300 Essential Works of Literature
Three hundred works that shaped world literature, from the Epic of Gilgamesh to the novels of today, in chronological order. Epics, poetry, drama, novels and ideas from every continent, each with a link to find it on Amazon Books.
300 works
-
1
Epic & myth · AncientThe Epic of Gilgamesh
The oldest great work of literature, a king’s quest for immortality.
-
2
-
3
-
4
-
5
-
6
-
7
-
8
-
9
-
10
Epic & myth · AncientThe Mahabharata
One of the longest poems ever composed, containing the Bhagavad Gita.
-
11
-
12
-
13
-
14
-
15
-
16
-
17
Short stories · MedievalOne Thousand and One Nights
Scheherazade’s tales, including Sinbad and Aladdin.
-
18
-
19
-
20
-
21
-
22
-
23
-
24
-
25
-
26
-
27
-
28
Novel · MedievalRomance of the Three Kingdoms
An epic historical novel of China’s warring kingdoms.
-
29
-
30
-
31
-
32
-
33
-
34
-
35
-
36
-
37
-
38
-
39
-
40
-
41
-
42
-
43
-
44
-
45
-
46
-
47
-
48
-
49
-
50
-
51
-
52
-
53
-
54
-
55
-
56
-
57
-
58
-
59
-
60
-
61
-
62
-
63
-
64
-
65
-
66
-
67
Children’s & fantasy · 19th centuryGrimms’ Fairy Tales
Snow White, Hansel and Gretel and many more.
-
68
-
69
-
70
-
71
-
72
-
73
-
74
-
75
-
76
-
77
-
78
-
79
-
80
Ideas & non-fiction · 19th centuryFear and Trembling
A meditation on faith and Abraham’s sacrifice.
-
81
-
82
-
83
-
84
-
85
-
86
Ideas & non-fiction · 19th centuryThe Communist Manifesto
The pamphlet that shaped a century of politics.
-
87
-
88
-
89
-
90
-
91
-
92
-
93
-
94
-
95
-
96
-
97
Ideas & non-fiction · 19th centuryOn the Origin of Species
The theory of evolution by natural selection.
-
98
-
99
-
100
-
101
-
102
-
103
-
104
Children’s & fantasy · 19th centuryAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Down the rabbit hole into a world of nonsense.
-
105
-
106
-
107
-
108
-
109
Science fiction · 19th centuryTwenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas
Captain Nemo and the submarine Nautilus.
-
110
-
111
-
112
-
113
-
114
-
115
-
116Novel · 19th century
The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas
A dead man narrates his life with ironic wit.
-
117
Ideas & non-fiction · 19th centuryThus Spoke Zarathustra
Nietzsche’s poetic philosophy of the Übermensch.
-
118
Children’s & fantasy · 19th centuryThe Adventures of Pinocchio
A wooden puppet longs to be a real boy.
-
119
-
120
-
121
Novel · 19th centuryStrange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
A respectable doctor’s monstrous other self.
-
122
-
123
-
124
-
125
-
126
-
127
-
128
-
129
-
130
-
131
-
132
-
133
-
134
-
135
-
136
-
137
-
138
-
139
-
140
-
141
Poetry · 20th centuryGitanjali
Devotional songs by the first non-European Nobel laureate in literature.
-
142
-
143
-
144
-
145
Short stories · 20th centuryRashōmon and Other Stories
Dark tales from a master of the Japanese short story.
-
146
-
147
-
148
-
149
-
150
-
151
-
152
-
153
-
154
-
155
-
156
-
157
-
158
-
159
-
160
-
161
-
162
-
163
-
164
-
165
-
166
-
167
-
168
-
169
-
170
-
171
-
172
-
173
-
174
-
175
-
176
-
177
-
178
-
179
-
180
-
181
-
182
-
183
-
184
Children’s & fantasy · 20th centuryThe Little Prince
A fable about love, loss and seeing with the heart.
-
185
-
186
-
187
-
188
-
189
-
190
-
191
-
192
Ideas & non-fiction · 20th centuryThe Diary of a Young Girl
A Jewish girl’s diary written in hiding.
-
193
-
194
-
195
-
196
-
197
-
198
Science fiction · 20th centuryNineteen Eighty-Four
Totalitarian surveillance in Big Brother’s Oceania.
-
199
-
200
-
201
-
202
-
203
-
204
-
205
-
206
-
207
-
208
-
209
-
210
-
211
-
212
-
213
-
214
-
215
-
216
-
217
-
218
-
219
-
220
-
221
-
222
-
223
-
224
-
225
-
226
Novel · 20th centuryThe Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
A charismatic Edinburgh teacher and her chosen girls.
-
227
-
228
-
229
-
230
-
231
-
232
-
233
-
234
-
235
-
236
-
237
-
238
-
239
-
240
-
241
-
242
-
243
-
244
-
245
-
246
-
247
-
248
-
249
Science fiction · 20th centuryThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Arthur Dent escapes as Earth is demolished.
-
250
-
251
-
252
-
253
-
254
-
255
-
256
-
257
-
258
-
259
-
260
-
261
-
262
-
263
-
264
-
265
-
266
-
267
-
268
-
269
-
270
-
271
-
272
-
273
-
274
-
275
Children’s & fantasy · 20th centuryHarry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
The boy wizard arrives at Hogwarts.
-
276
-
277
-
278
-
279
-
280
-
281
-
282
-
283
-
284
-
285
-
286
-
287
-
288
-
289
-
290
-
291
-
292
-
293
-
294
Science fiction · 21st centuryThe Three-Body Problem
First contact rooted in China’s Cultural Revolution.
-
295
-
296
-
297
-
298
-
299
-
300
No works match those filters.