘canon’ – were primarily written in the 19th century or a little after, so this list focuses on that time period. Whether you’re a native English speaker or just learning, add these books to your reading list and make it your mission to read them all before the year is out. Reading novels is a great way to accelerate your English language skills; if you’re ready to take the next step towards fluency, why not learn English as a Foreign Language on campus as part of our Oxford summer courses .

1. Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë

This tumultuous tale of life in a bleak farmhouse on the Yorkshire moors is a popular set text for GCSE and A-level English study, but away from the demands of the classroom it’s easier to enjoy its drama and intensity. Populated largely by characters whose inability to control their own emotions leads to violence and revenge, it’s a tale that spans two generations and two families. At the heart of the story is the mysterious ‘gypsy’, Heathcliff, adopted as a ragamuffin child into the Earnshaw family to live at Wuthering Heights. As he grows up, he becomes close to his adopted sister Cathy, falling in love with her only to be met with crushing disappointment when she marries Edgar Linton, a kind and gentle man from neighbouring Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff disappears and returns a rich, educated man bent on revenge.

2. Middlemarch, by George Eliot

Middlemarch, subtitled “A Study of Provincial Life”, is the story of the inhabitants of a Midlands village in the 1830s. Masterfully weaving together several plotlines, the novel charts the fortunes of an interesting cast of characters, exploring their motivations, delusions and preoccupations. The remarkable thing about Middlemarch is the detail and realism with which George Eliot describes emotions. Feelings you thought were unique to you are described here in a way that could be describing your own thoughts. It’s one of the reasons why Middlemarch has been described the likes of Martin Amis and Julian Barnes as one of the greatest English novels ever written; read it and you’ll soon find yourself agreeing with them.

3. Nineteen Eighty-Four , by George Orwell

Nineteen Eighty-Four makes depressing but essential reading. Published in 1949, it’s the author’s vision of a dystopian future dominated by totalitarian state surveillance, mind control and perpetual war. At the centre of the novel is Winston, whose job is to rewrite old news stories so that they toe the party line, whom we follow in his quest for rebellion against the government he works for. Its memorable opening line sets the unsettling tone for the rest of this uncomfortable novel: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” You probably already use phrases from this influential book without necessarily knowing it; “Big Brother” and “Room 101” are both references taken from this novel. As you read Nineteen Eighty-Four, ask yourself: how close do you think Orwell’s vision is to how society is today?

4. The Lord of the Rings , by J.R.R. Tolkien

If you haven’t read the book, you’ll almost certainly have seen Peter Jackson’s epic three-part movie adaptation of it. Incredible though the films are, there’s inevitably a lot missing from them and it’s well worth persevering with the book’s slowish start to follow the journey of Frodo and friends more closely. If you’re not familiar with the story, The Lord of the Rings tells the story of a hobbit, Frodo, who must undertake a dangerous mission to the dark land of Mordor to destroy a powerful ring – a weapon that absolutely corrupts those who come under its power. As you’ll soon find out, that’s a highly simplified plot summary! Reading the book, you’ll be hard-pressed not to gain a deep admiration for the detail and thought Tolkien put into creating his imaginary world; languages, detailed family trees, maps, rich histories and backstories – all add to the sense of realism one feels when absorbed in Tolkien’s work. You’ll also spot some of Tolkien’s influences, such as Nordic mythology and the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf (read this poem alongside Tolkien and you’ll notice where his inspiration for the Golden Hall came from). If you’re new to Tolkien, you might like to read The Hobbit beforehand; it’s a lighter read than The Lord of the Rings and it sets the backdrop for the events of the tome that follows it.

5. Diary of a Nobody , by George and Weedon Grossmith

If you’ve ever in need of a little gentle comic relief, you can’t do much better than the delightful Diary of a Nobody. It’s the (made-up) diary of a self-important Victorian lower-middle class gentleman, Charles Pooter, in which he details the day-to-day household quandaries and social embarrassments we can all relate to. It was serialised in Punch magazine in Victorian times, and it’s a charming insight into what the Victorians found funny – but in many places, it’s still laugh-out-loud funny to the modern reader.

6. His Dark Materials , trilogy by Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials is comprised of three novels: Northern Lights (known in the US as The Golden Compass), The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. The story is set in a fantasy world that contains numerous parallel universes, some of which bear some resemblance to real-life Oxford. Lyra, the protagonist, inhabits the fictional Jordan College, Oxford, in a world in which human beings are accompanied by animal embodiments of their souls, called daemons. The initial similarities and intriguing differences between Lyra’s world and real life will draw you in right from the start, and you’re sure to be gripped as you accompany Lyra on a journey that sees her coming of age and discovering that space and time are not what she expected. If you want to do some background reading, try Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, of which Pullman’s trilogy is a partial reinvention.

7. Jane Eyre , by Charlotte Brontë

This novel by Emily Brontë’s elder sister Charlotte has inspired numerous film adaptations, and tells the tale of a young governess, Jane Eyre, who goes to live and work in a foreboding country house with an eccentric master, Edward Rochester, who hides a dark secret in a remote wing of his sprawling home. The story focuses on Jane’s transition to adulthood, told from her perspective in the first person. Throughout the novel we observe her sense of morality, which is tested by the situations she finds herself in – first during her abusive childhood and then in her response to the passionate feelings she experiences towards Mr. Rochester.

8. Great Expectations , by Charles Dickens

Here is another coming-of-age story, and arguably one of the greatest ever told. If you think Charles Dickens is boring, or you’ve been put off him by studying him at school, please give him another chance. Like all his novels, Great Expectations is full of humour and populated by an entertaining cast of brilliantly-named characters. It tells the tale of Pip, an orphan from a poor background who learns a valuable lesson in life after his acquisition of personal wealth proves an unsatisfying experience that changes him for the worse, driving him away from the only people who’ve ever loved him. Along the way he meets the enigmatic Miss Havisham, an old lady jilted at the altar decades ago, who has frozen everything in her house at the moment at which her life was so tragically altered. The image of her wedding cake, still on the table but covered in cobwebs and mould, is one of many enduring and vivid scenes in this brilliant novel, which explores a number of moral themes including what it means to be a gentleman.

9. Rebecca , by Daphne du Maurier

Even if you’re not normally into the Gothic, Rebecca is sure to have you gripped. Its nameless narrator tells the chilling tale of her experiences at Manderley, the house at the centre of the story, after marrying Maxim de Winter, its owner. Manderley proves to be haunted by memories of Maxim’s previous wife, Rebecca, who drowned the previous year; and the creepy Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper, is determined to show Maxim’s new wife that she is no replacement for her beloved Rebecca. We follow the second Mrs. de Winter as she struggles to fit in at Manderley and uncovers the truth behind who Rebecca really was and what really happened to her. Its opening lines will haunt you as they’ve haunted the millions of readers who’ve enjoyed Rebecca since its publication in 1938: “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again…”.

10. Any Jane Austen novel

It was impossible to choose just one Jane Austen novel for this list, as they’re all absolutely brilliant and packed full of interesting and sometimes amusing characters – and heroines you can’t fail to love. As well as being entertaining stories in themselves, Jane Austen’s novels are recognised for their historical importance thanks to their social commentary on the Georgian aristocracy. Austen herself was on the outskirts of the aristocracy, well-placed to write about the people and situations she undoubtedly met with in real life. Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey; take your pick, but if forced to choose, my personal favourite is Emma, the tale of a well-meaning but headstrong young woman who makes it her mission to act as matchmaker to local villagers – with disastrous consequences both to them and to her own chances of romance.

11. Far from the Madding Crowd , by Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy’s evocative novel Far from the Madding Crowd is set in ‘Wessex’, an early region of south-west England that no longer exists but is used to conjure up a sense of a place neither real nor made-up – an agricultural England that, during Hardy’s lifetime, was under threat from industrialisation. Rural life is a central theme in a story that follows the shepherd Gabriel Oak and his love for Bathsheba Everdene, a beautiful and independent newcomer to the local farm she’s just inherited. Unfortunately, Oak isn’t the only one with his eye on the wilful Bathsheba, and two rivals appear on the scene in the shape of another farmer, Mr. Boldwood, and a dashing but rakish soldier, Sergeant Troy. Love and its sometimes dangerous and destructive power are explored among a number of other themes, including luck and tragedy.

12. Brideshead Revisited , by Evelyn Waugh

Evelyn Waugh’s portrayal of the trials and tribulations of an aristocratic family and their friend, the narrator Charles Ryder, has been an inspiration to plenty of Oxford applicants, who hope to recreate the evocative Oxfordian scenes described in the early parts of the book – complete with Sebastian’s famous teddy bear, Aloysius. But there’s a lot more to Brideshead Revisited than idyllic Oxford life and decadent scenes involving Champagne and quail eggs. At its heart is the tale of a young man’s struggle with Roman Catholicism and with his own family, but there are many other themes running through it, including the decline of the English stately home after the two World Wars and a longing for the bygone era of the English nobility. Brideshead Revisited was adapted into a landmark television series with Jeremy Irons in the role of Charles Ryder; once you’ve read the book this makes wonderful viewing, sticking closely to the book. With Irons’ velvet tones vividly bringing to life Waugh’s words, this is one television adaptation that, in my opinion, will actually help you gain a deeper appreciation of the book.

These remarkable novels have all left their mark on popular culture and embedded themselves into the English psyche. Once you’ve read them all, you’ll have more of an idea of where your own literary tastes lie and you can make up your own list by taking from this one and adding your own.

If these booked thrilled you and you’d love to learn about taking your next steps in English literature, why not join our Philosophy, Literature and Modern History Summer School on campus at Yale University this summer.

Images: Winslow Homer Painting

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43 of the Most Iconic Short Stories in the English Language

From washington irving to kristen roupenian.

Last year, I put together this list of the most iconic poems in the English language ; it’s high time to do the same for short stories. But before we go any further, you may be asking: What does “iconic” mean in this context? Can a short story really be iconic in the way of a poem, or a painting, or Elvis?

Well, who knows, but for our purposes, “iconic” means that the story has somehow wormed its way into the general cultural consciousness—a list of the best short stories in the English language would look quite different than the one below. (Also NB that in this case we’re necessarily talking about the American cultural consciousness, weird and wiggly as it is.) When something is iconic, it is a highly recognizable cultural artifact that can be used as a shorthand—which often means it has been referenced in other forms of media. You know, just like Elvis. (So for those of you heading to the comments to complain that these stories are “the usual suspects”—well, exactly.) An iconic short story may be frequently anthologized , which usually means frequently read in classrooms, something that can lead to cultural ubiquity—but interestingly, the correlation isn’t perfect. For instance, Joyce’s “Araby” is anthologized more often, but for my money “The Dead” is more iconic . Film adaptations and catchy, reworkable titles help. But in the end, for better or for worse, you know it when you see it. Which means that, like anything else, it all depends on your point of view—icon status is (like most of the ways we evaluate art) highly subjective.

So, having acknowledged that there’s no real way to make this list, but because this is what we’re all here to do, here are some of the most iconic short stories for American readers in the English language—and a few more that deserve to be more iconic than they are.

Washington Irving, “Rip Van Winkle” (1819) and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (1820) I agonized over whether I should pick “Rip Van Winkle” or “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” from Irving’s oeuvre. Both have many, many adaptations to their name and are so ubiquitous as to have drifted into the folklore realm. The latter certainly has more memorable recent adaptations, but the former  is the only one with a bridge named after it . Ah, screw it, we’ll count them both.

Edgar Allan Poe, “The Tell-Tale Heart” (1843) Poe’s early stream-of-consciousness horror story, unreliable narrator and heart beating under the floorboards and all, is certainly one of the most adapted—and even more often referenced —short stories in popular culture, and which may or may not be the source for all of the hundreds of stories in which a character is tormented by a sound only they can hear. (Still not quite as ubiquitous as Poe himself , though . . .)

Herman Melville, “Bartleby, the Scrivener” (1853) Once, while I was walking in Brooklyn, carrying my Bartleby tote bag , a woman in an SUV pulled over (on Atlantic Avenue, folks) to excitedly wave at me and yell “Melville! That’s Melville!” Which is all you really need to know about that .

Ambrose Bierce, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” (1890) I will leave it to Kurt Vonnegut, who famously wrote , “I consider anybody a twerp who hasn’t read the greatest American short story, which is “Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” by Ambrose Bierce. It isn’t remotely political. It is a flawless example of American genius, like “Sophisticated Lady” by Duke Ellington or the Franklin stove.”

Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892) Odds are this was the first overtly Feminist text you ever read, at least if you’re of a certain age; it’s become a stand-in for the idea of women being driven insane by the patriarchy—and being ignored by doctors, who deem them “hysterical.” This is another one with lots of adaptations to its name, including a memorable episode of The Twilight Zone , which concludes: “Next time you’re alone, look quickly at the wallpaper, and the ceiling, and the cracks on the sidewalk. Look for the patterns and lines and faces on the wall. Look, if you can, for Sharon Miles, visible only out of the corner of your eye or… in the Twilight Zone.”

Henry James, “The Turn of the Screw” (1898) Technically a novella, but discussed enough as a story that I’ll include it here (same goes for a couple of others on this list, including “The Metamorphosis”). It has, as a work of literature, inspired a seemingly endless amount of speculation, criticism, unpacking, and stance-taking. “In comment after comment, article after article, the evidence has been sifted through and judgments delivered,” Brad Leithauser wrote in The New Yorker . Fine, intelligent readers have confirmed the validity of the ghosts (Truman Capote); equally fine and intelligent readers have thunderously established the governess’s madness (Edmund Wilson).” And nothing that inspires so much interpretive interest could escape the many interpretations into other media: films, episodes of television, and much other literature.

Anton Chekhov, “The Lady with the Toy Dog” (1899) Widely acknowledged as one of Chekhov’s best stories, if not  the  best, and therefore almost no students get through their years at school without reading it. Has been adapted as a film, a ballet, a play, a musical, and most importantly, a Joyce Carol Oates short story.

W. W. Jacobs, “The Monkey’s Paw” (1902) So iconic—be careful what you wish for, is the gist—that you probably didn’t even know it started out as a short story. My favorite version is, of course, the Laurie Anderson song .

O. Henry, “The Gift of the Magi” (1905) According to Wikipedia, there have been 17 different film adaptations of O. Henry’s classic short story about a couple’s thwarted Christmas; the essential format—Della sells her hair to buy Jim a watch chain; Jim sells his watch to buy Della a set of combs—has been referenced and replicated countless times beyond that. I even heard Dax Shepard refer to this story on his podcast the other day, and so I rest my case.

James Joyce, “The Dead” (1914) The last story in Joyce’s collection  Dubliners and one of the best short stories ever written; just ask anyone who wanted to have read some Joyce but couldn’t crack  Ulysses . (Or anyone who could crack  Ulysses  too.) And let’s not forget the John Huston movie starring Anjelica Huston as Gretta.

Franz Kafka, “The Metamorphosis” (1915) Everyone has to read this in school, at some point—which is probably the reason why it’s been parodied, referenced, and adapted many times in just about every format . And why not? What could be more universal than the story of the man who wakes up to find himself transformed into an enormous insect?

Richard Connell, “The Most Dangerous Game” aka “The Hounds of Zaroff” (1924) “The most popular short story ever written in English” is obviously the one about aristocrats hunting people. Widely adapted , but one of my favorite versions is the episode of Dollhouse in which a Richard Connell (no relation except the obvious) hunts Echo with a bow.

Ernest Hemingway, “The Killers” (1927) I was tempted to include “Hills Like White Elephants” because of the number of people forced to read it to learn about dialogue (happily, there are other options ), but “The Killers,” while less often anthologized, is more influential overall, and gave us not only two full length film adaptations and a Tarkovsky short but Tobias Wolff’s “Bullet in the Brain,” which I do think is a very good story to learn from, if not for dialogue, then for story-making.

Zora Neale Hurston, “The Gilded Six-Bits” (1933) Hurston is most famous for  Their Eyes Were Watching God , but those who know will tell you that this story of love, marriage, betrayal, and love again—which was also made into a 2001 film—is a classic, too.

Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery” (1948) The short story that launched a thousand letters to  The New Yorker —or if not a thousand , then at least “a torrent . . . the most mail the magazine had ever received in response to a work of fiction.” Still taught widely in schools, and still chilling.

J. D. Salinger, “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” (1948) The very first story to destroy many a young mind. In a good way, obviously.

Ray Bradbury, “There Will Come Soft Rains” (1950)

Bradbury’s work has thoroughly permeated pop culture; plenty of his stories are widely adapted and referenced, so I could have chosen a few others here (“The Veldt” is my personal favorite). But every year, the image of a smart house going on long after the death of its occupants becomes more chilling and relevant an image; we can’t help but keep going back to it.

Daphne du Maurier, “The Birds” (1952) I know it’s really the Hitchcock film adaptation that’s iconic, but you wouldn’t have the Hitchcock without the du Maurier.

Flannery O’Connor, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” (1953) Another oft-assigned (and oft-argued-over) story, this one with so many title rip-offs .

Elmore Leonard, “Three-Ten to Yuma” (1953) I know, I know, it’s “Fire in the Hole” that gave us  Justified , and we’re all so very glad. But “Three-Ten to Yuma” has more name recognition—after all, it was adapted into two separate and very good films, the former of which (1957) actually created contemporary slang : in Cuba, Americans are called yumas and the United States is  La Yuma .

Philip K. Dick, “The Minority Report” (1956) As a whole, Philip K. Dick’s work has had massive influence on literature, film, pop culture, and our cultural attitudes toward technology. Most of his best-known works are novels, but when a short story gets made into a Steven Spielberg/Tom Cruise film, you’re basically assuring iconic status right there. (Or at least that’s how it used to work…)

James Baldwin, “Sonny’s Blues” (1957) Baldwin’s best known short story pops up in plenty of anthologies, and can be thanked for being the gateway drug for many budding Baldwin acolytes.

Alan Sillitoe, “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner” (1959) Not only is the story itself widely known and read—just ask Rod Blagojevich ( remember him? )—that title has been rewritten and reused thousands of times for varying ends—just ask the reporter who wrote that piece about Blagojevich. Or Adrian Tomine .

John Cheever, “The Swimmer” (1964) Cheever’s most famous story nails something essential about the mid-century American sensibility, and particularly the mid-century American suburbs, which is probably why everyone knows it (it’s also frequently anthologized). Or maybe it’s more about Burt Lancaster’s little shorts ? Either way.

Joyce Carol Oates, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” (1966) Another frequently anthologized and unwaveringly excellent short story; and look, it’s no one’s fault that Laura Dern turns everything she touches iconic.

Toni Cade Bambara, “The Lesson” (1972) Yet another story often assigned in schools (the good ones, anyway), which hopefully means one day we’ll wake up and find out that everyone has read it.

Ursula K. Le Guin, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” (1973) As others have pointed out before me , Le Guin’s most read and most famous short story is almost always chillingly relevant.

Donald Barthelme, “The School” (1974) This one might only be iconic for writers, but considering it’s one of the best short stories ever written (according to me), I simply couldn’t exclude it.

Jamaica Kincaid, “Girl” (1978) Another staple of a writer’s education, and a reader’s; “are you really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won’t let near the bread?” being a kind of bandied-about shibboleth.

Raymond Carver, “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” (1981) I struggled choosing a Carver story for this list—”Cathedral” is more important, and probably more read, but “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” has transcended its own form more completely, at least with its title, which has spawned a host of echoes, including Haruki Murakami’s What I Talk About When I Talk About Running , and Nathan Englander’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank , to the point that I think it’s recognizable to just about everyone. A quick Google search will reveal that the framing has been used for almost everything you can think of. There’s—and I kid you not—a What We Talk About When We Talk About Books/War/Sex/God/The Tube/Games/Rape/Money/Creative Writing/Nanoclusters/Hebrew/The Weather/Defunding the Police/Free Speech/Taxes/Holes/Climate/The Moon/Waste/Cancel Culture/Impeachment/Gender/Digital Inclusions/Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease/COVID-19 . You see what I’m getting at here.

Stephen King, “The Body” (1982) Otherwise known, to the general public, as  Stand By Me .

Amy Hempel, “In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried” (1983) Want to feel bad about your writing? This was the first short story Amy Hempel ever wrote.

Lorrie Moore, “How to Be an Other Woman” (1985) A very very good short story that has given rise to so many bad ones.

Mary Gaitskill, “Secretary” (1988) Bad Behavior  is iconic as a whole , but probably the story to have most acutely permeated the wider culture is “Secretary,” on account of the film adaptation starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader—despite the fact that it totally butchers the ending.

Amy Tan, “Rules of the Game” (1989) This story originally appeared in The Joy Luck Club , Tan’s mega-bestseller, so probably almost everyone you know has read it. The film version didn’t hurt either.

Tim O’Brien, “The Things They Carried” (1990) Why, it’s only the most anthologized short story of the last 30(ish) years. That’s why even the people you know who haven’t picked up a book in their adult lives have read it.

Denis Johnson, “Emergency” (1992) When I left New York to go get my MFA, a friend gave me a copy of Jesus’ Son with the inscription “Because everyone in your MFA will talk about it and you don’t want to be the girl who hasn’t read it. (It’s also really good).” He was not wrong.

Annie Proulx, “Brokeback Mountain” (1997) Everybody knows this story—even if they only know it from its (massively successful and influential, not to mention the true Best Picture Winner of 2006) film adaptation—and not for nothing, coming out when it did, it went a long way towards making some Americans more comfortable with homosexuality. Open the floodgates, baby.

Jhumpa Lahiri, “A Temporary Matter” (1998) The story that made Lahiri a household name.

Ted Chiang, “Story of Your Life” (1998) Otherwise known as  Arrival . (Also technically a novella.)

Alice Munro, “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” (2001) At this point, almost everyone has read at least some  Alice Munro, right? This story is one of the best from one of the greats, and was also adapted into a fantastic but heartbreaking film,  Away From Her .

Kristen Roupenian, “Cat Person” (2017) Sure, it’s recent, so it’s not quite as ingrained as some of the others here, but it’s also the story that broke the internet —and quite possibly the only New Yorker  story that thousands of people have ever read.

Finally, as is often the case with lists that summarize the mainstream American literary canon of the last 200 years, it is impossible not to recognize that the list above is much too white and male. So for our future and continuing iconography, your friends at Literary Hub suggest reading the following stories, both new and old:

Eudora Welty, “Why I Live at the P.O.” (1941) Clarice Lispector, “The Imitation of the Rose” (1960) Leslie Marmon Silko, “The Man to Send Rain Clouds” (1969) Ralph Ellison, “Cadillac Flambé” (1973) Octavia Butler, “Bloodchild” (1984) Bharati Mukherjee, “The Management of Grief” (1988) John Edgar Wideman, “Fever” (1990) Sandra Cisneros, “Woman Hollering Creek” (1991) Christine Schutt, “To Have and to Hold” (1996) ZZ Packer, “Brownies” (2003) Edward P. Jones, “Marie” (2004) Karen Russell, “Haunting Olivia” (2005) Kelly Link, “Stone Animals” (2005) Edwidge Danticat, “Ghosts” (2008) Yiyun Li, “A Man Like Him” (2008) Claire Vaye Watkins, “Ghosts, Cowboys” (2009) Ottessa Moshfegh, “Bettering Myself” (2013) Amelia Gray, “House Heart” (2013) Zadie Smith, “Meet the President!” (2013) Carmen Maria Machado, “The Husband Stitch” (2014) Diane Cook, “The Way the End of Days Should Be” (2014) Kirstin Valdez Quade, “Five Wounds” (2015) NoViolet Bulawayo, “Shhhh” (2015) Mariana Enriquez, “Spiderweb” (2016) Ken Liu, “State Change” (2016) Helen Oyeyemi, “Sorry Doesn’t Sweeten Her Tea” (2016) Lesley Nneka Arimah, “What Is a Volcano?” (2017) James McBride, “The Christmas Dance” (2017) Viet Thanh Nguyen, “War Years” (2017) Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, “Friday Black” (2018). . .

Honestly, this list could go on forever, but let’s stop and say: more short stories of all kinds in the hands of the general public, please!

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20 Free English E-books (PDF) That’ll Give You a Taste of Classic English Literature

Reading lets you explore a whole new world.

In classic English literature , the language is so powerful that you’ll remember words, phrases and grammar long after you’ve finished the book.

Plus, you’ll learn stories which are very important to culture in the English-speaking world.

In this list, you’ll discover 20 classic English books that are perfect for intermediate learners , now available in e-book format.

20 Classic Books Now Available as Free English E-books

1. the story of doctor dolittle by hugh lofting.

  • 2. The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne
  • 3. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
  • 4. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
  • 5. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

6. Heidi by Johana Spyri

  • 7. My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
  • 8. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
  • 9. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
  • 10. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
  • 11. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
  • 12. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
  • 13. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
  • 14. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
  • 15. Emma by Jane Austen
  • 16. Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
  • 17. The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton
  • 18. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

19. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

  • 20. Dracula by Bram Stoker

What’s a Classic Book?

Why classic books are perfect for english learners, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

The Story of Doctor Dolittle

Doctor Dolittle loves animals. He loves them so much that when his many pets scare away his human patients, he learns how to talk to animals and becomes a veterinarian instead.

He then travels the world to help animals with his unique ability to speak their language.

2.  The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne

The Red House Mystery

Does the name Winnie the Pooh sound familiar? Author A.A. Milne is best remembered for creating the fluffy, yellow teddy bear.

But before he became a famous children’s book author Milne wrote a few adult fiction books. “The Red House Mystery” is one of these.

In this mystery novel, the guests in a man’s home become detectives as they try to find a killer—who is one of them!

3.  The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden: The Original 1911 Edition (A Frances Hodgson Burnett Classic Novel)

“The Secret Garden” is a touching story about the power of friendship.

Mary Lennox is a spoiled and rude little girl sent by her parents to live at her uncle’s huge home. One day while exploring outside the home, she discovers a secret: a locked garden.

The secret garden helps her make a friend, and thanks to the love of their friendship she learns to be a better person.

4.  Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson - Treasure Island

Everything you know about pirates probably came from this one book: wooden legs, parrots on the shoulder and treasure maps.

“Treasure Island” is the story of a boy who sails on a ship searching for treasure, but instead finds himself surrounded by terrible pirates. It’s also a story about growing up, full of action and adventure.

5.  Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Black Beauty: The Original 1877 Edition (A Anna Sewell Classic Novel)

“Black Beauty” is one the best-selling books of all time, and for a good reason—this story about a horse teaches kindness towards animals and people.

The story is told by the horse. It describes his life and the many cruel people and difficult times he had to live through before finding peace.

It’s a great read even if you’re not a fan of horses.

Heidi

“Heidi” is a book often described as being “for children and for people who love children.”

It does a great job of showing the world through a little girl’s eyes as she explores the mountains in Switzerland. She makes many friends along the way, but also deals with the kinds of fears that a child would have, like being alone and away from the people who love you.

It’s a long book, but one that’s easy to fall in love with.

7.  My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

My Man Jeeves

These days not many of us have butlers (servants hired to care for you and your house) but whenever people talk about a butler, his name sometimes comes up as Jeeves.

That name comes from Wodehouse’s series of books featuring the perfect butler Jeeves, and the many humorous adventures he and his employer had.

8.  Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Wuthering Heights: The Original 1847 Edition (A Emily Brontë Classic Novel)

Jealousy and revenge are the main themes of “Wuthering Heights,” which is the name of the farmhouse where the story takes place.

This book can be hard to get through, and it’s not because of the vocabulary. It’s a hard book to read because of all the cruelty in it. Still, this is a good book if you’re interested in dramas and passions.

9.  The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle

The Adventures of Robin Hood

Robin Hood is a special kind of thief: he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. This book is a collection of stories about the legendary, kindhearted thief and his group of outlaw friends.

Be prepared for many fun and funny moments, and some with a more serious tone. This book is perfect for reading little by little, since the stories are only connected by their characters.

10.  The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

There are many war books that show how terrible war is physically—all the violence and death. “The Red Badge of Courage” talks instead about the psychological terrors of war.

It’s told from the point of view of a soldier in the Civil War who’s actually running away from the battlefield. It uses many symbols and metaphors to discuss the important themes.

If you can handle the advanced vocabulary, you can find much more meaning hidden in this book.

11.  The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

What if you could stay young forever? Dorian Gray makes a deal to stay young forever—while a painted portrait of him shows all the signs of aging.

Of course, it turns out this deal he made might not have been such a good idea after all…

12.  The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

After being thrown into jail for a crime he didn’t commit, Edmond manages to escape and become rich. With his new money, he tries to get revenge on the people who put him in prison, but his plans don’t quite go like he hopes.

“The Count of Monte Cristo” is about betrayal, love and letting go.

13.  The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Tom Sawyer is a troublemaking little boy who’s always causing problems, having fun and enjoying many crazy adventures. In this classic tale by Mark Twain, Tom visits his own funeral, stops a crime and tries very hard to get a girl to like him.

Tom Sawyer is a well-known name in American literature and his stories of adventure are very fun to read.

14.  The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

Being invisible sounds like fun, but is it really?

When a man learns how to make himself invisible, all he gets in return is problems and people betraying him. Maybe he should have just stayed normal…

15.  Emma  by Jane Austen

Jane Austen is perhaps best known for her novel “Pride and Prejudice,” which is about life and love for rich, upper-class people in the early 1800s.

“Emma” takes place in the same time period, focusing on the character of Emma who is “handsome, clever and rich.”

Emma thinks that she’s great at matching people up to get married, but she soon learns that maybe she shouldn’t interfere with (get involved in) people’s lives so much.

16.  Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Tarzan is a wild man, raised by apes in the middle of the jungle. This book tells about his life among the apes and other animals, and what happens when a wild monkey man meets other humans for the first time.

17.  The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton

If you met Father Brown, you wouldn’t realize that he’s a great detective. He’s a small Catholic priest who always carries an umbrella—the kind of person who’s easy to forget.

He’s a great thinker, though, and he can see people for who they really are. “The Innocence of Father Brown” has 12 short stories where the little priest uses his knowledge of human nature to solve mysteries.

18.  Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Creating life from death is Dr. Frankenstein’s dream. When he finally brings a dead man to life, things don’t work out the way he wants.

If you know the Frankenstein monster, you might think he’s a terrible creature.

But this book tells the real story of Dr. Frankenstein’s creation, named only “the monster.” It turns out that the monster might not be such a monster after all.

The Moonstone

If you love detective books, you’ll love “The Moonstone,” which might be the first detective novel in the English language!

It has everything that a good mystery needs—a precious jewel is stolen during a young woman’s 18th birthday party.

Who stole the jewel and where is it now? Follow the trail of the thief in this book.

20.  Dracula by Bram Stoker

Dracula

Dracula is one of the best known vampires of all time. If you’ve watched any movies about Dracula, you might be surprised at what the actual book is like.

It’s an epistolary novel, which means it’s written completely in the form of letters, and the story of Dracula is told through other people’s points of view.

It’s an interesting look at the first “modern” vampire, and it’s really a great read.

“Classic books” are books that have “stood the test of time.” This expression means that a lot of time has passed and these books have still survived as important pieces of culture.

People have enjoyed these books for a long time, and they still enjoy them today.

One thing that all classic literature has in common is that it’s universal. That means that these books contain themes and topics that are relevant to every human being.

No matter where you live in the world, no matter what year you were born, you’ll be able to read and understand the main ideas these books talk about. A classic book will explore things every human knows and cares about, like love, hate, life and death. These are things all  humans have experienced for hundreds and thousands of years.

There are a few different ways to tell if a book is the right reading level for you. One of these is the lexile range . The books in the list above are in the lexile range that’s perfect for intermediate English learners.

They’re also listed in order of their reading difficulty, from the easier books to the more difficult ones.

To find the perfect difficulty for you, start from the first book and move down through the list until you find a book that you can understand, but that still gives you a little challenge and has some words you don’t know.

Also, keep in mind that some of these books are old. If you have trouble understanding the language of the book, try something different ! You could start with modern fiction books , which are often in more relatable language.

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The key is to build up your level. English speakers typically work their way up from children’s books to young adult (YA) novels and then eventually classics and adult literature.

With enough reading and practice, you’ll be able to tackle more complex stories.

All of the books listed above became classics because people have read and loved them again and again over many years. Hopefully you’ll enjoy these stories too as you explore English literature!

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

learn-english-with-videos

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

learn-english-with-subtitled-television-show-clips

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

learn-conversational-english-with-interactive-captioned-dialogue

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

practice-english-with-adaptive-quizzes

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Improving Your English

Explore 18 of the best books to learn English, for beginner to advanced learners

story books name in english

Reading books is a great way to learn English . Whether you want to expand your vocabulary, enjoy a short story, or study English grammar or pronunciation, books will help improve many facets of your English language skills.

Here we will take you through 18 of the best books to learn English through self-study . You can choose to focus on one topic at a time or pick a comprehensive resource to take your English to the next level.

We will also look at how you can use ebooks and audiobooks to learn English .

In each section, we have book recommendations suitable for beginner, intermediate, and advanced English learners. So, we hope you find something here that piques your interest, whether you are browsing English learning books for yourself or as a gift for someone else.

man reading the best books to learn english

The best English learning books

Let’s begin with some of the best books for English learners who want to take a comprehensive approach to learning English or improving their fluency. The following books cover all aspects of English in one place – from vocabulary and grammar to reading, writing, and more.

English for Everyone: Beginner Box Set

story books name in english

Level: Beginner (A1 – A2)

Focus: Straightforward and well-illustrated vocabulary, grammar, and sentence-building lessons for self-study.

Highlights: This box set of 2 course books and 2 practice books is ideal for beginners who want to give themselves a strong start in learning English. The full-color pages are engaging and easy to understand. Supplementary audio recordings are available on the DK website and app to enhance ESL learning, making this one of the best self-study English books for beginners .

English Made Easy: Volume One

story books name in english

Level: Beginner to intermediate

Focus: Learning English through pictures

Highlights: Written by experienced language teachers who wanted a completely new way to teach English visually, this book is full of illustrations and comic-style dialogue. Rather than directly teaching grammar, it lets English students learn by observing language patterns and building simple sentences.

Volume Two moves on to more complex sentences and grammar patterns.

Practical English Usage, 4th Edition

story books name in english

Level: Advanced

Focus: Common vocabulary and grammar questions from advanced English learners

Highlights: Divided into two parts covering grammar and vocabulary, this is one of the best books to learn more advanced aspects of English like the singular ‘they’, how to communicate politely, and differences between British English vs American English . The book is written by an English teacher with over 20 years’ experience, so he understands the questions that ESL learners often have.

English Short Stories for Beginners

story books name in english

Level: Beginner

Focus: Building English skills by reading stories (with comprehension exercises)

Highlights: Build up your English vocabulary by reading short stories in English for beginners, based on real-life situations. While reading, you will also naturally improve your English grammar skills through exposure to different sentence structures.

Stories are written in simple English suitable for beginners. Each chapter has a glossary and a comprehension test to reinforce what you have learned.

If you like this style of English learning book, you may also want to purchase English Short Stories for Intermediate Learners .

The best books to learn English vocabulary

Next, we have some English books that focus on learning new vocabulary at different levels. Whether you want to learn words, phrases, idioms, or slang, the books in this list should help.

1001 English Expressions and Phrases

story books name in english

Level: Intermediate

Focus: Common expressions and phrases shown in natural English conversation dialogues

Highlights: An essential part of English language learning is not just learning individual words, but knowing how they fit together to form phrases. This book has over 1,000 expressions to help intermediate English learners get a better grasp of the language.

The author, Jackie Bolen, has been an ESL teacher for over 20 years. She has also published Advanced English Expressions, Idioms, Collocations, Slang, and Phrasal Verbs , which is an equally good resource for advanced learners mastering English.

English for Everyone English Idioms, Vocabulary Builder, Phrasal Verbs – 3 Book Box Set

story books name in english

Level: Beginner to advanced

Focus: General vocabulary, idioms, and phrasal verbs

Highlights: This set of 3 books for English learners teaches more than 5,000 words, expressions, and helpful phrases. Beginners will find it helpful for expanding their general vocabulary, while intermediate and advanced learners can dig into more complex phrasal verbs and idioms.

77 Real Life English Dialogues with 500 Most Common English Words

story books name in english

Focus: Learning how to use 500 common English words

Highlights: This book includes 77 English conversation dialogues for beginners, including free audio dialogues that you can play at slow or normal speed. They cover everyday topics such as ordering food and making plans, and you’ll even begin learning business English .

This English learning book is a good way for beginners to understand how to use 500 of the most common English words in writing and speaking.

The Big Book of Words You Should Know

story books name in english

Level: Advanced (and native)

Focus: Advanced and obscure vocabulary

Highlights: Reading this book will expand your vocabulary beyond a reasonable level and teach you some new words that most native speakers don’t even know. It’s certainly not an essential book for English learners, but is a real treat for those who like to have an above-average vocabulary.

English Collocations in Dialogue

story books name in english

Level:  Intermediate

Focus: See English collocations in use in conversation and learn what they mean

Highlights: Collocations are groups of two or more words that commonly go together, such as “make a mistake” or “take care”. They are an important linguistic element for anyone wanting to improve their vocabulary for TOEFL, TOEIC, or IELTS exams. This book lets you learn American English collocations by seeing how they are used in everyday conversations, with a definition provided for each one.

Fancy A Cuppa? The Hilarious Guide to British Slang

story books name in english

Level: Intermediate to advanced (and native)

Focus: A humorous guide to British slang, idioms, swear words, and more

Highlights: For those who want to learn British English in a way the textbooks don’t teach, Fancy A Cuppa? is packed full of authentic English colloquialisms. You’ll learn some classic British idioms , insults, and Cockney Rhyming Slang to make you feel more at home in the UK.

This book would also make a great novelty gift for a language lover who is unfamiliar with British slang terms – but be advised that some of the language used is not suitable for children.

Of course, another book that you’ll find invaluable for improving your vocabulary is an ESL dictionary . These are specially designed with English learners in mind and cover grammar points and confusing words, too.

The best books for learning English grammar rules

Our final selection has some books for English learners (and even native speakers) who want to learn English grammar properly or build on what they already know.

Grammar Daily: 365 Quick Tips for Successful Writing from Grammar Girl

story books name in english

Focus: An assortment of 365 grammar tips to help you communicate more clearly (and correctly)

Highlights: New York Times  bestseller and successful podcaster Mignon Fogarty (AKA Grammar Girl) addresses common grammar questions – as well as some vocabulary and punctuation topics – in an approachable way. From the misused ‘supposably’ to the controversial ‘a myriad of’ and from prepositions to pronouns, each day you can take a step toward improving your use of English.

The English Grammar Workbook for Adults

story books name in english

Focus: Detailed explanation of essential grammar for everyday use

Highlights: Whether you are learning English as a second language or are a native speaker who needs to improve your grammar skills, this comprehensive guide to English grammar is an excellent resource. Look up a particular topic of interest or work through the book methodically, completing simple exercises on each topic you learn.

Word Order in English Sentences

story books name in english

Level: Intermediate to advanced

Focus: Word types and sentence structure

Highlights: If you’d prefer to tackle one topic at a time rather than buying an all-encompassing grammar guide, Phil Williams’ learning guides are great books to learn from. This one focuses specifically on how to build sentences and the flexibility that exists in English grammar. Exercises throughout the book put into practice what you are learning.

The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide is another book by the same author that’s a good investment for anyone who needs help understanding verb tenses.

The Perfect English Grammar Workbook

story books name in english

Focus: A comprehensive grammar guide to American Standard English that’s easy to understand

Highlights: This self-study grammar workbook takes you through everything you need to know to keep your speaking and writing mistake-free. It’s a great reference tool for ESL students and teachers, and even editors. Each section contains quizzes and exercises to recap the topic.

This workbook is deliberately written to be easy to understand, without the academic explanations that make some grammar guides unapproachable for learners.

The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

story books name in english

Focus: A guide to grammar, punctuation, and other helpful topics – with quizzes

Highlights: This book is a straightforward guide to the basics of English grammar, as well as punctuation, capitalization , and commonly misused words. It doesn’t go as in-depth into grammar as some of the other resources mentioned here, but nevertheless, it’s a popular reference guide that’s now in its 12th edition.

Can you learn English with ebooks?

Yes, studying English with ebooks (digital books) can be just as effective as using physical copies. The only slight inconvenience is that where there are questions to answer, you can’t write directly on the page. However, it’s much easier to carry books around with you on a Kindle or other e-reader than to take a physical copy wherever you go.

Most of the best books to learn English that we listed above are available on Amazon Kindle. If you are planning to read a lot as you study, consider a Kindle Unlimited subscription. This gives you access to up to 10 ebooks at a time for a fixed monthly fee, so you can mix some fiction books in with your English learning textbooks.

The best audiobooks for English learners

If you prefer to listen to audiobooks rather than read physical books to learn English, you will find that some of the books on this list are also available as audiobooks. This format works better with some (such as the short stories) than with others (such as grammar guides).

Probably the best way to learn English with audiobooks is to listen along while you read. Reading helps with comprehension while listening helps you pick up the correct pronunciation.

If you just want to be able to listen to audiobooks as part of learning English, we recommend using Audible . This program from Amazon gives access to thousands of audiobooks and you can try it free for 1 month .

Here are some of the top Audible audiobooks for learning English:

  • Learn English for Adult Beginners: 3 Books in 1
  • Talk English: The Secret to Speak English Like a Native in 6 Months for Busy People
  • English Short Stories for Beginners and Intermediate Learners
  • The Black Book of Speaking Fluent English: The Quickest Way to Improve Your Spoken English

You might also benefit from listening to podcasts to learn English . Many of these come with free transcripts and accompanying exercises so you can dig deeper into each topic.

Benefits of using books to learn English

Here are some great reasons to use books to help you learn English:

  • Affordable: A book costs a lot less than a course of English lessons. Although it’s a different way of learning English , it can be just as valuable. There’s also the possibility of buying textbooks second-hand to make them even more affordable.
  • Longevity: A physical book can last a lifetime and be passed on or sold to other people.
  • Accessibility: You can take a book anywhere and read it any time; no internet connection or power source needed.
  • Self-study: When you buy a book to learn English, you can work through it at your own pace; as fast or slow as you like. You can also dig deeper into any topics that particularly interest you, without the constraints of a course curriculum.

Tips for using books for English learning

Although reading a book is an effective way to learn, there are other things you can do to supplement your learning, giving you a better chance of retaining the knowledge and feeling confident using it yourself.

Firstly, we would recommend you keep a notebook handy at all times to write down the key points of what you are learning. You may want to keep a list of new vocabulary and topics you need to research in more detail, for example. Refer back to this regularly to review the vocabulary you have learned and to take action on any notes you made while reading.

Secondly, although books are a great self-study tool, you will probably learn English faster and more effectively if you take an online course or use a language-learning app to boost your learning in other areas at the same time.

Finally, one of the best ways to improve your speaking skills and become more fluent in English is to practice conversations in real life. Whether it’s with a group of other English language learners, with friends who are native English speakers, or via an online language exchange , this is where you will truly build confidence.

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The True Story of Pocahontas Is More Complicated Than You Might Think

Historian Camilla Townsend separates fact from fiction in the life of the Powhatan “princess”

Jackie Mansky ; Updated by Sonja Anderson

Still from Smithsonian Channel documentary, of Pocahontas saving John Smith

Pocahontas might be a household name, but the true story of her short, powerful life is buried in myths that have persisted since the 17th century.

First, Pocahontas wasn’t her actual name . Born around 1596 in present-day Virginia, she was really named Amonute, and she also had the more private name Matoaka. Pocahontas—which translates to “playful one” or “ill-behaved child”—was her childhood nickname.

Pocahontas was the favorite daughter of Powhatan , the formidable chief of more than 30 Algonquian -speaking tribes that lived in and around the area claimed by English settlers as Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. Years later, when few firsthand witnesses were around to dispute his version of events, an English colonist named John Smith wrote about how Pocahontas, the beautiful daughter of a powerful Native leader, rescued him from execution at the hands of her father.

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This narrative of Pocahontas turning her back on her own people and allying with the English, thereby finding common ground between the two cultures, has endured for centuries. But the truth of the matter was different from what Smith and mainstream culture say. And historians are divided over whether Pocahontas, then about 11 or 12 years old, rescued the mercantile soldier and explorer at all. Smith might have misinterpreted what was actually a ritual ceremony or even just lifted the tale from a popular Scottish ballad .

In 2017, 400 years after Pocahontas’ death in 1617, the Smithsonian Channel documentary Pocahontas: Beyond the Myth strove to tell its subject’s story accurately. In the film, authors, historians, curators and representatives of the Pamunkey tribe of Virginia, which descends from Pocahontas, paint a picture of a spunky, cartwheeling girl who grew up to be a clever and brave young woman, serving as a translator, ambassador and leader in her own right in the face of European colonization .

Camilla Townsend , author of the authoritative Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma and a historian at Rutgers University, is one of the experts featured in Beyond the Myth . To mark the documentary’s release in 2017, she talked to Smithsonian magazine about why Pocahontas’ story has been distorted for so long and why her true legacy is vital to understand today. Read a condensed and edited version of the conversation below.

Preview thumbnail for 'Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma: The American Portraits Series

Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma: The American Portraits Series

Camilla Townsend's "Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma" differs from all previous biographies of Pocahontas in capturing how similar 17th-century Native Americans were—in the way they saw, understood and struggled to control their world—not only to the invading British but to ourselves.

Discovering Pocahontas’ history

How did you become a scholar of Pocahontas?

I was a professor of Native American history for many years. I was working on a project comparing early relations between colonizers and Natives in Spanish America and English America when they arrived. I thought that I would be able to turn to other people’s work on Pocahontas, [her husband] John Rolfe and John Smith. There are truly hundreds of books over the many years that have been written about her. But when I tried to look into it, I found that most of them were full of hogwash. Many of them had been written by people who weren’t historians. Others were historians, [but] they were people who specialized in other matters and were taking it for granted that if something had been repeated several times in other people’s works, it must be true. When I went back and looked at the actual surviving documents from that period, I learned that much of what had been repeated about her wasn’t true at all.

During your extensive research, what were some details that helped you get to know Pocahontas better?

The documents that really jumped out at me were the notes that survived from John Smith. He was kidnapped by the Native Americans a few months after he got here [in spring 1607]. Eventually, after questioning him, they released him. But while he was a prisoner among the Native Americans, we know he spent some time with Powhatan’s daughter Pocahontas and that they were teaching each other some basic aspects of their languages. And we know this because in his surviving notes are written sentences like “Tell Pocahontas to bring me three baskets,” or “Pocahontas has many white beads.” So, all of a sudden, I could just see this man and this little girl trying to teach each other, in one case English, in another case an Algonquian language. Literally in [late] 1607, sitting along some river somewhere, they said these actual sentences. She would repeat them in Algonquian, and he would write that down. That detail brought them both to life for me.

An engraving of Pocahontas

The myths of Pocahontas

As you point out in the documentary, it’s not just Disney—with its 1995 animated film Pocahontas —that gets the story wrong. This goes back to Smith, who marketed their relationship as a love story. What class and cultural factors have allowed that myth to persist?

That story that Pocahontas was head over heels in love with John Smith has lasted for many generations. He mentioned it himself in the colonial period, as you say. Then it died, but it was born again after the American Revolution, in the early 1800s, when we were really looking for nationalist stories. Ever since then, it’s lived in one form or another, right up to the Disney movie and even today.

The reason it’s been so popular—not among Native Americans, but among people of the dominant [Western] culture—is that it’s very flattering to us. The idea is that this is a “good Indian.” She admires the white man, admires Christianity, admires the culture, wants to have peace with these people, is willing to live with these people rather than her own people, marry him rather than one of her own. That whole idea makes people in white American culture feel good about our history: that we were not doing anything wrong to the Indians but really were helping them, and the “good” ones appreciated it.

story books name in english

In real life, Pocahontas was a member of the Pamunkey tribe in Virginia. How do the Pamunkey and other Native people tell her story today?

It’s interesting. In general, until recently, Pocahontas had not been a popular figure among Native Americans. When I was working on the book, and I called the Virginia Council on Indians , for example, I got reactions of groans, because they were just so tired. Native Americans for so many years have been so tired of enthusiastic white people loving to love Pocahontas and patting themselves on the back because they love Pocahontas, when in fact what they were really loving was the story of an Indian who virtually worshipped white culture. They were tired of it, and they didn’t believe it. It seemed unrealistic to them.

I would say that there’s been a change recently. Partly, I think the Disney movie ironically helped. Even though it conveyed more myths, the Native American character is the star—she’s the main character, and she’s interesting, strong and beautiful, and so young Native Americans love to watch that movie. It’s a real change for them.

The other thing that’s different is that the scholarship is so much better now. We know so much more about her real life now that Native Americans are also coming to realize we should talk about her, learn more about her and read more about her, because, in fact, she wasn’t selling her soul, and she didn’t love white culture more than her own people’s culture. She was a spunky girl who did everything she could to help her people. Once they begin to realize that, they understandably become a lot more interested in her story.

Still of Pocahontas from Smithsonian Channel documentary

The lesson passed down by mainstream culture is that by leaving her people and adopting Christianity, Pocahontas became a model of how to bridge cultures. What do you think are the real lessons to be learned from Pocahontas’ life?

Largely, the lesson is one of extraordinary strength even against very daunting odds. Pocahontas’ people could not possibly have defeated or even held off the power of Renaissance Europe , which is what John Smith and the colonizers who came later represented. They had stronger technology, more powerful technology in terms of not only weapons but also shipping and book printing and compass making—all the things that made it possible for Europe to come to the New World and conquer, and the lack of which made it impossible for Native Americans to move toward the Old World and conquer. So, Native people were facing extraordinarily daunting circumstances. Yet in the face of that, Pocahontas and so many others that we now read about and study showed extreme courage and cleverness, sometimes even brilliance in the strategizing that they used. The most important lesson is that she was braver, stronger and more interesting than the fictional Pocahontas.

Telling the real story of the Native “princess”

Four hundred years after Pocahontas’ death, her story is being told more accurately. What has changed?

Studies of TV and other pop culture show that in that decade between the early 1980s and the early 1990s is when the real sea change occurred in terms of American expectations that we should really look at things from other people’s point of view, not just dominant culture’s. That had to happen first. So, let’s say by the mid- to late 1990s, that had happened. Then, more years had to go by. My Pocahontas book , for example, came out in 2004. Another historian wrote a serious segment about her that said much the same as I did, just with less detail, in 2001. So, the ideas of multiculturalism had gained dominance in our world in the mid-1990s, but another five to ten years had to go by before people had digested this and put it out in papers, articles and books.

Still of Pocahontas as a translator

Since the shift in mainstream scholarship is so recent, do you think there’s more to learn from Pocahontas’ story going forward?

There’s more to learn about her in the sense that it would help modern politics if more people understood what Native people really went through, both at the time of conquest and in the years after. There’s so strong a sense in our country, at least in some places among some people, that somehow Native Americans and other disempowered people had it good—they’re the lucky ones, with special scholarships and special status. That is very, very far from a reflection of their real historical experience. Once you know the actual history of what these tribes have been through, it’s sobering, and one has to reckon with the pain and the loss that some people have experienced far more than others over the last five generations or so. It would help everybody, both Native and mainstream culture, if more people understood what Native experience was really like both at the time of conquest and since.

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Jackie Mansky | | READ MORE

Jacqueline Mansky is a freelance writer and editor living in Los Angeles. She was previously the assistant web editor, humanities, for Smithsonian magazine.

Sonja Anderson

Sonja Anderson | READ MORE

Sonja Anderson is a writer and reporter based in New York City.

The 60 Best Romance Novels to Sweep You Off Your Feet

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Blog – Posted on Tuesday, Nov 03

The 60 best romance novels to sweep you off your feet.

The 60 Best Romance Novels to Sweep You Off Your Feet

Romance is a perennial favorite for readers everywhere, and it isn’t hard to see why. A good love story has drama, intrigue, laughs, and, if you’re lucky, a little heat; while the very best romance novels can feel just like falling in love — intimate and personal, yet huge and life-changing all at once. 

We’ve compiled a list of our all-time favorite romance novels, from historical regency romance to contemporary novels tackling love in the digital age. So whether you’re searching for a how-to guide or cautionary tale (and there are plenty of those), you’re hungry to read the next rom-com blockbuster before it hits Netflix, or you just want to lose yourself in timeless romance tropes, we’ve got you covered! 💘

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of great romance novels out there, why not take our 30-second quiz to narrow it down quickly and get a personalized romance book recommendation?

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The Classics

1. jane eyre by charlotte brontë.

Though Jane Eyre might be ‘poor, obscure, plain and little’, her love story is anything but. One of the authoritative classics of the genre, Jane Eyre’ s enduring popularity is testament to the power of its central romance. Jane, a destitute young orphan, arrives at the home of the mysterious Mr Rochester in search of employment, but finds far more than she bargained for. The naïve and uncertain Jane is magnetically drawn to her brooding employer, but will the twisted secrets lying at the heart of Thornfield Hall undermine their budding relationship? Written at a time when most romantic heroines were preternaturally pretty, the headstrong, wilful, yet utterly average Jane is a subversive breath of fresh air — or should we say Eyre?

2. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

A sprawling epic that takes readers across continents in the name of love, Anna Karenina is one of the longest books on this list, coming to an intimidating 800+ pages. But those who persevere with this colossus of a novel are richly rewarded. In what is considered by many to be the best romance novel of all time (and, we think, one of the best books to read in a lifetime ), Tolstoy tells the story of an extramarital affair and its fallout in Imperial Russian society.  When Anna runs away with the handsome Count Vronsky, excitement gives way to paranoia, isolation, and regret, as we witness the unravelling of their relationship, and of Anna herself. As much a cautionary tale as it is a romance novel, Anna Karenina is a richly imagined portrait of both the agonies and ecstasies of love.

3. Love in the Time of Cholera (Oprah's Book Club) by Gabriel Garcia Márquez

Florentino Ariza has been waiting for 50 years for his true love to return. That’s not to say he’s been bored: he’s passed the time by having no fewer than 622 love affairs, which he has painstakingly recorded in his notebooks. Despite his dalliances and the passing of decades, when the man who married his childhood sweetheart dies, a now elderly Florentino seizes the opportunity to declare his love once more. An astonishing exploration of devotion and reunions, and the unrealistic expectations we place on those we love, Love in the Time of Cholera doesn’t just ask whether the hero will get the girl — it asks whether he should. They don’t just hand out the Nobel Prize for Literature to anyone, so it’s safe to say we’re in good hands with Gabriel Garcia Márquez.

4. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

This classic fish-out-of-water tale follows Margaret, a nineteen-year-old girl whose life is turned upside down when her family relocates from a sleepy village to Darkshire — a rough and restless industrial town in the north of England. Margaret finds a new calling, advocating for the poor and disenfranchised, but it brings her into direct conflict with imposing mill owner John Thornton. Can the two find any common ground, or will misunderstanding keep them at odds? Heart-warming and ahead of its time, North and South isn’t just a beautiful romance, it also has a lot to say on politics, gender, and religion, so one for the history buffs, too!

5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

It is a truth universally acknowledged that any list of the best romance novels must be in want of at least one Jane Austen title (we’ve gone for three!). And Pride and Prejudice is by far the English humorist’s most famous story. It’s a tale as old as time: boy meets girl; boy and girl bicker and declare their contempt for one another; boy and girl realise over time that there is, in fact, more to one another than meets the eye — but has this realisation come too late? It might now be a rom-com trope, but Pride and Prejudice is one of the oldest and greatest examples of the thin line between love and hate. Elizabeth and Darcy’s romance is as honest as it is unexpected, and Austen’s characters are so vividly realised and so utterly believable that you’ll be gasping, cringing, and crying along with them.

6. Emma by Jane Austen

Austen once set out in a letter the perfect subject for a novel — “Three or four families in a country village” — and the description fits Emma well. The glue that holds these families together (and our beloved heroine) is Emma Woodhouse. Clever, rich, beautiful, and utterly deluded, she’s determined to meddle with the hearts of her neighbours, but sees no need to find a husband herself. The novel bends narration through the distorting lens of our protagonist, making for a genius coming-of-age story and a work of comic brilliance. No matter who plays them, in what adaptation , her characters never fail to be laugh-out-loud funny!

7. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

The third and final instalment in our ode to romance titan Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility is a novel of lies, secrets, and seduction. Following two sisters — one wild and impulsive, the other quiet and sensible — it brilliantly portrays a world of money and status, gossip and innuendo, where rigid social convention governs the impulses of the heart. Through their parallel experiences of love and heartbreak, will these two young women learn to strike a balance between wearing your heart on your sleeve and concealing your true feelings?

8. Maurice by E.M. Forster

The brave and passionate tale of a young man’s sexual awakening, this intensely personal novel was written by Forster in 1914, when homosexual relationships were not only stigmatised, but illegal. Languishing in a drawer for fifty-seven years, Maurice was published after the author’s death, and quickly celebrated as a powerful, moving, beautifully-written love story. It chronicles the experiences of a privileged but modest young man, who comes up against unrequited love, heartbreak, and society politics on his journey to self-discovery. If you’re scouring this list for brilliant LGBT books , look no further!

9. The Princess Bride by William Goldman

As Goldman himself writes in the introduction, “dollars to donuts you’ve seen the movie”. But if you haven’t read the book that inspired the cult hit, you’ve missed a trick. A spoof fairy tale, a sharp satire, and a rocket-powered fantasy , all brilliantly disguised as a love story — there’s absolutely nothing fluffy about The Princess Bride . In fact, though there’s plenty to giggle about in the story of Buttercup and Prince Humperdink, you might also call this novel a tightly-plotted thriller. So if you’re of a nervous disposition, maybe stick to fairy tales meant for kids. 

10 . Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Reading Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles is an affecting experience that will stay with you for a lifetime. Its heroine, Tess Durbyfield, is so beautifully and sympathetically drawn that you cannot help but feel crushed as the world conspires against her; betrayed by men who exploit her, a society that casts her out, and by the callousness of her religion. As the seasons change, and Tess changes with them, it’s clear that she identifies most with the natural world — and it is here that the intensity of Hardy’s imagination comes into its own. His lush and evocative descriptions, metaphors, and parallels make this tragic romance novel a poetic masterpiece. 

11. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

The first and only novel by an elusive icon, Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights plunges headfirst into an exploration of the violence of doomed romance. Amid the bleak and feral atmosphere of the Yorkshire moors, the novel revolves obsessively around the tempestuous course of Cathy and Heathcliff’s self-destructive love affair. A gothic novel of intense passion, betrayal, and bitter vengeance — underpinned by the quiet beauty of Brontë’s lyricism — Wuthering Heights is an iconoclastic masterpiece that has inspired film-makers, novelists, poets, and song-writers for generations.

12. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

The quintessential love story that has spawned countless retellings and inspired who knows how many writers, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet —  the story of two star-crossed lovers from rival houses — wrote many of the rules of tragic romance. From iconic scenes like the balcony soliloquy, to legendary one-liners (“A plague o’ both your houses”, anyone?), and the ending that defined the romantic tragedy genre, any aspiring romance connoisseur should get this one under their belt.

13. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

A dark, twisted tale told almost exclusively as a flashback, Rebecca follows the nameless protagonist and her speedy marriage to a mysterious but charming stranger, Maxim de Winter, whom she meets on a business excursion. Things quickly become unsettling, as the protagonist learns of the troubling questions surrounding Maxim’s previous wife, Rebecca, whose spectre haunts their relationship. As Maxim’s carefully curated image — and their relationship — unravels further, the protagonist falls deeper into the shadow of Rebecca’s legacy. If you’re one who enjoys indulging in dark romance plots with thriller or mystery elements, du Maurier’s novel may be one for you. 

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Historical Romance

14. gone with the wind by margaret mitchell.

Spoiled Southern belle Scarlett O’Hara only ever had to worry about her love life, until poverty threatened to wipe out her family’s plantation. Doing everything she can to save their fortunes, Scarlett embarks on a series of unexpected adventures, traversing burning cities and bandit-filled forests. Despite her new priorities, Scarlett quickly finds that she cannot leave affairs of the heart behind completely, as she is torn between her beloved Ashley and the dashing but dangerous Rhett. A controversial presentation of Civil-War era America, Gone With the Wind explores the complexities of both romantic and platonic love. If you’ve seen the incomparable Vivien Leigh bring her to life on screen, it’s time to meet Scarlett on the page.

15. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

The Thorn Birds explores the tangled web of three generations of one Australian Outback family, carefully tracking their loves and losses over the course of 50 years. The emotional heart of the novel lies in the illicit relationship between Meggie, the daughter of the family, and Ralph, a priest in the local parish. Their attraction is dangerous, forbidden — and difficult to resist. Will they ever be together, or will the seemingly insurmountable obstacles between them keep them apart? This sweeping panorama of life in a rural sheep station from 1915 to 1969 is an Aussie cultural mainstay — it’s the best-selling book in Australian history!

16. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

The story of Noah and Allie is captured in three intertwined snap-shots: their teens, their early thirties, and old age. As our mysterious, elderly narrator unpacks these nesting dolls, we gradually learn about the love affair between our protagonists. The universe appears to have conspired to keep these childhood sweethearts apart: with meddling families, possessive fiancés, and World War II thrown into the mix, will they ever find their way back together? Some might dismiss it as chick-lit, but The Notebook is a guaranteed tear-jerker — every time. Who would have thought the words "if you’re a bird, I’m a bird" could pack such an emotional punch?

17. A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

Popular and outgoing class president Landon doesn’t think he has much in common with the preacher’s daughter Jamie, until circumstance forces them together. A last-ditch effort to get a date to the high school dance leads to an unexpected romance in A Walk to Remember, Nicholas Sparks’ follow-up to smash hit The Notebook. As Landon and Jamie slowly find common ground, and an appreciation for one another, A Walk to Remember proves that love can be found in surprising places. It’s a charming and sweet read, but, be warned — it’s another Sparks tear-jerker. How does he always get us?

18. Indigo by Beverly Jenkins

A member of a wealthy, free Black family, Galen Vachon has a lot to lose when he decides to become a member of the Underground railroad network, and join the effort to free enslaved Southerners. His risky lifestyle catches up with him when, attacked and injured, he is forced to seek sanctuary in the basement of a stranger. That stranger is Hester Wyatt, a former slave. Despite agreeing to nurse Galen back to health, their clashing personalities lead Hester to wonder whether she can keep her promise — not to mention the hostile forces that have started to come looking for him. Equal parts history and romance, this novel from NAACP nominee Beverly Jenkins will keep you on the edge of your seat.

19. Ross Poldark by Winston Graham

If you’re a die-hard fan of the television phenomenon Poldark , you’ll be delighted to hear that there are twelve (yes, twelve) novels to consume. A rich Cornish broth of love, rivalry, and discontent, Graham’s novels conjure up the lashing rains, the wild winds, and the crashing seas of 18th century Cornwall as his plots roar along the coastline. If you start with book one (a sensible choice) you’ll meet Ross Poldark as he returns from war in America. A Mr Darcy-come-Robin Hood hero, he rescues an urchin girl from a brawl and employs her as his maid — an act which will alter the course of his life for the next twelve books. Did I mention there are twelve?

20. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

The best historical romance novels must all make great TV, because here’s another one that inspired a super sexy series. Before it became an epic costume drama, Gabaldon’s time-travelling novel introduced us to former British combat nurse, Claire Randall, and her roguish young love interest, Scotts warrior Jamie Fraser. There’s only one thing keeping this gorgeous couple apart…several centuries. On a trip to the Highlands with her husband Frank, Claire tumbles back in time to 1743, and finds herself caught between two very different lives, and two very different men. If you’re looking for a best-selling romance novel that’s got it all — passion, intrigue, danger, and time travel — Outlander is your one!

21. A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

A recent release that’s already considered vintage Allende, A Long Petal of the Sea is suffused with a vibrant sense of time and place as it traces its story through forty years of authoritarian rule in Spain. Allende’s novel begins when pregnant widow, Roser, and her brother-in-law, Victor, flee fascist Spain aboard a ship chartered by the poet Pablo Neruda. Arriving in Chile, they immediately embroil themselves in a tangled web of characters connected by love and tragedy. A Long Petal of the Sea is a masterful historical romance novel, tinged with Allende’s hallmark magical realism . Don’t sleep on this one!

22. Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

Living a quiet life and working in her family’s seafood restaurant in late 19th century England, Nan King is happy just the way she is — that is until Kitty Butler, a male impersonator and performer, whirls into her line of sight. Enchanted by her performances, Nan finally manages to meet Kitty and ends up becoming her dresser. The two head for big cities that Nan has never even dreamed of — and a passionate romance unfurls backstage that rivals the action onstage. For fans of historical fiction and lesbian romance, this rollercoaster of a novel will take you on exhilarating ride, filled with titillating insight into the raunchy underbelly of 1890s England and the thrill of forbidden love.

23. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

Beginning during WWI and spanning three generations, Sebastian Faulks’ Birdsong is an epic novel about the power of war to strip everything from you, whether that be home, family, dignity — or love. With a few key couples dominating the pages in the style of Anna Karenina , we see the action through their eyes and feel their struggle to maintain hope after endless sacrifices. For those inspired by stories of love in the time of war, Birdsong evokes classics like War and Peace , wrapping wartime drama in a healthy coating of romance, intrigue, and sacrifices for the greater good.

Contemporary Romance

24. call me by your name by andré aciman.

A long, hot Italian summer provides the backdrop to an equally steamy romance in Call Me by Your Name , the story of a young man’s romance with his family’s lodger. As tender and heartfelt as it is intense and passionate, Elio and Oliver’s love affair begins awkwardly, slowly, and tacitly, before building to unprecedented heights as the summer draws to a close. A modern classic of LGBT+ literature, this exploration of first love and sexual awakening is vividly realised, and astonishingly honest. The second you’re through reading, you’re sure to be clamouring for more. Luckily for you, Aciman released a sequel last year — so you won’t have to say goodbye to Elio and Oliver just yet.

25. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

When Henry and Clare bump into one another at the local library, it’s a classic meet-cute. Except, it’s not. Because Clare and Henry have met each other before —  in fact, she’s known him her whole life. As it turns out, Henry’s a time traveler, and Clare is his future wife. A rare genetic condition causes Henry to jump uncontrollably along the timeline of Clare’s life. They decide to give things a shot after their ‘first meeting’, but, despite their deep love for one another, they face  lots of challenges along the way; after all, it’s hard to keep up a relationship when one party is constantly dropping in and out of reality. Niffenegger’s touching novel is sure to pull at your heartstrings, as she leads us to consider how free will and destiny combine to determine who we end up loving.

26. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Stella loves logic. The problem is, love isn’t logical. A highflying mathematician, she’s never put much thought into finding a romantic partner. But when she decides it’s finally time to settle down, Stella comes up with a characteristically pragmatic plan: she’ll hire someone to teach her how to do it. Enter Michael, a handsome escort, who usually doesn’t do repeat customers. When he agrees to give Stella lessons in love, he finds himself drawn deeper into her life; suddenly, Stella isn’t the only one who’s learning. A charming and affectionate portrayal of the love life of a neurodivergent woman, The Kiss Quotient is a breath of fresh air — we doubt you’ll have read a romance quite like this before.

27. When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri

When Katie Met Cassidy is every inch the classic Nora Efron-style rom-com, with one simple difference — both our protagonists are women. Katie is a small town girl, reeling from the breakdown of her engagement. Cassidy is a high powered businesswoman, living and thriving in New York’s gay scene. A chance meeting is enough to cement their fate, and the two women are drawn uncontrollably to one another. Joyous, hilarious, and deeply sexy, Perri’s novel is not just an exploration of sexuality and gender nonconformity, but a sparkling subversion of the romantic comedy form.

28. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Will Traynor is living a lonely life. Recently left quadriplegic by a motorcycle accident, his formerly fast-paced life has ground to a halt. Enter Lou; bubbly, funny sunshine in human form. Will’s mother has hired her to help care for Will, in the hopes of lifting his perpetually dour mood, but the intrusion is not a welcome one — at least at first. Over time, the two come to understand one another a little better, though Will remains insistent on keeping Lou at arm’s length, while she struggles to understand what he’s so afraid of. Will she be able to break down his walls? You’ll shed a tear or two, but you won’t be able to resist falling in love with Me Before You.

29. Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Emily Giffin’s best-selling romance novel is for every woman that’s been the sidekick in a lopsided friendship. In this story, it’s Rachel White: hard-working attorney, consummate good girl, and diligent maid of honour to her dazzling best friend Darcy — who happens to be marrying the man that Rachel is in love with. Yeah, that wasn’t part of the plan. ( Well , she did set them up, but what are best friends for?) Things start to spiral out of control when Rachel drunkenly confesses her feelings to Darcy’s fiancé, and is both delighted and devastated to hear he feels the same way. It might be a classic romance trope , but this knotty love triangle will have you on the edge of your seat to the very end.

30. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Probably the best romance novel of 2019, Casey McQuiston’s queer, royal love story didn’t just take the New York Times bestseller list by storm, it broke the internet. A kaleidoscope of popular influences, dripping in internet lingo, Ariana Grande references, and memes aplenty, Red, White & Royal Blue is the book we were screaming for. It’s set in an alternate reality where in 2016, a Democrat became the first female president of the US, and follows First Son Alex — a twenty-something, biracial, modern-day Kennedy. The action begins at a royal wedding, when Alex is told to play nice with his childhood nemesis, the Prince of Wales. As the famous pair fake a bromance for the cameras, behind the scenes… well , you know where this is going.

31. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Lucy Hutton doesn’t dislike Joshua Templeman. She doesn’t reluctantly tolerate him. She hates him. And she has to sit across from his joyless, infuriatingly handsome face every day . To be fair to Joshua, the feeling’s mutual. Lucy’s a people pleaser — the kind who wears yellow to work — and she pushes all his buttons. Now they’re up for the same promotion, and this bitter workplace rivalry is about to reach boiling point. But when tensions run high, you know what they say: there’s a thin line between love and hate. Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game is an unmissable treat for anyone who loves a rom-com about that undeniable spark between nemeses.

32. Normal People by Sally Rooney

Sally Rooney was recognised as both a gifted writer and a perceptive and nuanced observer, when she released her debut novel Conversations With Friends . In Normal People, she captures the zeitgeist with the same subtlety and skill. It’s an intimate love story of deceptive simplicity: Marianne and Connell are two mismatched young people —unlikely friends, unlikely lovers — who share a profound understanding. However, as their small town lives in rural Ireland are eclipsed by the heady and confusing world of student Dublin, the ways in which they mould each other reveal a universal truth about the lasting impact that one person can have on another. Dripping with longing and regret, and steered by two deeply vulnerable characters, this novel remains immensely readable — one of the best romance novels of the 21st century.

33. Beach Read by Emily Henry

Henry’s smart and steamy page-turner, Beach Read, gave us all a sizzling slice of the summer romance we missed out on in 2020. In an effort to crack a crippling case of writer’s block, January, a hopeless romantic, and Gus, who thinks happy endings are for fairy tales, don’t swap numbers, but genres. Before the summer is out, January must write the next great work of literary fiction , while Gus has to pen a bestselling romance novel. Two writers, two beach huts, and plenty of whipcrack banter — let’s hope Henry is an author with a soft spot for happily-ever-after.

34. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

Everything in Lily’s life seems to be falling into place. She’s got a new place in Boston, her own business, and she’s convinced gorgeous neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid to break his “no-dating” rule. Her old life in small-town Maine certainly seems a long way behind her. But as questions about her new relationship, and Ryle’s stubborn aversion to dating, begin to overwhelm her, Lily can’t help but wonder about Atlas Corrigan — her first love, and a link to the world she left behind. So when Atlas appears in Boston, everything she has with Ryle is suddenly thrown into question. This unforgettable tale is as heartbreaking as it is thrilling; prepare yourself for a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

35. The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory

A New York Times bestselling romance novel and a favorite among book clubs and celebrity book-lovers alike, The Proposal is a fun and flirty novel about a second chance at love. Guillory kicks off with a man on one knee; it’s not the usual way to start a love story, but this proposal isn’t followed by happily ever after. When Nik’s boyfriend asks her to spend the rest of her life with him, saying no isn’t the hard part (the guy can’t even spell her name right!) — it’s doing it in front of a stadium full of disappointed baseball fans. Luckily, handsome doctor Carlos is there to sweep her away from the frenzy and into an epic rebound of food, fun, and fantastic sex. But how serious can their glorified hookups get before someone slams on the brakes?

36. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Part tragic romance, part coming-of-age, part war trauma — Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is a heart-wrenching, expansive look at a lot of hard truths. Little Dog, a Vietnamese refugee in the U.S. and protagonist of this semi-autobiographical novel, tries to find solace in the small comforts of his life in the working class town of Hartford, Connecticut but realizes that he wants to grow beyond his current horizons. The reader follows Little Dog as he chases the American Dream, pursues a growing romance with a farm boy who’s struggling with his family’s homophobia, and questions how to be happy in the shadow of grief and trauma. A raw, poetic, and dark experience, if you enjoy a large helping of hardship and identity crises with your romance, this might be your cup of tea.

37. Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Go to jail or marry the mystery man her father has set her up with — headstrong Daisy Devreaux chooses the latter. Her new husband, Alex Markov, is a deadpan grade-A jerk who seems to have no patience for Daisy’s bourgeois tastes and flights of fancy. But as they work on restoring a rundown traveling circus, their growing influence on each other becomes impossible to ignore. Fans of stubborn romantic leads (à la Annie and Frank from Annie Get Your Gun ), quirky settings, and the time-tested city-girl-in-the-country trope may find a winner in Kiss An Angel .

38. Vision in White by Nora Roberts

Mackensie Elliott is head of her own wedding planning business and firmly believes she’s better at capturing other people’s special days than she would be at experiencing her own. But when Mackensie hits it off with the seemingly humdrum Carter Maguire, a high school English teacher who’s definitely not her type, her friends encourage her to make the first move. What begins as a casual fling becomes something more, and Mackensie has to ask herself if she’s willing to step out from behind her cool and collected facade and seize her own happiness. Readers looking for a tentative slow burn and a strong female lead will find a perfect match in Roberts’ charming Vision in White .

Young Adult Romance

39. twilight by stephenie meyer.

It’s faced more than its fair share of backlash, derision, and parody, but it’s impossible to deny that few books have influenced the cultural zeitgeist as much as Twilight . It’s the book that led a generation of teenage girls to genuinely debate whether vampires or werewolves were hotter, and that launched an entire renaissance of paranormal romance books . No matter what the critics say, it’s the definitive high school romance turned struggle against a vampiric death cult — so why not revisit Twilight mania, and see what all the hype was about? Oh, and P.S., we’re totally team Edward.

40. Forever . . . by Judy Blume

‘Sybil Davison has a genius IQ and has been laid by at least six different guys’. So begins Judy Blume’s Forever… Is it any wonder that this YA book has been a favorite under-the-covers read ever since its release in the 70’s? This refreshingly honest presentation of teenage sexuality was deeply controversial because of its raunchy subject matter — it’s even been banned from several libraries — but it remains a classic. Katherine and Michael’s high school romance is a charming coming-of-age story that’s sure to have you laughing and cringing in equal parts.

41. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Imagine if all your high school crushes suddenly knew every embarrassing thought you’ve ever had about them. That’s what happens to Lara Jean, a sixteen-year-old girl whose life is turned upside down when letters she’s written to all the boys she’s ever loved — letters that the recipients were never supposed to see — are sent. Naturally, the fallout is chaotic. Jenny Han’s sugary sweet novel not only spent 40 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, it was also adapted into a blockbusting movie. If there’s one thing you should take away from this one, it’s to keep your top secret love letters under lock and key.

42. The Selection by Kiera Cass

Fans of dystopian novels (think The Hunger Games ) will find a lot to love in The Selection, the first in Kiera Cass’ Selection series. After being selected to compete for the heart of a Prince, America is forced to leave behind her home and the boy she secretly loves but cannot be with. What she doesn’t expect is to start falling for the handsome prince. With a Netflix adaptation in the works, now’s your chance to get ahead of the hype and join this YA series’ cult following before it’s cool.

43. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

An internet phenomenon that has a special place in the hearts of superfans everywhere, Rainbow Rowell’s young adult romance is as charming as it is candid. Cath is a fanfiction-writing, premiere-attending, card-carrying fangirl. Her twin sister Wren used to be the same, But now they’re in college, Wren has lost interest in geeky pursuits — she’s far too busy partying, making friends, and being cool. She’s also lost interest in Cath. Without her sister for the first time, Cath is forced to navigate the confusion and loneliness of being a freshman all alone. Will the cute guy in her creative writing class be a welcome distraction? How about her new roommate’s friendly ex-boyfriend...?

44. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Another Rainbow Rowell novel met with critical acclaim, Eleanor & Park is an urgent, breathless, gut-punch of a love story about two teen misfits and one life-changing school year. It’s 1986 when Eleanor arrives in her new town, all chaotic red hair and mismatched clothes. She takes a seat on the school bus and finds herself next to Park — quiet, understated, and impossibly cool. Carefully yet wholeheartedly, over late night phone calls and countless mix tapes, Eleanor and Park fall in love. It’s that pure, fear-laced, heartbreaking kind of love you only experience when you’re sixteen — and trust us, your heart will melt.

45. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

When Anna’s father ships her off to boarding school in Paris, she’s less than thrilled to be leaving behind her friends in Atlanta — especially that cute guy she works with at the multiplex. But all is forgiven (and cute coworkers forgotten) when she meets Etienne St. Clair. He’s charming, smart, gorgeous...and tragically taken. But hearts have a way of coming together in the City of Love. So if Anna plays her cards right, her senior year might just end with the perfect first kiss. Relive the flutters of first love in Perkins’ wonderfully cheesy tale of crushes, complications, and croissants.

46. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

It’s 1987 and a hot summer’s day in El Paso, Texas, when Ari and Dante meet at a swimming pool. On the face of things, they have nothing in common. Ari is guarded, angry, and struggling to feel like he belongs. Dante is an open-hearted know-it-all, still figuring out who he is. But, as they spend the summer learning about each other, and discovering themselves, a friendship floods the lives of these two loners like a golden light. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a tender and lyrical reminder that love in all its many forms should be open, deep, and without shame.

47. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

High school junior Simon has a lot on his mind; but when a stray email falls into the wrong hands and he’s blackmailed by class clown Martin, he’s forced to play along — or he’ll be outed as gay, along with his increasingly flirtatious pen pal. As his friend group starts to fray and the situation becomes increasingly tenuous, Simon will have to keep up with the pace of change, or risk the life he knows crashing down around his ears. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is a gay romance filled with warm fuzzies, dry humor, and supportive friendships. Albertalli’s feel-good novel is still able, however, to flirt with some bigger questions about homophobia and the experience of being a closeted teen in the American South.

48. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

In this romantic retelling of a perennial Classics favorite, Homer’s Iliad , Madeline Miller casts Patroclus as the awkward but lovable ancient Grecian nerd to Achilles’ jock. As the unlikely duo fight in battle, quarrel, and form a bond that grows deeper every day, their conflicting beliefs about the Trojan War threaten to tear them apart. Miller, a classics teacher herself, takes up Homer’s thread of lyrical prose while adding her own unique style and story elements. If you’re partial to Rick Riordan (who, incidentally, gave this book a glowing review !) and his ancient mythology series, but wished they had a more mature and romantic tone, look no further than The Song of Achilles.

49. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto is trying to recover from a family tragedy, supported by his friends and his girlfriend Genevieve. But when Aaron starts spending his time almost exclusively with new boy Thomas, he quickly comes to a number of realizations that he’s not altogether thrilled with. At the same time, a slot opens up for a memory-alteration procedure at the Leteo Institute, and Aaron has the choice of wiping the things he’d rather not dwell on out of his head forever. A grittier take on young adult romance, More Happy Than Not goes deep into themes of depression, homophobia, and suicide, while exploring the scientific possibilities of the not-too-distant future .

50. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

For three years, Hazel’s life has been nothing but terminal. Diagnosed with incurable cancer at the age of thirteen, she’s never had the chance to experience the thrilling awkwardness of being a teenager. In an attempt to find kids who understand, Hazel’s mother forces her to attend a truly miserable cancer support group. Enter: Augustus Waters. A charming, and unremarkably handsome amputee with an alarming optimism for life, Gus is a much-needed plot twist in the story of Hazel Grace. Bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is a witty tour de force about the thrilling and tragic business of being alive, and a heartbreaking (but never depressing) story about a love that lasts ‘forever, within the numbered days.’

Regency Romance

51. the grand sophy by georgette heyer.

When Sophia Stanton-Lacy is dropped on her aunt’s doorstep by her diplomat father, she’s not quite what any of her extended family were expecting. Self-assured, confident, and more than a touch rebellious, the beautiful and charismatic Sophy sweeps through London like a breath of fresh air. In the opinion of her stern cousin Charles, however, that fresh air feels more like a hurricane. This witty, sophisticated tale of societal intrigue and domestic dramas has a lot to offer Austen fans, and Heyer’s pacy comedy-of-manners is served with a generous helping of heart-stopping romance.

52. Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas

Annabelle needs a rich husband, and fast. Her family are in dire financial straits, and she must use every tool at her disposal to save them. There’s one major issue, however — her most tenacious suitor, entrepreneur Simon Hunt, has no interest in marrying her. As Annabelle struggles to resist his advances and keep her head in the game, Simon finds the chase even more exciting. This steamy regency romance is the first book in Kleypas’ mega-popular Wallflowers series, so once you’ve devoured this one (and we bet you will) there’s plenty left to enjoy.

53. Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale

A devilishly debonair womanizer is suddenly interred in an insane asylum, having suffered a stroke. The sheltered and naïve Maddy, fascinated by his scandalous reputation, is tasked with his care. Despite her Quaker upbringing and the brutality of their surroundings, the unlikely pair find themselves swept up in a passionate and intense love affair. As she grows closer to the Duke of Jervaux, Maddy begins to realise his playboy facade conceals hidden depths. New York Times bestseller Kinsale reminds us there’s often much more than meets the eye in this gripping, steamy, and desire-drenched novel.

54. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

Lord of Scoundrels may be the third in its series, but we can’t resist including it on this list. One of the most well-known and well received historical romance novels of all time , this regency read has had readers seriously hot under the starched collar for 25 years. When the independent and beautiful Jessica Trent rolls into town to save her brother from the influence of the caddish Sebastian, the two engage in a fierce battle of wits. When the tension between them reaches fever pitch, they’re caught in a compromising situation at a society party. Will Sebastian do what’s right to save Jessica’s reputation, or is he really as unscrupulous as she always suspected?

Erotic Romance

55. fifty shades of grey by e. l. james.

You’ve probably already read Fifty Shades — it was the biggest selling book of the 2010’s, after all. But if the pop culture phenomenon somehow passed you by, it’s never too late to give this kinky thriller a try. The story of hunky, troubled billionaire Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, a naïve student who (quite literally) falls headfirst into his life, started out as self-published Twilight fanfiction. Who could have imagined that this steamier-than-a-sauna novel would go on to sell over 125 million copies!

56. Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin

If there’s one thing more exciting than erotic fiction, it’s vintage erotic fiction. If you’re looking for retro erotica with a disarming feminist twist , look no further than Delta of Venus, a collection of 15 short stories written by Anais Nin in the 1940s. In sexy bitesize chunks, Nin regales us with stories of torrid love affairs and passionate trysts, told in what Nin herself refers to as ‘women's language, seeing sexual experience from a woman's point of view’. It’s as gorgeous as it was groundbreaking.

57. Twice In A Lifetime by Clare Lydon

Would you take a second chance at first love? This is the dilemma that Sally and Harriet face in Twice in a Lifetime . Teenage sweethearts, they broke up when Harriet moved away to college, breaking Sally’s heart. But a chance luggage mix-up at the airport brings them crashing back together. The sexual tension is heavy — but the emotional baggage is, too. Is it worth another shot? Scorching sex scenes are balanced out by genuine warmth and deeply likeable main characters in this LGBTQ+ erotic novel.

58. Rush by Maya Banks

Forbidden desire takes center stage in Rush, the first book in bestselling author Maya Banks’ Breathless trilogy, which follows the exploits of three very handsome, very successful, and very debauched business partners. Rush focuses on Gabe, who finds himself in a tight spot when he lays eyes on his best friend’s younger sister for the first time in several years. The attraction is instant. But will he get what he wants, or will outside forces intervene? Raunchy and compulsively readable, you’ll be rushing (pun intended) to find out what happens next in this erotic page-turner.

59. Bared to You by Sylvia Day

Another self-publishing success story in the vein of Fifty Shades of Grey, Sylvia Day’s Bared to You boasts a similarly devoted fan base — and a similarly intense love story. It’s often heartwarming, and always hot, but Bared to You is much more than just titillating. The story of Eva, a sexual assault survivor navigating her way to a healthy romantic life is surprisingly heartfelt. You’ll find you can’t help but root for our heroine as she finds love with the charismatic and equally complicated Gideon.

60. On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

Scotland’s answer to Fifty Shades of Grey , this erotic romance novel is much more than just “innocent young graduate meets gorgeous billionaire and dot, dot, dot” . Jocelyn and Braden — the innocent young graduate and gorgeous billionaire, respectively — are exquisitely written characters, engaged in a captivating and bittersweet love story. They meet when Jocelyn moves to Edinburgh and takes up an apartment in a building owned by Braden. He immediately feels an intense attraction, but, knowing Jocelyn’s past has left her guarded, Braden proposes a ‘no-strings-attached’ arrangement. Witty dialogue and steamy sex scenes ensue, but how long can the fun last before they want more than just mind-blowing passion?

Developed a taste for fiery love stories? Why not check out our guide to New Adult books and their sleek, steamy collegiate romances?

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Sold Into a Brothel at 15, a Japanese Girl Finds Strength in Words

“A Woman of Pleasure,” Kiyoko Murata’s first novel to be translated into English, explores the world of sex work in early-20th-century Japan.

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A WOMAN OF PLEASURE , by Kiyoko Murata. Translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter.

When Aoi Ichi learns that her father is coming to visit, she is delighted. The young woman — a child, really — hasn’t seen him since the previous year, when she left their village on the southern Japanese island of Iojima for a mansion in the city of Kumamoto. “There are lots of men/but only one I love/my one and only pa,” she writes in her journal. She buys gifts for him to take to her mother and older sister and sweeps the street in front of her workplace with gusto. But he comes and goes without seeing her, “afraid to look his daughter in the eye.” He’s there only to sign a new promissory note with her employer borrowing more money against her labor, which is sex work.

Such quiet devastation weaves through “A Woman of Pleasure,” the first book to be published in English by the venerated novelist Kiyoko Murata (translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter). Like many of the women in this unflinching and humane portrayal of prostitutes in early-20th-century Japan, Ichi comes from a poor rural family; she is the daughter of a sea diver mother and a fisherman father — the latter of whom, desperate to make ends meet, sells her into prostitution when she is 15.

In a brothel in Kumamoto’s licensed quarter, Ichi finds herself under the wing of its highest-earning courtesan, or oiran , the impossibly elegant Shinonome. Tasked with training the younger girl in makeup, manners and grooming, Shinonome finds herself alternately frustrated and charmed by Ichi’s strong will, eventually developing a grudging respect for “the monkey child from the island.”

Before Ichi can begin to entertain customers, though, she must attend the Female Industrial School, where another veteran, Tetsuko, teaches the women of the “pleasure quarter” how to relinquish their “dreadful” regional accents and write elegant letters to clients. One of the novel’s more sympathetic characters, Tetsuko understands the stakes of these lessons: The better her students perform their duties, the sooner they can work off their debts and earn their freedom.

The depictions of life in the brothel are simple, merciless and deeply affecting. New workers are corralled daily into a room nicknamed “the inferno” where they are trained to please men, practicing on the house’s young, unwilling manservants as their peers look on. “Never in her life had she suffered as much as then,” Murata writes of Ichi’s turn. “Her vision had gone cloudy, her eyes seeming to shoot sparks as something inside her burned and charred.”

But even as the brothel takes Ichi’s innocence, the school empowers her with a means of self-expression: a journal whose blunt, poetic entries punctuate the story with private revelations of anger, grief and hope. In Tetsuko’s classroom, the novel also nimbly shifts into a broader register, exploring the larger forces shaping these women’s lives.

One example is the Livestock Emancipation Law, which technically granted prostitutes freedom using the language of animals, though it was never enforced. Like cows or horses, it reasoned, sex workers could not be expected to repay their debts. Even “New Greater Learning for Women,” an 1899 book by the writer and philosopher Fukuzawa Yukichi that extolled the study of physical education and physics for both sexes, contained a classist caveat: Working girls are “excluded from discussion because they are not human to begin with.”

This novel, of course, is committed to the opposite principle. Small rebellions bloom as the prostitutes grow more confident in their rights. Ichi and her peers find hope in organized resistance, with their collective humanity in the face of brutality forming Murata’s irrefutable and beautiful argument.

A WOMAN OF PLEASURE | By Kiyoko Murata. Translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter. | Counterpoint | 309 pp. | Paperback, $17.95

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The Black-History Books Teachers Hope Won’t Be Banned

When the tools for educating young people are restricted

black and white illustration of group of children and teachers reading

Nearly a century ago, the historian Carter G. Woodson started a movement to teach Black history in America’s schools. First called Negro History Week and now Black History Month, it has been an oasis amid curricula that have too often and for too long either completely ignored Black people or treated them as subordinates. Even though Black History Month can sometimes be commemorated in ways that have turned rote and bland, many enterprising educators, librarians, and parents have used the occasion to bring stories, new interpretations of the past, and intellectual challenges to students of all ages who wouldn’t encounter them otherwise. And books have always been at the heart of their efforts.

Today, however, the books that have been deployed by adults to help in this passing on of history and sensibility are disappearing from school libraries. Led by mostly conservative lawmakers across the country, at least 12 state legislatures or school boards have formally restricted discussions and books that point to the existence of racism in America, under “critical race theory” bans; and in many districts, parents and activists have organized mass cullings of books. According to the American Library Association, 2023 appears to have been a record year for book bans and challenges, most of which targeted “books written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.”

Every Black History Month is a fine time for book recommendations, and there are plenty of new arrivals and classics to call out this year, but in the current environment of censoriousness, I decided to ask teachers about their favorite books, and about what teaching Black history feels like in a time of book bans. Some of these teachers have already been involved in disputes involving bans. Some have not, but are still concerned. Their responses have been edited for length and clarity.

silhouette of a person standing on a book

What book are you most excited about teaching for Black History Month?

In my AP language class, I began teaching Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me at the end of January, but the study will continue into February; and I love to offer James Baldwin’s “A Letter to My Nephew,” found in The Fire Next Time , and it pairs well with Coates’s narrative. In recent years, I have found some amazing current Black British writers, including Caleb Femi and Irenosen Okojie, and I love reading Okojie’s short stories with my English IV students. They are brilliant and complex displays of magical realism, which really encourage student engagement. — Mary Wood, 11th- and 12th-grade English; Chapin, South Carolina

The books I routinely teach, sometimes coinciding with Black History Month and sometimes not, are Nikki Grimes’s Bronx Masquerade , Ernest J. Gaines’s A Lesson Before Dying , Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God , and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave , the latter two of which I have started teaching through excerpts as part of reading lessons. Also, I included Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart for the first time this year. I am currently teaching Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s The Other Wes Moore . I would love the opportunity to teach Toni Morrison’s Beloved again; it’s one of my favorite books of all time. — Jackson Lee Bryant, high-school teacher; Lexington, South Carolina

I am looking forward to sharing one of my personal favorite books, Their Eyes Were Watching God , by Zora Neal Hurston. It’s a classic novel that I remember reading when I was close to their ages. Since I teach math, I do not directly teach lessons where the focal point is on literature, but I still integrate Black-history lessons during February. It is not just the responsibility of English and language-arts teachers to promote Black literature, but all educators. — Sydnee Jenkins, fifth-grade math; Nashville, Tennessee

illustration of a group of figures sharing books

What does Black History Month mean to you?

Black History Month has meant more to me as I’ve gotten older than it ever did when I was in school. Growing up as the son of a minister, in a Baptist church in Charlotte, North Carolina, church was always where we got information about Black History Month. In school, we were often asked the cynical question: “Why is there a Black History Month but not a White History Month?”

As a teacher, at a school where I have been the only African American in my department for the last 12 years, I realize now that those earlier experiences have given me a much deeper appreciation for my exposure to aspects of Black history. I hope in some brief way I can bring that experience to my own students. I can say, “I met some of the lunch-counter protesters from North Carolina A&T,” and it leaves me in awe. To know of my own father’s role in trying to desegregate his small North Carolina town and to see the results he achieved continues to amaze me. While Black history would be best included in the history of the United States and the world, the glaring and deliberate omissions have constantly led to the revelation of some aspect of Black history that will still seem new to some.  — Maurice Thomas, high-school English and journalism; Columbia, South Carolina

Black History Month is such a proud time for my people, and I would be remiss not to appreciate and celebrate our culture, our lives, our history. Being Black is the greatest gift ever, and I acknowledge the ability that I have to even celebrate it. But at the same time, it saddens me to see what this month has become. A special time for my people to be loved out loud has turned into a month in which my people are exploited, mocked, and placated by hollow celebrations. Black History Month should be the one time a year we are able to just be ourselves, but unfortunately, it has become a farce. I love being Black. This month means something to me. I just struggle with what it was intended to be and what it has become.  — Markus T. Howell, high-school English and African American literature; Upper Marlboro, Maryland

illustration of a person reading a book with hands reaching for the book

Has the political picture in America/your district changed how you approach Black History Month and the books you choose? If so, how?

Yes. The polarization of the political climate has reinvigorated me and changed how I approach Black History Month. Florida’s and other states’ rejections of Black studies and Black literature are society’s latest attempt to erase Black history. This is an attempt to silence, miseducate, and discourage. The current political picture has caused me to be more intentional in representing Black history in every aspect of teaching and learning. My classroom is decorated with a multitude of posters and biographies of distinguished Black figures, and each day we have a spotlight mini-lesson. For the entire month of February, students participate in Black-history trivia. I assign a Black-history project. This is all in an effort to ensure that we are not silenced, miseducated, or discouraged. If I can spark a conversation, or a curious mind, that might help push the needle forward, and combat the current political picture in this nation.  — Sydnee Jenkins

Absolutely not. As a Black teacher of young Black and brown children, I believe it is my duty to expose the next generation to as many of our works as possible. In a society that is slowly (but not subtly) attempting to take away our access to these texts but also attempting to hide and suppress our history, I do everything possible to educate our youth. From books to art and, of course, our music, it is of the utmost importance that the youngins see how rich our history is, so that they can then do the same for the generations after them that they will lead. So much of what they see now does not exactly highlight Blackness in the most positive light, so I do my best to have them read texts from the most prolific writers—such as Toni Morrison—but also up-and-coming young Black writers who look like them as well. — Markus T. Howell

Between the World and Me was censored in my AP language-and-composition class last February. The entire situation was heartbreaking and destructive. Some teachers may have acquiesced silently to the outlandish and unethical repudiation of the Black perspective and the interruption of instruction, and I understand why they might do that; challenging people who organize to attack education and truth is no easy feat. But I refused to back down, and I made sure that Coates’s book would be part of my curriculum for this school year.

A great many people continue to question this intention, asking why I would employ a book that has allegedly caused so much trouble for me, for my community. The fact is: That book didn’t hurt people; people hurt the book. Folks used it in a tragically defamatory manner to further a dangerous agenda of whitewashing American history and stifling Black experiences. Because of those actions, I reconciled that we must resist such efforts and organize effectively to preserve our democracy.  — Mary Wood

It has definitely impacted the books I choose and how I present them. The Other Wes Moore is one that all English 2 teachers at my school use, so there is security in that choice. Other than that, I have been careful to select passages from other books, including Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time and John Edgar Wideman’s Brothers and Keepers , that I can contextualize in ways that are less likely to “offend” those white students and parents who might be looking to be offended. Thankfully, I have found these individuals to be in the minority, outside of board meetings, that is.  — Jackson Lee Bryant

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‘Harry Potter’ book proof, bought for pennies in 1997, sells for nearly $14,000 at auction

The copy’s inside title page mistakenly stated the author’s name as “j a rowling” instead of j.k. rowling..

Britain Harry Potter Auction

British auctioneers Hanson’s said Monday that the first-edition copy of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” which states “uncorrected proof copy” on the cover, was bought in 1997 from a shop in south London for 50-cents along with two other books.

LONDON — A proof copy of the first Harry Potter novel that was bought for pennies in a second-hand bookshop almost 30 years ago has sold at auction for nearly $14,000.

British auctioneers Hanson's said Monday that the first-edition copy of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone," which states “uncorrected proof copy” on the cover, was bought in 1997 from a shop in south London with two other books for a total of 50 cents

The seller, who was not named, picked up the book about the famous boy wizard as a “throw-in” with other titles and didn't read it or pay much attention to it for years — until she read online about the high prices some Potter copies achieved, Hanson's said.

The book was sold to a private U.K. buyer on Wednesday for a hammer price of $13,952.

Jim Spencer, head of books at the auction house, said the copy's inside title page mistakenly stated the author's name as “J A Rowling” instead of J.K. Rowling.

“This book so deserved to do well. This proof copy is where the Harry Potter phenomenon began. This is the very first appearance in print of the first Potter novel," Spencer said.

Andreas Athanasiou

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