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50 Quintessential British Novels

March 16th, 2011

Of all the literature hailing from English-speaking nations, British works are probably the most frequently studied and internationally recognized. This phenomenon stems from England’s ancient history, international (imperialist) influence and…well…the fact that the planet’s most widely-spoken German offshoot originated there. Far more amazing British novels sit on the shelves, of course, and many readers might be upset to find some of their favorites missing here. This list doesn’t discount the contributions of other authors, but does strive to represent a diverse selection of literature appealing to different audiences.

1. The Canterbury Tales (14th Century) by Geoffrey Chaucer: Though more of a short story collection held together by a common theme rather than a formal novel, these tales of pilgrims en route to Canterbury Cathedral left a permanent impact on British literature and culture.

2. Le Morte d’Arthur (1485) by Thomas Malory: Beloved British literary figure King Arthur may not have gotten his start in Sir Thomas Malory’s amazing mystical adventures, but plenty of his most iconic were captured in this absolutely essential read.

3. Robinson Crusoe (1719) by Daniel Defoe: The titular protagonist, familiar to much of the English-speaking world, lives an isolated life on an island off the coast of Venezuela. There, he encounters indigenous peoples and fights for his life against nature’s brutality.

4. Fanny Hill (or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure) (1748) by John Cleland: Many literary critics consider John Cleland’s eloquent novel one of the earliest examples of English erotic prose. Fanny Hill is an essential read for anyone who loves exploring controversial works.

5. Pride and Prejudice (1813) by Jane Austen: This Regency satire may be one of many by the renowned Jane Austen, but it’s probably her most lauded and recognizable. Probably because of Mr. Darcy and his legions of squealing fangirls.

6. Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley: Merciless mistress of the macabre, Mary Shelley, revolutionized the horror genre with the chilling narrative of a scientist toying with the laws of nature and "birthing" a hyperintelligent creature.

7. Agnes Grey (1847) by Anne Bronte: Sadly overshadowed by her sisters, Anne Bronte was quite the notable writer herself. Agnes Grey drew from her nanny experiences and shed some light on that particular corner of English society.

8. Jane Eyre (1847) by Charlotte Bronte: The eponymous governess learns terrifying secrets about her new home and employer in this wildly popular, gothic novel.

9. Vanity Fair (1847-1848) by William Makepeace Thackeray: Heroines Becky Sharpe and Amelia Sedley bumble through an amusing and scathing satire of British society in the early 19th Century.

10. Wuthering Heights (1847) by Emily Bronte: Watch in horror as a mutually destructive, abusive couple spend a lifetime terrorizing each other and their family and friends.

11. Great Expectations (1860-1861) by Charles Dickens: Charles Dickens is one of the quintessential British authors, with an oeuvre packed with undeniable literary essentials. Consider Great Expectations and its iconic, oft-parodied tale of idealistic Pip, creepy Miss Havisham and chilly Estella amongst his necessary reads.

12. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) by Lewis Carroll: Both children and adults flock to one of the most beloved, imaginative fairy tales ever conceived, whose flair with wordplay undeniably sits amongst the best ever penned in the English language.

13. Middlemarch (1871-1872) by George Eliot: Under the pseudonym George Eliot, Mary Anne Evans explores major themes of traditional female roles, religion, family, politics, marriage and a plethora of other simultaneously every day and heavy concepts.

14. Far from the Maddening Crowd (1874) by Thomas Hardy: One of the author’s most noted and celebrated works carries on his fondness for pastoral landscapes and lifestyles and showcases his opinions on the courtship and marriage processes.

15. Flatland (1884) by Edwin A. Abbott: Even the most ardent science fiction and fantasy detractors will have a difficult time ignoring Flatland‘s literary significance. Author Abbott transports readers to a bizarre world inhabited by sentient shapes unapologetically skewering Victorian social norms.

16. The Sherlock Homes Series (1887-1915) by Arthur Conan Doyle: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson’s iconic mysteries spanned four novels (two of which were serialized) and five short story collections. Today, they all remain undeniable classics that revolutionized an entire genre.

17. The Turn of the Screw (1898) by Henry James: American author Henry James lived in England for 53 years (and became a citizen shortly before his death), finding far more inspiration there than he did in his native country. His absolutely chilling novella The Turn of the Screw takes place mostly in Essex and perfectly embodies the gothic ghost story tropes popular in British literature at the time.

18. The War of the Worlds (1898) by H.G. Wells: London falls victim to a Martian massacre, separating families and killing innocents in the name of colonization. Many of H.G. Wells’ highly influential novels remain on the pop culture radar, but none of them left quite as much of a visceral impact as this one.

19. Kim (1901) by Rudyard Kipling: Take a voyage to India under Britain’s ironclad control and learn about the myriad cultures of the subcontinent — including the region that eventually became Pakistan.

20. The Man Who was Thursday (1908) by G.K. Chesterton: British literature aficionados with a love of thrillers and metaphysics should consider The Man Who was Thursday, renowned author G.K. Chesterton’s examination of anarchism, an essential, loopy addition to their "to-read" lists.

21. The Wind in the Willows (1908) by Kenneth Grahame: Although a children’s classic, even adults can thoroughly enjoy the whimsical adventures of the forest friends populating Kenneth Grahame’s enduring, beloved novel.

22. A Passage to India (1924) by E.M. Forster: India’s impassioned struggle for freedom lay at the center of this lauded literary masterpiece, which pulls from the writer’s personal experiences beneath the British Raj and reflects the racial tensions and prejudices present during that volatile era.

23. Mrs Dalloway (1925) by Virginia Woolf: A day in the life of protagonist Clarissa Dalloway offers up commentary on some then-controversial issues such as homosexuality, feminism and mental illness — all of which inspired and impacted Virginia Woolf in her lifetime.

24. Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1928) by D.H. Lawrence: Mercilessly criticized for its explicit erotic content, this essential novel follows the life of an aristocratic married woman finding sexual solace in a working-class man’s arms. Anyone ignoring it for the controversial reasons misses out on an incredibly eloquent analysis of the mind-body connection, socioeconomic issues and other heady themes.

25. Brave New World (1932) by Aldous Huxley: Complete freedom — including easy access to numbing, side effect-free drugs — drives one man insane and isolationist out of boredom and aimlessness.

26. Rebecca (1938) by Daphne du Maurier: A newlywed desperately desires to untangle the bizarre mysteries surrounding her husband’s first wife, creating some bizarre tension with an obsessed housekeeper.

27. Brideshead Revisited (1945) by Evelyn Waugh: Evelyn Waugh’s Catholicism forms an interesting cornerstone to a largely secular-oriented novel. His most praised novel peers into the life of an upper-class family and the myriad ways in which love permeates their relationships.

28. 1984 (1949) by George Orwell: Though by no means the first dystopian novel, 1984 and its seriously nightmarish fascist England almost undeniably remains the most popular example of the genre ever published.

29. The Chronicles of Narnia series (1950-1956) by C.S. Lewis: Non-Christians and Christians alike adore these fantastic novels for the highly imaginative world and compelling adventure at their center.

30. The James Bond Series (1953-1965) by Ian Fleming: Iconic Agent 007 began life in a series of novels and short stories by a former British special forces officer. Author Ian Fleming’s real-life experiences in World War II heavily inspired these quintessential spy thrillers.

31. Lord of the Flies (1954) by William Golding: British schoolboys marooned on an empty island succumb to the savagery dwelling within all humans, breaking off into factions and launching a sickening, murderous war.

32. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (1954-1955) by J.R.R. Tolkien: J.R.R. Tolkien’s amazing fantasy epic brings readers to the memorable Middle Earth, where hobbits, elves, orcs and other creatures dwell and fight some truly horrid battles.

33. A Clockwork Orange (1962) by Anthony Burgess: Violent, drug-and-milk-fueled hooligans with awful morals and their own unique slang rampage through a dystopian England until forced to confront the reality of their vicious rapes and murders.

34. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) by Roald Dahl: Go on. Laugh at its inclusion. Then go back and read it as an adult and realize what a striking, harrowing example of pitch-black British comedy Roald Dahl’s young adult classic truly is.

35. A Single Man (1964) by Christopher Isherwood: This deeply emotional novel challenged literary aficionados to take notice of LGBTQIA literature, featuring a tragic, moving tale of a gay expatriate Englishman mourning the accidental death of his beloved.

36. In a Free State (1971) by V.S. Naipaul: Nobel Prize-winning Trinidadian-British author V.S. Naipaul earned the 1971 Booker for his lyrical, intellectual take on the social, economic and political issues facing former and then-current colonies.

37. Crash (1973) by J.G. Ballard: Plunge into fringe psychosexual desires as J.G. Ballard dissects and satirizes humanity’s obsession with and reliance on technology through the lens of a subculture organizing and involving themselves in car crashes for their own erotic satisfaction.

38. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Series (1979-1992) by Douglas Adams: British everyman Arthur Dent embarks on one of literature’s greatest voyages into absurdity, parody, satire and pretty much every other comedic concept available. Read the five Hitchhiker’s Guide books on a Kindle or Nook for bonus laughs.

39. Midnight’s Children (1981) by Salman Rushdie: Salman Rushdie set his story of the fictional Sinai family against the very real backdrop of Indian independence. Their narratives directly intertwine with the times before, during and after the country frees itself from British exploitation, shedding light on the myriad attitudes and actions characterizing the era.

40. V for Vendetta (1982-1989) by Alan Moore and David Lloyd: V, pop culture’s most recognizable Guy Fawkes mask-clad terrorist, violently attempts to free his England from the grips of tyranny and fascism. Author Alan Moore intended one of his essential works to serve as a treatise against Thatcherism.

41. The Discworld Series (1983-Present) by Terry Pratchett: While the beloved Discworld novels began life as whimsical parodies of common fantasy tropes, they eventually grew into one of Britain’s most beloved satires of…well…pretty much everything imaginable.

42. Oranges are Not the Only Fruit (1985) by Jeanette Winterson: Pentecostalism overwhelms a young lesbian from all sides, attempting to "exorcise" her for what the community perceives as an atrocious crime. Many of the author’s own coming-of-age experiences poured into the execution of her highly acclaimed literary work.

43. London Fields (1989) by Martin Amis: Be prepared for some serious mood whiplash when meandering through London Fields. The threat of nuclear war looms atop the tragicomedic exploits of aimless, manipulative, back-stabbing ne’er-do-wells.

44. The Remains of the Day (1989) by Kazuo Ishiguro: Stuffy butler James Stevens serves up an interesting peek into British class dynamics and social mores — both of which dictate his life until he realizes what he once could have had.

45. Possession (1990) by A.S. Byatt: Rival academics slowly fall in love as they research the doomed, hitherto-unknown affair between two famed (and fictitious) Victorian poets.

46. The Famished Road (1991) by Ben Okri: Celebrated Nigerian-British author Ben Okri uses magic realism to compellingly reflect the spiritual components of his native culture. Postcolonial components, however, filter in and incite a fair amount of conflict.

47. Amsterdam (1998) by Ian McEwan: Two men with little more in common than their egos and a shared lover converge at her funeral, ruminating on her (to them) confusing decisions. Both walk away from the encounter with hearts and minds full of reflection and revenge.

48. White Teeth (2000) by Zadie Smith: Multiple award-winner White Teeth launched young Zadie Smith’s promising literary career with its intelligent, tragicomedic take on post-World War II race relations and immigrant experiences.

49. American Gods (2001) by Neil Gaiman: Using a world where all brands of religious and mythological creatures are as real as people believe them to be, the prolific, acclaimed author satirizes American culture through a distinctly British lens.

50. Notes on a Scandal (2003) by Zoe Heller: Notes on a Scandal weaves a twisted, absolutely bizarre psychological thriller out of illicit love and toxic friendships. A married but largely unfulfilled young teacher strikes up an illegal relationship with one of her students, piquing both the ire and curiosity of an isolated coworker obsessed over a possible friendship.