Michael Dirda, Classics for Pleasure
397 entries: 226 monographical, 171 otherwise
Unrankedarranged topically
This book offers the second-best (after Philip Ward's) combination of a list of works for readers to enjoy and a enjoyable work to read in and of itself; or we could say, it offers a selection of books less predictable than Fadiman's or Van Doren's, and his prose is at least superior to Van Doren's. (Powys's selection is relatively limited, and as a novelist himself doesn't seem to have put as much care and effort into his text, presumably because he was somewhat dismissive of the entire concept).
Dirda's book specifically responds to Clifton Fadiman's Lifetime Reading Plan. The author explains that he read Fadiman's book as a child, adding, "Over the years I gradually meandered my way through nearly all the works" listed there. He then went on to a doctorate in comparative literature and a position as editor and writer at the Washington Post Book World. In turn, Dirda designed Classics for Pleasure not to overlap with the final, 1997 version of Fadiman's plan, arguing that the works listed there are "relatively familiar." As a result, Dirda's list ends up like Kanigel's Vintage Reading, directing its readers to "new authors and less obvious classics."
The works listed here are split into categories defined by a broad theme. These are as such: Playful Imaginations (1-Gorey); Heroes of Their Time (31-Agee); Love's Mysteries (Sappho-62); Words From the Wise (63-75); Everyday Magic (76-94); Lives of Consequence (95-Auden); The Dark Side (117-128); Traveler's Tales (129-154); The Way We Live Now (155-180); Realms of Adventure (181-Hammett); Encyclopedic Visions (203-224).
Lucian
- Verae Historiae
True History
Second CenturyGreek
- Asinus
Lucius or The Ass
Second CenturyGreek
- Dialogi Mortuorum
Dialogues of the Dead
Second CenturyGreek
- Dialogi Meretricii
Dialogues of the Courtesans
Second CenturyGreek
- Dialogi Deorum
Dialogues of the Gods
Second CenturyGreek
Second CenturyGreek
Denis Diderot
- Le Neveu de Rameau ou la Satire Seconde
German traslation, 1805; original, 1823French
Eighteenth CenturyFrench
- Les Bijoux Indiscrets
originally anonymously published 1748French
- Supplément au Voyage de Bougainville, ou Dialogue Entre A et B sur l'Inconvénient d'Attacher des Idées Morales à Certaines Actions Physiques Qui n'en Comportent Pas
1772French
- La Religieuse
The Nun
1796French
- 'Ceci N'Est pas un Conte'
originally published 1773 in Correspondance LittérarireFrench
- Jacques le Fataliste et son Maître
Jacques the Fatalist and His Master
published in part, 1785; in its entirety, 1796French
Encyclopédie, ou Dictionnaire Raisonné des Sciences, des Arts et des Métiers
published in 28 volumes, 1751-72French
Thomas Love Peacock
- Crotchet Castle
1831; revised 1837English
Nineteenth CenturyEnglish
- Nightmare Abbey
1818; revised 1837English
- Gryll Grange
originally published serially 1860 in Fraser's MagazineEnglish
- Maid Marian
1822English
Max Beerbohm
- Seven Men
1919; second edition, entitled Seven Men, and Two Others, 1950
- A Christmas Garland, Woven by Max Beerbohm
1912English
- Zuleika Dobson; or, An Oxford Love Story
1911English
late Nineteenth-early Twentieth centuriesEnglish
1920; essaysEnglish
- Jaroslav Hasek
Osudy Dobrého Vojáka Švejka za Svetové Války
The Good Soldier Švejk
1923Czech
Ivy Compton-Burnett
- Brothers and Sisters
1929English
- Manservant and Maidservant
1947; U S edition entitled Bullivant and the LambsEnglish
Twentieth CenturyEnglish
- Daughters and Sons
1937English
- Parents and Children
1941English
- A House and Its Head
1935English
- A Father and His Fate
1957English
- Darkness and Day
1951English
- Pastors and Masters
1925English
- The Present and the Past
1953English
S J Perelman
1958English
English
series of essaysEnglish
Italo Calvino
- Le Città Invisibili
Invisible Cities
1972Italian
- Il Castello dei Destini Incrociati
The Castle of Crossed Destinies
first part published 1969, entitled Tarocchi: Il Mazzo Visconteo di Bergamo e New York; published in its entirety, 1973Italian
- Se una Notte d'Inverno un Viaggiatore
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler
1979Italian
Edward Gorey
1972; includes The Unstrung Harp, 1953; The Listing Attic, 1954; The Doubtful Guest, 1957; The Object Lesson, 1958; The Bug Book, 1959; The Fatal Lozenge, 1960; The Hapless Child, 1961; The Curious Sofa: A Pornographic Tale by Ogdred Weary, 1961; The Willowdale Handcar: Or, the Return of the Black Doll, 1962; The Vinegar Works: Three Volumes of Moral Instruction, 1963; The Wuggly Ump, 1963; The Sinking Spell, 1964; and The Remembered Visit: A Story Taken From Life, 1965English
1975; includes The Beastly Baby, 1962; The Nursery Frieze, 1964; Three Books From Fantod Press, 1966; The Gilded Bat, 1967; The Iron Tonic: Or, A Winter Afternoon in Lonely Valley, 1969; Three Books From The Fantod Press, 1970; Three Books From The Fantod Press, 1971; The Lavender Leotard; The Disrespectful Summons; The Abandoned Sock, 1972; Leaves from a Mislaid Album, 1972; The Lost Lions, 1973; and A Limerick, 1973; plus translations of Alphonse Allais's Story for Saraand Charles Cros's The Salt HerringEnglish
1983; includes The Utter Zoo, 1967; The Blue Aspic, 1968; The Epiplectic Bicycle, 1969; The Sopping Thursday, 1970; The Grand Passion; Les Passementeries Horribles; The Eclectic Abecedarium; L'Heure Bleue; The Broken Spoke; The Awdrey-Gore Legacy; The Glorious Nosebleed: Fifth Alphabet, 1975; The Loathsome Couple; The Green Beads, 1978; Les Urnes Utiles; The Stupid Joke; The Prune People; and The Tuning ForkEnglish
2006; includes The Galoshes of Remorse; Signs of Spring; Seasonal Confusion; Random Walk; Category; The Other Statue; Scenes de Ballet; Verse Advice; The Deadly Blotter; Creativity; The Retrieved Locket; The Water Flowers; The Haunted Tea-Cosy: A Dispirited and Distasteful Diversion for Christmas, 1998; Christmas Wrap-Up, The Headless Bust: A Melancholy Meditation on the False Millennium, 1999; The Just Dessert; The Admonitory Hippopotamus; Neglected Murderesses; Tragedies Topiares; The Raging Tide; The Unknown Vegetable; Another Random Walk; Serious Life: A Cruise; Figbash Acrobate; La Malle Saignante; and The Izzard Book; plus abridged versions of 10 Impossible Objects and The Universal SolventEnglish
--
- Beowulf
ca. Eighth-Eleventh centuriesEnglish
- Ferdowsi
Shahnameh
The Book of Kings
written ca. 977-1010Persian
--
ca. Thirteenth CenturyNorse
--
- Njáls Saga
ca. Thirteenth CenturyNorse
--
- Laxdaela Saga
ca. Thirteenth CenturyNorse
--
- Grettis Saga
ca. Thirteenth CenturyNorse
--
- Egil Saga
ca. Thirteenth CenturyNorse
Christopher Marlowe
late Sixteenth CenturyEnglish
- The Jew of Malta
1592English
- The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus
1592English
- Dido, Queen of Carthage
ca. 1587-93English
- Edward II
1593English
- Tamburlaine the Great
1590English
late Sixteenth CenturyEnglish
Émile Zola
- Germinal
originally published serially Apr. 1884-Jan. 1885 in Gil BlasFrench
late Nineteenth CenturyEnglish
- L'Assommoir
1877French
- Nana
originally published serially 1879-80 in La VoltaireFrench
- La Bête Humaine
1890French
- Au Bonheur des Dames
originally published serially 1883 in Gil BlasFrench
- La Terre
1887French
- Ernst Jünger
In Stahlgewittern
1920; revised through 1978 editionGerman
James Agee
- Let Us Now Praise Famous Men
1941; photography by Walker EvansEnglish
Twentieth CenturyEnglish
Poems
late Seventh-early Sixth centuries B CGreek
--
- Chrétien de Troyes
Yvain, le Chevalier au Lion
written ca. 1170French
- Gottfried Von Strassberg
Tristan
early Thirteenth CenturyGerman
- Wolfram Von Eschenbach
Parzival
ca. early Thirteenth CenturyGerman
- Madame de la Fayette
La Princess de Clèves
originally anonymously published 1678French
Enten - Eller [excerpted]
Either/ Or
'Diary of a Seducer'; this section written under the pseudonym, Johannes; complete work originally published under the pseudonym, Victor Eremita, 1843Danish
- George Meredith
Modern Love
1862English
C P Cavafy
early Twentieth CenturyGreek
- 'Waiting for the Barbarians'
Greek
- 'The God Abandons Antony'
Greek
Greek
- 'A Byzantine Nobleman in Exile Composing Verses'
Greek
- 'The Melancholy of Iason Kleandros, Poet in Kommagini, 595 C E'
Greek
- 'And I Lounge and Lay on Their Beds'
Greek
Georgette Heyer
- The Grand Sophy
1950English
- Venetia
1958English
- Friday's Child
1944English
- Cotillion
1953English
- A Civil Contract
1961English
Anna Akhmatova
Twentieth CenturyRussian
Russian
Russian
Russian
- Requiem
written 1935-40; published 1963Russian
- Poem Without a Hero
written 1940-60; published in part serially; in its entirety, in Tale Without a Hero and Twenty-Two Poems, 1973Russian
- Daphne du Maurier
Rebecca
1938English
- Lǎozǐ (Lao-tzu) (Laocius)
Dàodéjīng
Tao te Ching
ca. Sixth Century B CChinese
Selected works
ca. late Sixth-early Fifth centuries B C; only fragments of his works are extantGreek
Marcus Tullius Cicero
- De Officiis
written 44 B CLatin
- Tusculanae Disputationes
written ca. 45 B CLatin
- De Re Publica [excerpted]
'The Dream of Scipio'; written 54-51 B CLatin
- Epistulae ad Atticum
written 68-43 B CLatin
- Desiderius Erasmus
Stultitiae Laus
In Praise of Folly
1511; revisedLatin
--
- The Bible
Dirda specifies the King James Version, translated 1604-11 to English from the Hebrew and Aramaic (Old Testament) and the Greek (New Testament), revised 1769 by Benjamin BlayneyHebrew; Aramaic; Greek
--
- The Book of Common Prayer
1549; revised 1552, 1559, 1604, 1662; first-second versions edited by Thomas CranmerEnglish
- John Bunyan
The Pilgrim's Progress From This World to That Which Is to Come
1678English
Hymns
Hymns
Eighteenth CenturyEnglish
Sermons
Sermons
Baruch Spinoza
- Tractatus Theologico-Politicus
originally anonymously published 1670Latin
- Ethica, Ordine Geometrico Demonstrata
Ethics
1677Latin
Samuel Johnson
- The Vanity of Human Wishes: The Tenth Satire of Juvenal Imitated
1749English
- The Prince of Abissinia: A Tale
The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia
1759English
- Essays from the Rambler and the Idler
unspecified essays originally published in the Rambler, 1750-52; the Idler, 1758-60English
- Prefaces, Biographical and Critical, to the Works of the English Poets
The Lives of the Poets
published in part, 1744, as An Account of the Life of Mr. Richard Strange, Son of the Earl Rivers; in its entirety, in ten volumes: first-fifth, 1779; sixth-tenth, 1781, as part of the anthology, The Works of the English Poets; published separately in six volumes, entitled The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets; With Critical Observations on Their Works, 1781English
--
- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
probably the same author as Pearl (the "Gawain poet" or "Pearl poet"); late Fourteenth CenturyEnglish
--
- Pearl
probably the same author as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (the "Pearl poet" or "Gawain poet"); late Fourteenth Century—English
- Jacob Grimm; Wilhelm Grimm
Stories
Nineteenth CenturyGerman
Fables
Nineteenth CenturyDanish
Stories
Seventeenth CenturyFrench
- Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, Baroness d'Aulnoy (Madame d'Aulnoy) (Countess d'Aulnoy)
Stories
Seventeenth CenturyFrench
'The Yellow Dwarf'
part of Contes Nouveaux ou Les Fées à la Mode, 1698
'The Company of Wolves'
part of The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories, 1979English
Red as Blood, or Tales From the Sisters Grimmer
1983; versions of stories by the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, and Alexander AfanasyevEnglish
E T A Hoffmann
early Nineteenth CenturyEnglish
- 'Der Goldne Topf. Ein Märchen aus der Neuen Zeit
'The Golden Pot'
originally published 1814 as part of Fantasiestücke in Callots ManierGerman
'The Sandman'
included in Die Nachtstücke (Night Pieces), 1817German
- 'Das Fräulein von Scuderi. Erzählung aus dem Zeitalter Ludwig des Vierzehnten'
'Mademoiselle de Scudéri'
originally published 1819 in Taschenbuch für das Jahr 1820. Der Liebe und Freundschaft Gewidmet; included in Die Serapionsbrüder, 1819German
'The Mines of Falun'
included in Die Serapionsbrüder, 1819German
- Die Elixiere des Teufels
1815German
Prosper Mérimée
Nineteenth CenturyFrench
- Carmen
published in part, Oct. 1845, in Revue des Deux Mondes; in its entirety, 1846
originally published May 1829 in Revue de Paris; included in Mosaïque, 1833French
French
French
French
- Lokis
originally published Sep. 1869 in Revue des Deux MondesFrench
- Colomba
originally published Jul. 1840 in Revue des Deux MondesFrench
French
- La Chronique du Temps de Charles IX
1829French
Frances Hodgson Burnett
- The Secret Garden
originally published serially 1910-11 in the American MagazineEnglish
- Little Ford Fauntleroy
originally published serially Nov. 1885-Oct. 1886 in St. Nicholas MagazineEnglish
- A Little Princess
originally entitled Sara Crewe: or, What Happened at Miss Minchin's Boarding School, published serially 1888 in St. Nicholas Magazine; revised and retitled 1905English
E Nesbit
- Five Children and It
published in part as a series of stories collectively entitled The Psammead, or The Gifts in the Strand, 1900; in its entirety, 1902English
- The Story of the Treasure-Seekers
1899English
- The Railway Children
originally published serially 1905 in the London MagazineEnglish
- The Story of the Amulet
1906English
- Wet Magic
1913English
- The Phoenix and the Carpet
1904English
- John Masefield
The Box of Delights
1935English
Walter de la Mare
- Memoirs of a Midget
1921English
Twentieth CenturyEnglish
included in The Listeners and Other Poems, 1912English
- Peacock Pie
1913English
English
English
included in The Riddle and Other Stories, 1923English
English
- The Return
1910; revised 1922 and 1945English
- Plutarch
Bìoi Paràllēloi
Parallel Lives; Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans
First CenturyGreek
Girolamo Cardano
- De Vita Propria
1576Latin
The Mysteries of Eternity
part of Opera Omnia, 1663Latin
- John Aubrey
Brief Lives
written 1680-93; published 1813 as Letters Written by Eminent Persons in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries; expanded 1898 as Brief Lives, Chiefly of Contemporaries, Set Down by John Aubrey, Between the Years 1669 and 1696English
Alexander Pope
Nineteenth CenturyEnglish
- Essay on Criticism
1711English
- The Rape of the Lock
originally anonymously published 1712 in Linot's Miscellany; expanded 1714 and 1717English
- 'Elegy to the Memory of an Unfortunate Lady'
included in the The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, 1717English
included in the The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, 1717English
- 'Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot'
1735English
- The Dunciad
originally anonymously published 1728; revised through fourth edition, 1743English
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Du Contrat Social ou Principes du Droit Politique
The Social Contract
1762French
- Les Confessions
1782French
- Discours sur les Sciences et les Arts
Discourse on the Arts and Sciences
1750French
- Julie, ou la Nouvelle Héloïse
originally entitled Lettres de Deux Amans Habitans d'une Petite Ville au Pied des Alpes, published 1761French
- Émile, ou de l'Éducation
1762French
- Discours sur les Sciences et les Arts
Discourse on the Arts and Sciences
1750French
- Les Rêveries du Promeneur Solitaire
Reveries of a Solitary Walker
1782French
- Frederick Douglass
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave
1845English
- Jacob Burckhardt
Die Kultur der Renaissance in Italien
The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy; 1860German
Henry James
late Nineteenth-early Twentieth centuriesEnglish
late Nineteenth-early Twentieth centuriesEnglish
- The American Scene
published in part serially 1905-06 in the North American Review, Harper's Weekly, and the Fortnightly Review; in its entirety, 1907English
1909; two new essays and 20 additional essays, two of which previously uncollected in book form, originally published 1873-1902 in periodicals or other books; many of the essays revised for inclusion in this bookEnglish
- A Small Boy and Others
1913English
- The Turn of the Screw
originally published in The Two Magics, with a second novella, Covering End, 1898English
- The Aspern Papers
originally published serially 1888 in the Atlantic MonthlyEnglish
- The Beast in the Jungle
originally published in The Better Sort, 1903English
W H Auden
Twentieth CenturyEnglish
originally untitled, published as one of five poems, Oct. 1933, in New Verse; included in Look Stranger!, 1936; retitled for inclusion in The Collected Poetry of W H Auden, 1945; included in Collected Shorter Poems, 1927-1957, 1966, and Collected Poems, 1976English
originally published 1932 in New Signatures; included in The Orators, 1932; revised for inclusion in W H Auden: A Selection by the Author, 1958, Collected Shorter Poems, 1927-1957, 1966, and Collected Poems, 1976English
part of Auden and Louis MacNeice's Letters From Iceland, 1937; revised for inclusion in Longer Contemporary Poems, 1966; included in Collected Longer Poems, 1968, and Collected Poems, 1976English
published in part in the Atlantic Monthly and the Partisan Review; in its entirety as part of For the Time Being, 1944; included in Collected Longer Poems, 1968, and Collected Poems, 1976English
poem inaccurately attributed to Auden; originally untitled, published Mar. 1965 in Fuck You; retitled and published separately later the same yearEnglish
originally entitled 'Spain', published separately 1937; retitled and revised for inclusion in Another Time, 1940; included in Collected Shorter Poems, 1930-1944, 1950English
originally published Oct. 1939 in the New Republic; included in Another Time, 1940; revised for inclusion in Collected Shorter Poems, 1930-1944, 1950English
originally published Mar. 1939 in the New Republic; expanded for inclusion in the London Mercury, Apr. 1939, and Another Time, 1940; revised for inclusion in Collected Shorter Poems, 1927-1957, 1966, and Collected Poems, 1976English
- 'In Memory of Sigmund Freud'
originally published Winter 1940 in the Kenyon Review and Mar. 1940 in Horizon; included in Another Time, 1940, Collected Shorter Poems, 1927-1957, 1966, and Collected Poems, 1976English
originally published Jul. 1964 in the New Yorker; included in About the House, 1965, and Collected Poems, 1976English
originally published Oct. 1964 in the Listener; included in About the House, 1965, and published separately later the same year; included in Collected Poems, 1976English
- The Dyer's Hand, and Other Essays
1962; includes Making, Knowing and Judging, 1956; other portions published in varied periodicals and anthologies, 1946-62; many of the essays, whether previously published or not, derive from 1956-60 lectures at the University of OxfordEnglish
- The Enchafèd Flood: or, The Romantic Iconography of the Sea
1950; edited 1949 lecturesEnglish
1973; 46 essays published 1943-72 in periodicals and booksEnglish
John Webster
- The White Devil
1612English
- The Duchess of Malfi
ca. 1613-14English
- Mary Shelley
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
originally anonymously published 1818English
- James Hogg
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner: Written by Himself: With a Detail of Curious Traditionary Facts and Other Evidence by the Editor
originally anonymously published 1824English
Sheridan Le Fanu
Nineteenth CenturyEnglish
part of In a Glass Darkly, 1872English
- Carmilla
originally published as part of In a Glass Darkly, 1872English
part of In a Glass Darkly, 1872English
English
- Uncle Silas: A Tale of Bartram Haugh
originally published serially 1864 in Dublin University MagazineEnglish
- The House by the Church-Yard
1863English
- Bram Stoker
Dracula
1897English
M R James
early Twentieth CenturyEnglish
- 'Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book'
originally published 1894 in the National Review; included in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, 1904English
included in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, 1904English
- 'The Treasure of Abbot Thomas'
included in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, 1904English
included in More Ghost Stories, 1911English
- 'A Warning to the Curious'
included in A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories, 1925English
included in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, 1904English
- 'The Diary of Mr. Poynter'
included in A Thin Ghost and Others, 1919English
- 'Mr. Humphreys and His Inheritance'
included in More Ghost Stories, 1911English
William Roughead
- Tales of the Criminous: A Selection from the Works of William Roughead
1956English
1929English
- Classic Crimes: A Selection from the Works of William Roughead
1951English
H P Lovecraft
originally published Apr. 1929 in Weird Tales; included in The Dunwich Horror and Others, 1963English
- The Shadow Out of Time
originally published in Astounding Stories, Jun. 1936English
- 'The Colour Out of Space'
originally published Sep. 1927 in Amazing Stories; included in The Dunwich Horror and Others, 1963English
- 'The Thing on the Doorstep'
originally published Jan. 1937 in Weird Tales; included in The Dunwich Horror and Others, 1963English
originally published Feb. 1928 in Weird Tales; included in The Dunwich Horror and Others, 1963English
- The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
published in part serially May-Jul. 1941 in Weird Tales; in its entirety in Beyond the Wall of Sleep, 1943English
- At the Mountains of Madness
originally published serially Feb.-Apr. 1936 in Astounding StoriesEnglish
- 'Supernatural Horror in Literature'
originally 1927 in the Recluse; included in Dagon and Other Macabre Tales, 1963English
- The Shadow Over Innsmouth
1936English
- Thomas More
Libellus Uere Aureus, nec Minus Salutaris Quam Festivus, de Optimo rei Publicae Statu Deque Nova Insula Utopia
Utopia
1516Latin
Daniel Defoe
- A Tour Thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain, Divided Into Circuits or Journies
1724-27English
- The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner
originally anonymously published 1719English
- A Journal of the Plague Year: Being Observations or Memorials, of the Most Remarkable Occurrences, as Well Public and Private, Which Happened in London During the Last Great Visitation in 1665
originally anonymously published 1722English
- The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders
1722English
- A True Relation of the Apparition of One Mrs. Veal the Next Day After Her Death to One Mrs. Balgrave at Canterbury the Eighth of September, 1705
originally anonymously published 1706English
Xavier de Maistre
- Voyage Autour de ma Chambre
1794French
- Expédition Nocturne Autour de ma Chambre
1825French
Jules Verne
- Voyage au Centre de la Terre
A Journey to the Center of the Earth
1864French
- Vingt Mille Lieues Sous les Mers: Tour du Monde Sous-Marin
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
1870French
- Le Tour du Monde en Quatre-vingts Jours
Around the World in Eighty Days
1873French
- L'Île Mystérieuse
The Mysterious Island
1874French
late Nineteenth-early Twentieth centuriesFrench
- Voyages et Aventures du Capitaine Hatteras
The Adventures of Captain Hatteras
1864; revised 1866French
- Le Testament d'un Excentrique
The Will of an Eccentric
originally published serially Jan.-Dec. 1899 in Magasin d'Éducation et de RécréationFrench
- Les Cinq Cents Millions de la Bégum
The Begum's Fortune
1879French
- 'Une Fantaisie du Docteur Ox'
'Dr. Ox's Experiment'
1872; included in Le Docteur Ox, 1974French
- Maître du Monde
Master of the World
1904French
- Robur-le-Conquérant
Robur the Conquerer
1886French
- Mathias Sandorf
originally published serially 1885 in Le TempsFrench
Jules Verne; Michael Verne
- L'Étonnante Aventure de la Mission Barsac
The Barsac Mission
originally published serially 1914French
French
J K Huysmans
- À Rebours
1884French
- Là-Bas
1891French
Isak Dinesen
- Out of Africa
originally published under the author's given name, Karen Blixen, 1937; Danish version entitled Den Afrikanske Farm published the same yearEnglish
- Seven Gothic Tales
1934; Danish version entitled Syv Fantastiske Fortaellinger published 1935English
Twentieth CenturyEnglish
English
English
English
- 'The Deluge at Norderney'
English
Robert Byron
- The Road to Oxiana
1937English
- The Station
1928English
- The Byzantine Achievement
1929English
- Petronius
Satyricon
late First CenturyLatin
Elizabeth Gaskell
- Cranford
originally published serially 1851 in Household WordsEnglish
Nineteenth CenturyEnglish
- A Life of Charlotte Brontë
1857English
- North and South
originally published serially Sep. 1854-Jan. 1855 in Household WordsEnglish
- Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life
1848English
- Ivan Goncharov
Oblomov
1859Russian
José Maria de Eça de Queirós
- O Crime do Padre Amaro
1875; revised 1876 and 1880Portuguese
- O Primo Basílio
1878Portuguese
- Os Maias: Episódios da Vida Romântica
1888Portuguese
- A Relíquia
1887Portuguese
- A Ilustre Casa de Ramires
1900Portuguese
- Alves e C.a
The Yellow Sofa
1925Portuguese
Anton Chekhov
late Nineteenth-early Twentieth centuriesRussian
Russian
Russian
Russian
Russian
Russian
Russian
Russian
late Nineteenth-early Twentieth centuriesRussian
late Nineteenth-early Twentieth centuriesRussian
- Čajka
The Seagull
1896Russian
- Tri Sestry
Three Sisters
1901Russian
- Dâdâ Vanâ
Uncle Vanya
1897Russian
- Jean Toomer
Cane
published in part in varied periodicals; in its entirety, 1923English
Willa Cather
- Death Comes for the Archbishop
1927English
- A Lost Lady
1923English
Twentieth CenturyEnglish
- The Professor's House
1925English
- The Song of the Lark
1915English
- My Mortal Enemy
1926English
- My Ántonia
1918—English
Louis-Ferdinand Céline
- Mort à Crédit
1936French
- Voyage au Bout de la Nuit
Journey to the End of Night
1932French
- Zora Neale Hurston
Their Eyes Were Watching God
1937English
Eudora Welty
- The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty
1980; includes A Curtain of Green and Other Stories, 1941; The Wide Net and Other Stories, 1943; The Golden Apples, 1949; The Bride of the Innisfallen and Other Stories, 1955; plus two 'Uncollected Stories': 'Where Is the Voice Coming From?', 1963, and 'The Demonstrators', 1966, both originally published in the New YorkerEnglish
- Losing Battles
1970English
- The Optimist's Daughter
1972English
H Rider Haggard
- She: A History of Adventure
originally published serially Oct. 1886-Jan. 1887 in the GraphicEnglish
- King Soloman's Mines
1885English
Arthur Conan Doyle
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
1892; stories originally published serially Jul. 1891-Jun. 1892 in the StrandEnglish
- The Lost World
1912English
- The Captain of the Polestar and Other Tales
1890English
originally published 1892English
- 'The Horror of the Heights'
originally published Nov. 1913 in the StrandEnglish
- "Brigadier Gerard stories"
19 stories, all but one included in either The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard or The Adventures of GerardEnglish
- The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard
eight stories originally published serially Dec. 1894-Dec. 1895 in the StrandEnglish
nine stories originally published serially Jan. 1900-May 1903 in the Strand; plus an additional storyEnglish
- "Captain Sharkey stories"
four storiesEnglish
Rudyard Kipling
- Kim
originally published serially Dec. 1900-Oct. 1901 in McClure's and Jan. 1901-Oct. 1901 in Cassell'sEnglish
late Nineteenth-early Twentieth centuriesEnglish
- 'Without Benefit of Clergy'
English
part of The Phantom 'Rickshaw and Other Eerie Tales, 1888English
- 'The Miracle of Purun Bhagat'
English
- 'The Man Who Would Be King'
part of The Phantom 'Rickshaw and Other Eerie Tales, 1888English
English
English
- 'The Village That Voted the Earth Was Flat'
English
English
- 'The Finest Story in the World'
English
H G Wells
- The Time Machine
1895English
late Nineteenth-early Twentieth centuriesEnglish
- The Island of Doctor Moreau
1896English
- The War of the Worlds
originally published serially 1897 in Pearson's MagazineEnglish
- The Invisible Man
originally published serially 1897 in Pearson's MagazineEnglish
- The First Men in the Moon
1901English
originally published May 1897 in the New Review; included in Tales of Space and Time, 1899English
- 'The Truth About Pyecraft'
originally published Apr. 1903 in the Strand; included in Twelve Stories and a Dream, 1903English
- 'Pollock and the Porroh Man'
1895English
originaly published Dec. 1896 in the Weekly Sun Literary SupplementEnglish
originally published Apr. 1896 in the New Review; included in The Plattner Story and Others, 1897English
- 'The Country of the Blind'
originally published Apr. 1904 in the StrandEnglish
G K Chesterton
- The Man Who Was Thursday
1908English
- "The Father Brown Mysteries"
early Twentieth CenturyEnglish
- 'The Tremendous Adventures of Major Brown'
part of The Club of Queer Trades, 1905English
- The Club of Queer Trades
1905English
originally entitled 'Valentin Follows a Curious Trail', published Jun. 1910 in the Saturday Evening Post; retitled for publication Sep. 1910 in the Story-Teller; included in The Innocence of Father Brown, 1911English
originally entitled 'The Bolt From the Blue', published Nov. 1910 in the Saturday Evening Post; included in The Innocence of Father Brown, 1911English
included in The Incredulity of Father Brown, 1926English
- 'The Sins of Prince Saradine'
originally published Apr. 1911 in the Saturday Evening Post; included in The Innocence of Father Brown, 1911English
originally published Jan. 1911 in the Saturday Evening Post; included in The Innocence of Father Brown, 1911English
early Twentieth CenturyEnglish
early Twentieth CenturyEnglish
Agatha Christie
- "The Hercule Point Mysteries"
Twentieth CenturyEnglish
- The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
1926English
- Murder on the Orient Express
Murder in the Calais Coach
1934English
- The A B C Murders
1936English
- "The Jane Maple Mysteries"
Twentieth CenturyEnglish
- 4-50 From Paddington
What Mrs. Gillicuddy Saw
1957English
- The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side
1962English
- The Moving Finger
1942English
- Ten Little Niggers
And Then There Were None
1939English
- Dorothy L Sayers
Gaudy Night
1935English
Dashiell Hammett
- The Maltese Falcon
1930English
Twentieth CenturyEnglish
- Red Harvest
1929English
originally published Mar. 1925 in Black Mask MagazineEnglish
Ovid
- Metamorphoseon
Metamorphoses
8Latin
- Robert Burton
The Anatomy of Melancholy
1621; revised through fifth editionEnglish
Edward Gibbon
- The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
originally published in six volumes: first, 1776; second-third, 1781; fourth-sixth, 1788English
- Memoirs of My Life and Writings
originally published as part of Miscellaneous Works of Edward Gibbons, 1796; expanded 1896English
- James George Frazer
The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion
originally entitled The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion, published in two volumes, 1890; expanded and retitled 1900, in three volumes; expanded 1906-15, in 12 volumes; supplemental volume added for 1937 edition; distinct abridged versions, 1922, 1959, and 1994English
- Henry Watson Fowler
A Dictionary of Modern English Usage
1926; later editions considered distinct worksEnglish
Ezra Pound
Twentieth CenturyFrench
1915; translationsEnglish
- Hugh Selwyn Mauberley
1920English
- Homage to Sextus Propertius
1934; translations; published in part in Poetry, 1919English
- Personae of Ezra Pound
1909English
- Cantos
published in part in Poetry, Jun.-Aug. 1917; the Criterion, Jul. 1923; the Transatlantic Review, Jan. 1924; and in the following volumes: The Fourth Canto, 1919; A Draft of XVI Cantos, 1925; A Draft of Cantos 17-27, 1928; A Draft of XXX Cantos, 1930; Eleven New Cantos XXXI-XLI, 1934; The Fifth Decad of Cantos, 1937; Cantos LII-LXXI, 1940; The Pisan Cantos, 1948; Seventy Cantos, 1950; Section: Rock-Drill, 85-95 de los Cantares, 1955; Thrones: 96-109 de los Cantares, 1959; Drafts and Fragments of Cantos CX-CXVII, 1968; in its entirety, revised and expanded, 1987English
Twentieth CenturyFrench
- The Spirit of Romance
1910; edited lecturesEnglish
- A B C of Reading
1934English
Twentieth CenturyFrench
André Malraux
- La Condition Humaine
Man's Fate
1933French
- L'Espoir
Man's Hope
1938French
- Les Voix du silence
1951French
Philip K Dick
- The Man in the High Castle
1961English
Twentieth CenturyEnglish
- Martian Time-Slip
1962English
- Dr. Bloodmoney, or How We All Got Along After the Bomb
1963English
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
1968English
- The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
1964English
- A Scanner Darkly
1977English
- Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said
1974English
- VALIS
1981English