Book list English Literature

17th century
Plays by William Shakespeare (not all of them are mentioned, for further information
please check: http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/ )
Tragedies
Antony and Cleopatra (1606-1607)
The story of Mark Antony, Roman military leader and triumvir, who is madly in love with
Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt.
Hamlet (1600-1601)
Since its first recorded production, Hamlet has engrossed playgoers, thrilled readers, and
challenged actors more so than any other play in the Western canon. No other single work
of fiction has produced more commonly used expressions.
Julius Caesar (1599-1600)
Although there were earlier Elizabethan plays on the subject of Julius Caesar and his
turbulent rule, Shakespeare's penetrating study of political life in ancient Rome is the only
version to recount the demise of Brutus and the other conspirators.
King Lear (1605-1606)
The story of King Lear, an aging monarch who decides to divide his kingdom amongst his
three daughters, according to which one recites the best declaration of love.
Macbeth (1605-1606)
Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most stimulating and popular dramas. Renaissance records
of Shakespeare's plays in performance are scarce, but a detailed account of an original
production of Macbeth has survived, thanks to Dr. Simon Forman.
Othello (1604-1605)
Othello, a valiant Moorish general in the service of Venice, falls prey to the devious schemes
of his false friend, Iago.
Romeo and Juliet (1594-1595)
Celebrated for the radiance of its lyric poetry, Romeo and Juliet was tremendously popular
from its first performance. The sweet whispers shared by young Tudor lovers throughout the
realm were often referred to as "naught but pure Romeo and Juliet."

Histories
Henry IV, Part I (1597-1598)
One of Shakespeare's most popular plays, featuring the opportunistic miscreant, Sir John
Falstaff.
Henry IV, Part II (1597-1598)
This is the third play in the second tetralogy of history plays, along with Richard II, Henry IV,
Part 1, and Henry V.
Henry V (1598-1599)
Henry V is the last in the second tetralogy sequence. King Henry is considered Shakespeare's
ideal monarch.
Henry VI, Part I (1591-1592)
The first in Shakespeare's trilogy about the War of the Roses between the houses of
Lancaster and York.
Henry VI, Part II (1590-1591)
Part two of Shakespeare's chronicle play. Based on Hall's work, the play contains some
historical inaccuracies.
Henry VI, Part III (1590-1591)
Part three begins in medias res, with the duke of Suffolk dead and the duke of York being
named Henry VI's heir.
Henry VIII (1612-1613)
Many believe Henry VIII to be Shakespeare's last play, but others firmly believe that he had
little, if anything, to do with its creation.
King John (1596-1597)
In the shadow of Shakespeares second tetralogy of history plays lies the neglected
masterpiece, King John. Although seldom read or performed today, King John was once one
of Shakespeare's most popular histories, praised for its poetic brilliance.
Richard II (1595-1596)
More so than Shakespeare's earlier history plays, Richard II is notable for its well-rounded
characters.
Richard III (1592-1593)
The devious machinations of the deformed villain, Richard, duke of Gloucester, made this
play an Elizabethan favorite.
Comedies
All's Well That Ends Well (1602-1603)
Modern scholars contend that this is a problem play, due primarily to the character Helena
and her ambiguous nature. Is she a virtuous lady or a crafty temptress?

As You Like It (1599-1600)

As You Like It is considered by many to be one of Shakespeare's greatest comedies, and the
heroine, Rosalind, is praised as one of his most inspiring characters.

The Comedy of Errors (1592-1593)

This is Shakespeare's shortest play, which he based on Menaechmi by Plautus.
Love's Labours Lost (1594-1595)
Love's Labours Lost fell out of favour for many years, criticized by scholars as muddled and
confusing. But the play is making a comeback, and Kenneth Branagh's version has helped it
along.
The Merry Wives of Windsor (1600-1601)
The Merry Wives is unique amongst Shakespeare's plays because it is set in Shakespeare's
England. It features the Bard's beloved character, Falstaff.
The Merchant of Venice (1596-1597)
The character of Shylock has raised a debate over whether the play should be condemned as
anti-Semitic, and this controversy has overshadowed many other aspects of the play.
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595-1596)
A magical exploration of the mysteries of love, and one of Shakespeare's best-known
comedies.
Much Ado About Nothing (1598-1599)
The story of two very different sets of lovers, Beatrice and Benedick and Claudio and Hero.
The witty banter between Beatrice and Benedick is the highlight of the play.
The Taming of the Shrew (1593-1594)
The Taming of the Shrew revolves around the troubled relationship between Katharina and
her suitor, Petruchio, who is determined to mold Katharina into a suitable wife.
The Tempest (1611-1612)
Hailed as a stunning climax to the career of Englands favorite dramatist, The Tempest is a
play praising the glories of reconciliation and forgiveness. Some believe that Prosperos final
speeches signify Shakespeares personal adieu from the stage.
Twelfth Night (1599-1600)
Shakespeare loved to use the device of mistaken identity, and nowhere does he use this
convention more skillfully than in Twelfth Night.
Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594-1595)
The tale of two friends who travel to Milan and learn about the chaotic world of courting.

The Winter's Tale (1610-1611)

The Winter's Tale is considered a romantic comedy, but tragic elements are woven
throughout the play. We have a first-hand account of a production of the play at the Globe
in 1611. It is one of Shakespeare's final plays.

18th century
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Robinson Crusoe (1719) Daniel Defoe

Gullivers Travels (1726) Jonathan Swift (Irish writer)
Pamela (1740) Samuel Richardson
Tom Jones (1749) Henry Fielding

19th century
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Pride and Prejudice (1813) Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility (1811) Jane Austen
Emma (1816) Jane Austen
Persuasion (1818) Jane Austen
Jane Eyre(1847) Charlotte Brnte
Wuthering Heights (1847) Emily Brnte
Great Expectations (1860) Charles Dickens
David Copperfield (1850) Charles Dickens
A Tale of Two Cities (1859) Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol (1843) Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist(1837) Charles Dickens
Little Women (1868) Louisa M Alcott
Tess of DUrbervilles (1891) Thomas Hardy
Far from the Medding Crowd Thomas Hardy
Alice in Wonderland (1865) Lewis Carroll
The Wind in the Willows (1908) Kenneth Grahame
The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn (1885) Mark Twain (American)
The Woman in White (1859) Wilkie Collins
Uncle Toms Cabin (1852) H. Beecher-Stowe (American)
Moby Dick (1851) Herman Melville (American)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) Oscar Wilde (Irish)
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1891) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Scottish)
Vanity Fair (1848) William Makepeace Thackeray

20th century
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The Secret Garden (1911) Frances Hodgson Burnett

To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) Harper Lee (American)
1984 (1949) George Orwell
Animal Farm (1945) George Orwell
Catcher in the Rye (1951) J.D. Salinger
The Great Gatsby (1925) F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Grapes of Wrath (1939) John Steinbeck (American)
Of Mice and Men (1937) John Steinbeck (American)
The Pearl (1947) John Steinbeck (American)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) CS Lewis
A Kiss Before Dying (1953) Ira Levin (American)
The Boys from Brazil (1976) Ira Levin (American)
Memoirs of a Geisha (1997) Arthur Golden (American)
A Prayer for Owen Meaney (1989) John Irving (American)
The Cider House Rules (1985) John Irving (American)
The Handmaids Tale (1985) Margaret Atwood (Canadian)
Lord of the Flies (1954) William Golding
Brave New World (1931) Aldous Huxley
The Secret History (1992) Donna Tartt (American)
On the Road (1951) Jack Kerouac (American)
Breakfast at Tiffanys (1958) Truman Capote (American)
Bridget Joness Diary (1996) Helen Fielding
Empire of the Sun (1984) JG Ballard
Beloved (1987) Toni Morrison (American)
The Bluest Eye (1970) Toni Morrison (American)
Ordinary People (1976) Judith Guest (American)
The Stepford Wives (1972) Ira Levin (American)
The Cement Garden (1978) Ian McEwan
The Joy Luck Club (1989) Amy Tan (American)
Brideshead Revisited (1945) Evelyn Waugh
Charlottes Web (1952) EB White (American)
The Remains of the Day (1989)- Kazuo Ishiguro
The Color Purple (1982) Alice Walker (American)
The Woman in Black (1983) Susan Hill
The Queen and I (1992) Sue Townsend
Walk two Moons (1994) Sharon Creech
Mr Vertigo (1994) Paul Auster (American)
The Old man and the Sea (1951) Ernest Hemingway (American)
The Woman who Walked into Doors (1996) Roddy Doyle (Irish)
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha (1993) Roddy Doyle (Irish)
His Dark Materials (comprising Northern Lights (1995, published as The Golden Compass in
North America), The Subtle Knife (1997), and The Amber Spyglass (2000). Philip Pullman

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One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest (1962) Ken Kesey (American)
Angelas Ashes (1996) Frank McCourt (Irish-American)
About a Boy (1998) Nick Hornby
Fever Pitch (1992) Nick Hornby
Secret History (1992) Donna Tartt (American)
Across the Barricades (1972) Joan Lingard (Scottish)
Postcards from No-Mans Land (1999) Aidan Chambers
The Chosen (1967) Chaim Potok (American Jewish writer)
The Collector (1963) John Fowles

21st century
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Atonement (2001) Ian McEwan

Life of Pi (2001) Yann Martel (Canadian)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (2003) Mark Haddon
Queen Camilla (2006) Sue Townsend
Number 10 (2002) Sue Townsend
Gentlemen & Players (2005) Joanne Harris
One Day (2009) David Nicholls
Starter for Ten (2003) David Nicholls
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2005) - Jonathan Safran Foer (American)
Everything is Illuminated (2002) Jonathan Safran Foer (American)
Notes on a Scandal (2005) Zoe Heller
Black Swan Green (2006) David Mitchell
Slam (2007) - Nick Hornby
The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007) Mohsin Hamid (American/Pakistani)
The Help (2009) Kathryn Stockett (American)
Rivers of London/Midnight Riot (US title) (2011) - Ben Aaronovitch
Moon over SoHo (2011) - Ben Aaronovitch
Pigeon English (2011)- Stephen Kelman
Private Peaceful (2003) Michael Morpurgo
Room (2010) Emma Donoghue (Irish)