Literary Fiction
Gilead
An elderly Iowa minister writes a long letter to his young son, a meditation on grace, fathers and the ordinary beauty of the world.
Genre Starter Kit
Literary Fiction Starter Kit
5 books to begin with, in the order to read them.
Novels where the sentences matter as much as the story. A guided first step into literary fiction: where to begin, how to read it, and what to try next. About 42 hours of reading.
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- Books
- 5
- Reading time
- About 42 hours
- Formats
- PDF, web guide, content pack
A preview
Read the opening
- Why Read Literary Fiction
- How to Read Literary Fiction
- Your Reading Path
- Keep Going
Welcome
Why Read Literary Fiction
Literary fiction trusts you to notice. Plot is often quiet, and meaning lives in voice, structure and what a character cannot bring themselves to say. It rewards patience with a kind of attention few other forms ask for.
Novels where the sentences matter as much as the story.
The Concierge
Practical
How to Read Literary Fiction
- Read in sittings of an hour or more, so the voice has room to settle.
- Notice the narrator: who is telling this, and what are they leaving out?
- Do not rush to the ending. In this genre the ending is rarely the point.
Pairs with: A quiet evening, a lamp, and a pencil within reach.
The full genre starter kit continues for another 2 sections.
Request accessThe books
On the reading list
Literary Fiction
The Alchemist
A young Andalusian shepherd sets out for the Egyptian pyramids in search of treasure, and learns along the way what it means to follow a personal calling.
Literary Fiction
The Remains of the Day
An impeccable English butler takes a motoring holiday and looks back on a lifetime of service, and on what he never allowed himself to say.
Literary Fiction
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Two friends build video games together across three decades, and a partnership that is part love story, part creative rivalry.
Literary Fiction
Americanah
A young Nigerian woman builds a life in America while her first love stays behind, and years later their paths cross again in Lagos, each changed by what it costs to belong somewhere.