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Literary Fiction

Literary works that challenge our understanding of the human experience through richly crafted language, complex characters, and profound themes. These masterfully written stories and reflections explore life's deepest questions while pushing the boundaries of storytelling itself.

Literary Fiction Book Summaries

Angle of Repose Summary
Angle of Repose
by Wallace Stegner 1971 569 pages
4.24
61.0K ratings
Historical Fiction
Classics
Book Club
Cathedral Summary
Cathedral
by Raymond Carver 1983 230 pages
4.24
39.0K ratings
Short Stories
Classics
Literature
Unaccustomed Earth Summary
Unaccustomed Earth
by Jhumpa Lahiri 2008 352 pages
4.13
95.2K ratings
Short Stories
India
Book Club
The Flamethrowers Summary
The Flamethrowers
by Rachel Kushner 2013 383 pages
3.50
23.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Literary Fiction
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Summary
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
by Junot Díaz 2007 335 pages
3.89
273.3K ratings
Book Club
Contemporary
Magical Realism
Commonwealth Summary
Commonwealth
by Ann Patchett 2016 322 pages
3.83
196.4K ratings
Book Club
Literary Fiction
Historical Fiction
If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English Summary
If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English
by Noor Naga 2022 186 pages
3.93
10.7K ratings
Literary Fiction
Contemporary
Romance
After Annie Summary
After Annie
by Anna Quindlen 2024 283 pages
3.99
33.3K ratings
Family
Contemporary
Grief
Penitence Summary
Penitence
by Kristin Koval 2025 320 pages
3.71
12.6K ratings
Mystery
Thriller
Mystery Thriller
All the Pretty Horses Summary
All the Pretty Horses
by Cormac McCarthy 1992 302 pages
4.05
137.7K ratings
Westerns
Historical Fiction
Classics
The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway Summary
The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway
by Ernest Hemingway 1987 650 pages
4.29
37.4K ratings
Short Stories
Classics
Literature
Fates and Furies Summary
Fates and Furies
by Lauren Groff 2015 390 pages
3.59
144.8K ratings
Book Club
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
Big Swiss Summary
Big Swiss
by Jen Beagin 2023 336 pages
3.68
123.9K ratings
Contemporary
LGBT
Queer
Real Americans Summary
Real Americans
by Rachel Khong 2024 399 pages
3.97
72.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Literary Fiction
Franny and Zooey Summary
Franny and Zooey
by J.D. Salinger 1957 201 pages
3.96
233.0K ratings
Short Stories
Literature
Classics
A Great Country Summary
A Great Country
by Shilpi Somaya Gowda 2024 256 pages
3.89
7.4K ratings
Contemporary
Book Club
Literary Fiction
The Irish Goodbye Summary
The Irish Goodbye
by Heather Aimee O'Neill 2025 288 pages
4.03
1.8K ratings
Family
Family Drama
Literary Fiction
Cloud Cuckoo Land Summary
Cloud Cuckoo Land
by Anthony Doerr 2021 626 pages
4.25
249.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Book Club
To the Lighthouse Summary
To the Lighthouse
by Virginia Woolf 1927 209 pages
3.81
203.7K ratings
Classics
Literature
Novels
Sweet Tooth Summary
Sweet Tooth
by Ian McEwan 2012 320 pages
3.44
51.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Mystery
The Lying Life of Adults Summary
The Lying Life of Adults
by Elena Ferrante 2019 336 pages
3.67
80.6K ratings
Italy
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
The Elements Summary
The Elements
by John Boyne 2025 496 pages
4.53
3.2K ratings
Literary Fiction
Ireland
Thriller
The Heir Apparent Summary
The Heir Apparent
by Rebecca Armitage 2025 416 pages
4.03
618 ratings
Contemporary
Chick Lit
Book Club
Sometimes a Great Notion Summary
Sometimes a Great Notion
by Ken Kesey 1964 628 pages
4.26
23.4K ratings
Classics
Literature
Novels
To Paradise Summary
To Paradise
by Hanya Yanagihara 2022 720 pages
3.74
51.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Literary Fiction
LGBT
The Golden Notebook Summary
The Golden Notebook
by Doris Lessing 1962 640 pages
3.77
24.0K ratings
Classics
Feminism
Literature
Every Day Is Mother's Day Summary
Every Day Is Mother's Day
by Hilary Mantel 1985 224 pages
3.59
2.0K ratings
British Literature
Literary Fiction
Novels
Wandering Stars Summary
Wandering Stars
by Tommy Orange 2024 315 pages
3.84
31.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
Indigenous
Literary Fiction
Snow Falling on Cedars Summary
Snow Falling on Cedars
by David Guterson 1994 460 pages
3.86
191.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Book Club
History of English literature Summary
History of English literature
by Edward Albert 1923 544 pages
3.91
255 ratings
History
Literature
Literary Criticism
Demon Copperhead Summary
Demon Copperhead
by Barbara Kingsolver 2022 560 pages
4.48
661.8K ratings
Book Club
Historical Fiction
Literary Fiction
Potiki Summary
Potiki
by Patricia Grace 1986 192 pages
3.88
2.3K ratings
Indigenous
Classics
Magical Realism
The Heart of Winter Summary
The Heart of Winter
by Jonathan Evison 2025 368 pages
4.12
4.8K ratings
Romance
Historical Fiction
Literary Fiction
Maame Summary
Maame
by Jessica George 2023 320 pages
4.05
116.7K ratings
Contemporary
Book Club
Literary Fiction
The Neapolitan Novels Summary
The Neapolitan Novels
by Elena Ferrante 2015 1705 pages
4.57
6.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Italy
Italian Literature
Possession Summary
Possession
by A.S. Byatt 1990 555 pages
3.90
83.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Romance
Classics
Wellness Summary
Wellness
by Nathan Hill 2023 611 pages
3.99
74.1K ratings
Book Club
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
Run Summary
Run
by Ann Patchett 2007 295 pages
3.67
54.9K ratings
Book Club
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
The Guest Summary
The Guest
by Emma Cline 2023 304 pages
3.28
102.7K ratings
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
Thriller
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay Summary
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay
by Elena Ferrante 2013 418 pages
4.36
178.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Italy
Italian Literature
A Touch of Jen Summary
A Touch of Jen
by Beth Morgan 2021 320 pages
3.26
12.7K ratings
Horror
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet Summary
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet
by David Mitchell 2010 479 pages
4.03
66.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Japan
Historical
Mina's Matchbox Summary
Mina's Matchbox
by Yōko Ogawa 2006 282 pages
3.77
5.4K ratings
Japan
Historical Fiction
Japanese Literature
The Round House Summary
The Round House
by Louise Erdrich 2012 323 pages
3.98
121.4K ratings
Book Club
Historical Fiction
Mystery
All's Well Summary
All's Well
by Mona Awad 2021 352 pages
3.74
32.3K ratings
Horror
Contemporary
Magical Realism
Amity Summary
Amity
by Nathan Harris 2025 320 pages
4.31
133 ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Literary Fiction
The Mars Room Summary
The Mars Room
by Rachel Kushner 2018 338 pages
3.44
46.3K ratings
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
Book Club
This Strange Eventful History Summary
This Strange Eventful History
by Claire Messud 2024 448 pages
3.58
4.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Literary Fiction
Africa
Trust Exercise Summary
Trust Exercise
by Susan Choi 2019 257 pages
3.13
37.4K ratings
Literary Fiction
Book Club
Contemporary
Mercury Summary
Mercury
by Amy Jo Burns 2024 336 pages
3.80
18.3K ratings
Historical Fiction
Literary Fiction
Contemporary
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