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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

The Vanishing Half Summary
The Vanishing Half
by Brit Bennett 2020 343 pages
4.13
819.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Contemporary
Franny and Zooey Summary
Franny and Zooey
by J.D. Salinger 1957 201 pages
3.96
233.0K ratings
Short Stories
Literature
Classics
Family of Origin Summary
Family of Origin
by C.J. Hauser 2019 287 pages
3.48
1.6K ratings
Novels
Literary Fiction
Contemporary
The Marriage Portrait Summary
The Marriage Portrait
by Maggie O'Farrell 2022 355 pages
4.01
181.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Book Club
Young Mungo Summary
Young Mungo
by Douglas Stuart 2022 390 pages
4.38
77.1K ratings
LGBT
Queer
Romance
Greek Lessons Summary
Greek Lessons
by Han Kang 2011 192 pages
3.61
29.4K ratings
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
Romance
Tortilla Flat Summary
Tortilla Flat
by John Steinbeck 1935 256 pages
3.83
60.2K ratings
Classics
Literature
Historical Fiction
Great Circle Summary
Great Circle
by Maggie Shipstead 2021 608 pages
4.10
76.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
The Idiot Summary
The Idiot
by Elif Batuman 2017 423 pages
3.65
98.5K ratings
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
Historical Fiction
Human Acts Summary
Human Acts
by Han Kang 2014 218 pages
4.26
55.7K ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Literary Fiction
Hamnet Summary
Hamnet
by Maggie O'Farrell 2020 372 pages
4.19
303.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
Pineapple Street Summary
Pineapple Street
by Jenny Jackson 2023 304 pages
3.55
199.0K ratings
Contemporary
Book Club
Literary Fiction
Real Americans Summary
Real Americans
by Rachel Khong 2024 399 pages
3.97
72.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
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
The Corrections Summary
The Corrections
by Jonathan Franzen 2001 653 pages
3.84
192.6K ratings
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
Novels
On Beauty Summary
On Beauty
by Zadie Smith 2005 445 pages
3.78
88.2K ratings
Contemporary
Book Club
Literary 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
The Sense of an Ending Summary
The Sense of an Ending
by Julian Barnes 2011 150 pages
3.74
187.0K ratings
Book Club
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
The World According to Garp Summary
The World According to Garp
by John Irving 1978 610 pages
4.11
234.8K ratings
Classics
Literature
Contemporary
Gilead Summary
Gilead
by Marilynne Robinson 2004 247 pages
3.85
119.4K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Literary Fiction
Long Island Compromise Summary
Long Island Compromise
by Taffy Brodesser-Akner 2024 464 pages
3.75
33.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Contemporary
The Girls Summary
The Girls
by Emma Cline 2016 355 pages
3.51
233.9K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Contemporary
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves Summary
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves
by Karen Joy Fowler 2013 310 pages
3.71
125.0K ratings
Book Club
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
The Bell Summary
The Bell
by Iris Murdoch 1958 296 pages
3.92
9.8K ratings
Classics
Novels
British Literature
Sandwich Summary
Sandwich
by Catherine Newman 2024 240 pages
3.61
117.9K ratings
Contemporary
Book Club
Summer
Life Ceremony Summary
Life Ceremony
by Sayaka Murata 2019 256 pages
3.75
24.1K ratings
Short Stories
Horror
Japan
Come and Get It Summary
Come and Get It
by Kiley Reid 2024 400 pages
3.34
39.5K ratings
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
Book Club
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
Acts of Desperation Summary
Acts of Desperation
by Megan Nolan 2021 288 pages
3.72
36.0K ratings
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
Romance
A Woman Is No Man Summary
A Woman Is No Man
by Etaf Rum 2019 339 pages
4.26
165.9K ratings
Book Club
Historical Fiction
Contemporary
Fates and Furies Summary
Fates and Furies
by Lauren Groff 2015 390 pages
3.59
144.8K ratings
Book Club
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
The Lincoln Highway Summary
The Lincoln Highway
by Amor Towles 2021 576 pages
4.22
293.6K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Historical
After Annie Summary
After Annie
by Anna Quindlen 2024 283 pages
3.99
33.3K ratings
Family
Contemporary
Grief
White Noise Summary
White Noise
by Don DeLillo 1985 320 pages
3.86
122.5K ratings
Classics
Literature
Novels
Deep Cuts Summary
Deep Cuts
by Holly Brickley 2025 277 pages
3.74
12.4K ratings
Romance
Historical Fiction
Contemporary
The Female Persuasion Summary
The Female Persuasion
by Meg Wolitzer 2018 454 pages
3.56
57.2K ratings
Feminism
Contemporary
Book Club
Private Rites Summary
Private Rites
by Julia Armfield 2024 291 pages
3.68
8.6K ratings
Horror
Queer
LGBT
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
City of Night Birds Summary
City of Night Birds
by Juhea Kim 2024 320 pages
3.64
7.5K ratings
Historical Fiction
Literary Fiction
Russia
The Island of Missing Trees Summary
The Island of Missing Trees
by Elif Shafak 2021 354 pages
4.15
140.2K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Magical Realism
The Back of the Turtle Summary
The Back of the Turtle
by Thomas King 2014 518 pages
4.07
3.8K ratings
Indigenous
Canada
Book Club
Maame Summary
Maame
by Jessica George 2023 320 pages
4.05
116.7K ratings
Contemporary
Book Club
Literary Fiction
The Dutch House Summary
The Dutch House
by Ann Patchett 2019 337 pages
4.10
513.1K ratings
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Literary Fiction
To Paradise Summary
To Paradise
by Hanya Yanagihara 2022 720 pages
3.74
51.8K ratings
Historical Fiction
Literary Fiction
LGBT
Sing, Unburied, Sing Summary
Sing, Unburied, Sing
by Jesmyn Ward 2017 285 pages
4.00
143.5K ratings
Book Club
Magical Realism
Contemporary
The Gospel Singer Summary
The Gospel Singer
by Harry Crews 1968 300 pages
4.22
1.8K ratings
Southern Gothic
Southern
Classics
Potiki Summary
Potiki
by Patricia Grace 1986 192 pages
3.88
2.3K ratings
Indigenous
Classics
Magical Realism
The Interestings Summary
The Interestings
by Meg Wolitzer 2013 468 pages
3.60
121.6K ratings
Book Club
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
The School for Good Mothers Summary
The School for Good Mothers
by Jessamine Chan 2022 336 pages
3.53
119.3K ratings
Dystopia
Science Fiction
Book Club
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