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Best Literary Fiction

Literary fiction is serious fiction with claims to literary merit, and focuses more on style, psychological depth, and character. (As opposed to genre or popular fiction).

What are your favorites of literary fiction?
1

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4.26 avg rating — 6,331,043 ratings
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2

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4.15 avg rating — 2,145,119 ratings
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3

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4.27 avg rating — 942,455 ratings
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4

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4.29 avg rating — 4,378,572 ratings
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5

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3.80 avg rating — 3,619,310 ratings
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6

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3.93 avg rating — 5,402,255 ratings
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7

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3.70 avg rating — 2,978,484 ratings
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8

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4.13 avg rating — 1,613,887 ratings
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9

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4.31 avg rating — 1,233,436 ratings
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10

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4.19 avg rating — 4,800,894 ratings
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11

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3.89 avg rating — 1,864,398 ratings
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12

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4.09 avg rating — 868,619 ratings
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13

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4.12 avg rating — 1,000,950 ratings
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14

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4.24 avg rating — 2,879,678 ratings
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15

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4.27 avg rating — 706,115 ratings
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16

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4.15 avg rating — 2,031,817 ratings
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17

by
4.01 avg rating — 928,710 ratings
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18

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3.88 avg rating — 874,515 ratings
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19

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3.99 avg rating — 4,035,848 ratings
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20

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4.32 avg rating — 1,014,175 ratings
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21

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4.29 avg rating — 4,123,088 ratings
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22

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4.25 avg rating — 650,961 ratings
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23

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4.20 avg rating — 745,193 ratings
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24

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4.35 avg rating — 3,233,439 ratings
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25

by
4.39 avg rating — 2,646,993 ratings
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26

by
3.79 avg rating — 821,251 ratings
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27

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4.16 avg rating — 1,206,961 ratings
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28

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3.96 avg rating — 449,732 ratings
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29

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4.42 avg rating — 558,982 ratings
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30

by
4.16 avg rating — 337,806 ratings
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31

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3.96 avg rating — 2,511,596 ratings
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32

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4.10 avg rating — 757,289 ratings
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33

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3.94 avg rating — 1,659,357 ratings
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34

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4.37 avg rating — 345,936 ratings
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35

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3.99 avg rating — 1,909,759 ratings
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36

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3.85 avg rating — 734,606 ratings
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37

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4.10 avg rating — 1,395,924 ratings
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38

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4.22 avg rating — 699,848 ratings
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39

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4.44 avg rating — 1,583,416 ratings
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40

by
4.04 avg rating — 490,273 ratings
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41

by
4.24 avg rating — 325,393 ratings
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42

by
4.34 avg rating — 210 ratings
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43

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4.30 avg rating — 657,542 ratings
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44

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4.29 avg rating — 369,995 ratings
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45

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3.89 avg rating — 2,617,092 ratings
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46

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4.30 avg rating — 477,821 ratings
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47

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4.12 avg rating — 2,567,038 ratings
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48

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3.43 avg rating — 878,826 ratings
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49

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3.89 avg rating — 32,951 ratings
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50

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3.94 avg rating — 515,127 ratings
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51

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4.33 avg rating — 2,187,570 ratings
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52

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3.90 avg rating — 280,633 ratings
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53

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3.99 avg rating — 843,313 ratings
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54

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3.91 avg rating — 3,185,143 ratings
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55

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4.03 avg rating — 202,973 ratings
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56

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4.54 avg rating — 201,552 ratings
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57

by
4.15 avg rating — 720,451 ratings
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58

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4.14 avg rating — 317,894 ratings
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59

by
4.04 avg rating — 23 ratings
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60

by
4.34 avg rating — 780,137 ratings
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61

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3.80 avg rating — 1,191,265 ratings
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62

by
3.55 avg rating — 575,457 ratings
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63

by
4.17 avg rating — 92,125 ratings
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64

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3.88 avg rating — 1,181,668 ratings
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65

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4.03 avg rating — 1,165,990 ratings
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66

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4.03 avg rating — 646,498 ratings
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67

by
4.10 avg rating — 231,561 ratings
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68

by
4.09 avg rating — 1,310,325 ratings
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69

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4.06 avg rating — 1,030,599 ratings
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70

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4.19 avg rating — 768,720 ratings
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71

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3.98 avg rating — 317,320 ratings
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72

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 252,854 ratings
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73

by
4.20 avg rating — 809,382 ratings
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74

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4.11 avg rating — 1,641,857 ratings
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75

by
4.31 avg rating — 939,525 ratings
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76

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3.85 avg rating — 245,771 ratings
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77

by
4.07 avg rating — 114,070 ratings
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78

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4.19 avg rating — 6,877 ratings
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79

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4.20 avg rating — 608,415 ratings
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80

by
3.89 avg rating — 281,409 ratings
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81

by
4.16 avg rating — 2,287,624 ratings
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82

by
3.96 avg rating — 157,835 ratings
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83

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3.94 avg rating — 9,164 ratings
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84

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3.87 avg rating — 965,188 ratings
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85

by
3.79 avg rating — 361,247 ratings
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86

by
3.97 avg rating — 180,102 ratings
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87

by
3.79 avg rating — 318,053 ratings
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88

by
3.88 avg rating — 400,590 ratings
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89

by
4.05 avg rating — 908,971 ratings
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90

by
4.53 avg rating — 690,131 ratings
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91

by
4.14 avg rating — 2,125,453 ratings
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92

by
4.15 avg rating — 412,323 ratings
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93

by
3.89 avg rating — 245,004 ratings
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94

by
3.70 avg rating — 344,552 ratings
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95

by
4.14 avg rating — 372,617 ratings
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96

by
3.96 avg rating — 305,257 ratings
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97

by
3.99 avg rating — 938,258 ratings
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98

by
4.31 avg rating — 1,755,098 ratings
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99

by
4.26 avg rating — 1,084,506 ratings
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100

by
4.01 avg rating — 272,516 ratings
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1,467 books · 1,334 voters · list created January 27th, 2009 by Shelagh (votes) .
10 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Shelagh 45 books
830 friends
Michael 85 books
1121 friends
Yvonne 30 books
61 friends
Chelle 150 books
286 friends
James 36 books
1135 friends
James 152 books
576 friends
Malcolm 704 books
649 friends
Barbara 90 books
695 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-13 of 13 (13 new)

dateDown arrow    newest »

message 1: by Yvonne (new)

Yvonne I highly recommend this writer, she is a excellent read.
Yvonne


message 2: by Stuart (new)

Stuart 'The Power of Persuasion' by Shelagh Watkins is a masterpiece of modern day writing -- highly recommended.


message 3: by Kimberly (new)

Kimberly Brillant!


message 4: by Ann (new)

Ann Bateman New York Trilogy by Paul Auster


message 5: by [deleted user] (new)

I wish people would learn to place books in the correct genres. This list has quite a few romance novels, which cannot by any stretch of the imagine be counted as works of literary fiction.


message 6: by Daniel (new)

Daniel Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy and Narnia are all good books, but they are definitely not literary fiction!


message 7: by Martinw (new)

Martinw deleted user wrote: "I wish people would learn to place books in the correct genres. This list has quite a few romance novels, which cannot by any stretch of the imagine be counted as works of literary fiction."

I was just scanning Goodreads for a list exactly like this, and I have to agree with Daniel. I like these books, but this is not the place for them. Hunger Games, too, should be removed.


message 8: by Donna (last edited Mar 07, 2018 01:51PM) (new)

Donna  Davis Removed from page 2 as nonfiction: In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Also removed from #426, Pippi Longstocking (c'mon guys, "serious fiction"):
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

I question the inclusion of The Odyssey and The Iliad (page 2), which are poetry. Also...Shakespeare's plays, literary fiction? I'm not touching these until I see feedback, but...?

The system found and removed 3 duplicates.

I am surprised to see some unlikely contenders, yet there was no E.L. Doctorow, Russell Banks, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Willa Cather, Octavia Butler, Jesmyn Ward, or Michael Chabon. I have added them, but if you want to vote for them you'll have to flip to the back pages to find them.

Removed from #125, Speedy Reads
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

The system found and removed another duplicate.


message 9: by Cc (new)

Cc I feel like Despite the Devil, The Drama Unfolds, Ballet Shoes, Percy Jackson, Thornbirds, and Outlander are not literary fiction. Same goes for Poison Study and Fablehaven, much as I like YA / middle grade


message 10: by EvanFlow (last edited Apr 01, 2023 09:16AM) (new)

EvanFlow Onyx and Crake is SF and not particurarly original one at that, no matter what the author what the author would like to believe. The Time Machine is pure genre-fiction though good and original. Jurassic Park? Really.


message 11: by Donna (last edited Apr 01, 2023 10:41PM) (new)

Donna  Davis EvanFlow wrote: "Onyx and Crake is SF and not particurarly original one at that, no matter what the author what the author would like to believe. The Time Machine is pure genre-fiction though good and original. Jur..."

Thanks for the heads up. I haven't looked at this list in awhile; looks like it needs cleaning. I'll just grab my mop...

I am editing these with a light hand, because literary fiction has about a zillion definitions, and of course, a work of literary fiction may well occupy another (fictional) genre or genres as well. If I see a book that looks like it may not belong but I haven't read it, I check to see if it has been shelved (here, on GR) as literary fiction.

That said, please remember that a novel can be very well written, and yet not be literary fiction. If a book is a play, poetry, or any variety of nonfiction, it is not literary fiction. Also, not all classics are literary fiction.

While readers are preparing my hot tar and feathers, I'll proceed.

The system found and removed 3 duplicates.

Removed for genre:

Little House on the Prairie: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

Curious Reality: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

84 Charing Cross Road: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Pygmalion: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

The Help: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

The Hunger Games: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Frankenstein: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1....

This is just a beginning, but I'm out of time. I'll be back.


message 12: by Donna (last edited Apr 02, 2023 10:08PM) (new)

Donna  Davis And I'm back. Removed for genre issues:
The Odyssey (which is poetry, yo!) : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
and (sigh!) The Iliad: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Where the Heart Is: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Cheaper By the Dozen: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...
The Trumpet of the Swan: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Charlotte's Web: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Last Lecture: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Shining: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Much Ado About Nothing: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Romeo and Juliet: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Delores Claiborne: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

If you see a book that is clearly not literary fiction and you want me to zap it, please leave the title and the page# on which it is found.


Imaginary Inkwell Hey bookworms! Anyone here read 'The Wolf and the Shepherd' by C.J. Thorin? It's this indie book I came across, and wow, what a journey! Adventure, twists, you name it – it's packed with goodness. Just wanted to share the book love.


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Adriana Herrera was born and raised in the Caribbean and now lives in New York City. When not at work as a trauma therapist, she writes stories...

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