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The First Novel They Wrote

Some authors first published novel was their greatest hit. And some...were not. Who knew John Steinbeck's first novel was about pirates?
This list is strictly fiction (although semi-autobiographical made it in). It also excludes novellas and short stories, although some may have slipped in there.
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Page 1 of 11
Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe)
Things Fall Apart
1
Chinua Achebe
The Childlike Life of the Black Tarantula (Kathy Acker)
The Childlike Life of the Black Tarantula
2
Kathy Acker
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
3
Douglas Adams
Watership Down (Richard Adams)
Watership Down
4
Richard Adams
Stay With Me (Ayobámi Adébáyo)
Stay With Me
5
Ayobámi Adébáyo
Purple Hibicus (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)
Purple Hibicus
6
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The White Tiger (Aravind Adiga)
The White Tiger
7
Aravind Adiga
The Five People You Meet in Heaven (Mitch Albom)
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
8
Mitch Albom
Moods (Louisa May Alcott)
Moods
9
Louisa May Alcott
Disobedience (Naomi Alderman)
Disobedience
10
Naomi Alderman
Reservation Blues (Sherman Alexie)
Reservation Blues
11
Sherman Alexie
Somebody in Boots (Nelson Algren)
Somebody in Boots
12
Nelson Algren
Brick Lane (Monica Ali)
Brick Lane
13
Monica Ali
The House of the Spirits (Isabel Allende)
The House of the Spirits
14
Isabel Allende
Bastard Out of Carolina (Dorothy Allison)
Bastard Out of Carolina
15
Dorothy Allison
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents (Julia Alvarez)
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents
16
Julia Alvarez
Lucky Jim (Kingsley Amis)
Lucky Jim
17
Kingsley Amis
The Rachel Papers (Martin Amis)
The Rachel Papers
18
Martin Amis
Windy McPherson's Son (Sherwood Anderson)
Windy McPherson's Son
19
Sherwood Anderson
Not a Penny More,Not a Penny Less (Jeffrey Archer)
Not a Penny More,Not a Penny Less
20
Jeffrey Archer
Pebble in the Sky (Asimov)
Pebble in the Sky
21
Asimov
Resurrection (Machado De Assis)
Resurrection
22
Machado De Assis
Behind the Scenes at the Museum (Kate Atkinson)
Behind the Scenes at the Museum
23
Kate Atkinson
The Edible Woman (Margaret Atwood)
The Edible Woman
24
Margaret Atwood
The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
The Clan of the Cave Bear
25
Jean M. Auel
Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen)
Sense and Sensibility
26
Jane Austen
Squeeze Play (Paul Auster (As Paul Benjamin))
Squeeze Play
27
Paul Auster (As Paul Benjamin)
Stranger to the Ground (Richard Bach)
Stranger to the Ground
28
Richard Bach
A Man Called Ove (Fredrik Backman)
A Man Called Ove
29
Fredrik Backman
A Weekend With Claude (Beryl Bainbridge)
A Weekend With Claude
30
Beryl Bainbridge
Girl Talk (Julianna Baggott)
Girl Talk
31
Julianna Baggott
Absolute Power (David Baldacci)
Absolute Power
32
David Baldacci
Go Tell It on the Mountain (James Baldwin)
Go Tell It on the Mountain
33
James Baldwin
The Wasp Factory (Iain Banks)
The Wasp Factory
34
Iain Banks
The Deadly Percheron (John Franklin Bardin)
The Deadly Percheron
35
John Franklin Bardin
The Damnation Game (Clive Barker)
The Damnation Game
36
Clive Barker
Union Street (Pat Barker)
Union Street
37
Pat Barker
Ryder (Djuna Barnes)
Ryder
38
Djuna Barnes
Metroland (Julian Barnes)
Metroland
39
Julian Barnes
The Floating Opera (John Barth)
The Floating Opera
40
John Barth
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