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First Novels: The English Teacher Looks at Some Great (And Not So Great) Beginnings

Our maverick English Teacher looks at the first novels of 136 well-known writers, and is fascinated by the range of titles, which run the gamut from world renown to total obscurity. He wants to point out that first novel is not necessarily the same as first book; "Dubliners", for example, is Joyce's first book, but it's a collection of short stories, not a novel. Several were originally published under pseudonyms ( Gill Hunt was indeed John Brunner), and one author, Kenneth Millar, is better known by his pseudonym, Ross MacDonald.
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Adam Bede (George Elliott)
Adam Bede
1
George Elliott
Almayer's Folly (Joseph Conrad)
Almayer's Folly
2
Joseph Conrad
Another Roadside Attraction
Another Roadside Attraction
3
Antonina (Wilkie Collins)
Antonina
4
Wilkie Collins
Arundel (Kenneth Roberts)
Arundel
5
Kenneth Roberts
At Fault (Kate Chopin)
At Fault
6
Kate Chopin
Baltimore Blues (Laura Lippman)
Baltimore Blues
7
Laura Lippman
Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me (Richard Fariña)
Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me
8
Richard Fariña
The Big Sleep (Raymond Chandler)
The Big Sleep
9
Raymond Chandler
The Black Echo
The Black Echo
10
The Blue Max (Jack D. Hunter)
The Blue Max
11
Jack D. Hunter
The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison)
The Bluest Eye
12
Toni Morrison
The Bounty Hunters (Elmore Leonard)
The Bounty Hunters
13
Elmore Leonard
Brown's Requiem (Ellroy)
Brown's Requiem
14
Ellroy
Call for the Dead (Lecarre)
Call for the Dead
15
Lecarre
A Canticle for Leibowitz (Walter M. Miller, Jr.)
A Canticle for Leibowitz
16
Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Captain Paul (Alexandre Dumas)
Captain Paul
17
Alexandre Dumas
The Carpet People (Terry Pratchett)
The Carpet People
18
Terry Pratchett
Carrie (Stephen King)
Carrie
19
Stephen King
Casino Royale (Ian Fleming)
Casino Royale
20
Ian Fleming
Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
Catch-22
21
Joseph Heller
The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
The Catcher in the Rye
22
J.D. Salinger
The Cellar (Richard Laymon)
The Cellar
23
Richard Laymon
The Ceremonies
The Ceremonies
24
A Confederacy of Dunces (John Kennedy Toole)
A Confederacy of Dunces
25
John Kennedy Toole
A Confederate General From Big Sur (Richard Brautigan)
A Confederate General From Big Sur
26
Richard Brautigan
Cover Charge (Cornell Woolrich)
Cover Charge
27
Cornell Woolrich
Cup of Gold (John Steinbeck)
Cup of Gold
28
John Steinbeck
The Dark Frontier (Eric Ambler)
The Dark Frontier
29
Eric Ambler
The Dark Tunnel (Kenneth Millar)
The Dark Tunnel
30
Kenneth Millar
Dawn (H. Rider Haggard)
Dawn
31
H. Rider Haggard
Dawn O'Hara (Edna Ferber)
Dawn O'Hara
32
Edna Ferber
Desperate Remedies (Thomas Hardy)
Desperate Remedies
33
Thomas Hardy
Devil in a Blue Dress
Devil in a Blue Dress
34
Digital Fortress (Dan Brown)
Digital Fortress
35
Dan Brown
Dream of Fair to Middling Women (Samuel Beckett)
Dream of Fair to Middling Women
36
Samuel Beckett
The Dream Room (Erich Maria Remarque)
The Dream Room
37
Erich Maria Remarque
A Drink Before the War (Dennis Lehane)
A Drink Before the War
38
Dennis Lehane
Dusklands (J.M. Coetzee)
Dusklands
39
J.M. Coetzee
The Edible Woman (Margaret Atwood)
The Edible Woman
40
Margaret Atwood
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