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50 Essential Literary Fiction Novels to Read

These are 50 essential reads under the category of 'literary fiction'. I have limited this list to one work per author.
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Acts of Desperation (Megan Nolan)
Acts of Desperation
1
Megan Nolan
Animal (Lisa Taddeo)
Animal
2
Lisa Taddeo
Autumn (Ali Smith)
Autumn
3
Ali Smith
Beautiful World, Where Are You (Sally Rooney)
Beautiful World, Where Are You
4
Sally Rooney
Breakfast at Tiffany's (Truman Capote)
Breakfast at Tiffany's
5
Truman Capote
Carol (Patricia Highsmith)
Carol
6
Patricia Highsmith
The Color Purple (Alice Walker)
The Color Purple
7
Alice Walker
Common Decency (Susannah Dickey)
Common Decency
8
Susannah Dickey
Consent (Vanessa Springora)
Consent
9
Vanessa Springora
Enigma Variations (Andre Aciman)
Enigma Variations
10
Andre Aciman
Exciting Times (Naoise Dolan)
Exciting Times
11
Naoise Dolan
The Friend (Sigrid Nunez)
The Friend
12
Sigrid Nunez
Giovannis Room (James Baldwin)
Giovannis Room
13
James Baldwin
Here Comes the Sun (Nicole Dennis-Benn)
Here Comes the Sun
14
Nicole Dennis-Benn
How to Love a Jamaican (Alexia Arthurs)
How to Love a Jamaican
15
Alexia Arthurs
Less (Andrew Sean Greer)
Less
16
Andrew Sean Greer
Lie With Me (Philippe Besson)
Lie With Me
17
Philippe Besson
Little Fires Everywhere (Celeste Ng)
Little Fires Everywhere
18
Celeste Ng
Lot (Bryan Washington)
Lot
19
Bryan Washington
Love Me Tender (Constance Debré)
Love Me Tender
20
Constance Debré
Memories of the Future (Siri Hustvedt)
Memories of the Future
21
Siri Hustvedt
Milkman (Anna Burns)
Milkman
22
Anna Burns
My Brilliant Friend (Elena Ferrante)
My Brilliant Friend
23
Elena Ferrante
My Name Is Lucy Barton (Elizabeth Strout)
My Name Is Lucy Barton
24
Elizabeth Strout
No Country for Old Men (Cormac McCarthy)
No Country for Old Men
25
Cormac McCarthy
The Notebook, the Proof, the Third Lie: Three Novels (Ágota Kristóf)
The Notebook, the Proof, the Third Lie: Three Novels
26
Ágota Kristóf
Nude (Nuala Ní Chonchúir)
Nude
27
Nuala Ní Chonchúir
Other People Manage (Ellen Hawley)
Other People Manage
28
Ellen Hawley
Passing (Nella Larsen)
Passing
29
Nella Larsen
Places I Stopped on the Way Home (Meg Fee)
Places I Stopped on the Way Home
30
Meg Fee
Prep (Curtis Sittenfeld)
Prep
31
Curtis Sittenfeld
The Secret History (Donna Tartt)
The Secret History
32
Donna Tartt
Strangers I Know (Claudia Durastanti)
Strangers I Know
33
Claudia Durastanti
The Submission (Amy Waldman)
The Submission
34
Amy Waldman
Sweetbitter (Stephanie Danler)
Sweetbitter
35
Stephanie Danler
The Swimmers (Julie Otsuka)
The Swimmers
36
Julie Otsuka
Swimming in the Dark (Tomasz Jedrowski)
Swimming in the Dark
37
Tomasz Jedrowski
Swing Time (Zadie Smith)
Swing Time
38
Zadie Smith
This Happy (Niamh Campbell)
This Happy
39
Niamh Campbell
This Is How You Lose Her (Junot Díaz)
This Is How You Lose Her
40
Junot Díaz
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