Fiction & Literature is our biggest shelf by far, spanning classic adventure, Gothic drama, detective fiction, and philosophical fables. Here are twenty must-reads pulled straight from our Fiction & Literature collection to get you started.
1. The Invisible Man — H. G. Wells
Wells's classic science-fiction novel follows Griffin, a scientist who discovers the secret of invisibility and descends into obsession and violence as isolation warps his mind. A foundational work of speculative fiction exploring power, science, and moral responsibility.
2. The Count of Monte Cristo — Alexandre Dumas
A sweeping tale of betrayal and revenge, following Edmond Dantès as he escapes wrongful imprisonment to reinvent himself as the mysterious Count and exact elaborate justice on those who wronged him.
3. 20000 Leagues Under the Sea — Jules Verne
Verne's pioneering adventure follows Captain Nemo and the submarine Nautilus on a fantastical underwater voyage, blending scientific imagination with high-seas mystery.
4. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame — Victor Hugo
Set in medieval Paris, Hugo's tragic epic follows the bell-ringer Quasimodo and the dancer Esmeralda amid themes of fate, prejudice, and unrequited love beneath the shadow of the great cathedral.
5. A Tale of Two Cities — Charles Dickens
Dickens's historical novel set against the backdrop of the French Revolution follows intertwined lives in London and Paris, culminating in one of literature's most famous acts of sacrifice.
6. The Man in the Iron Mask — Alexandre Dumas
The final chapter in Dumas's D'Artagnan saga, this swashbuckling tale of court intrigue follows the mystery of a prisoner whose face is hidden behind an iron mask.
7. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer — Mark Twain
Twain's beloved coming-of-age tale follows the mischievous Tom Sawyer through whitewashed fences, treasure hunts, and adventures along the Mississippi River.
8. Treasure Island — R. L. Stevenson
The book that defined the pirate adventure genre, following young Jim Hawkins on a perilous voyage for buried treasure alongside the unforgettable Long John Silver.
9. David Copperfield — Charles Dickens
Often called Dickens's most autobiographical novel, it traces the life of David Copperfield from a difficult childhood through hardship to eventual success, filled with some of literature's most memorable characters.
10. Oliver Twist — Charles Dickens
Dickens's searing portrait of poverty in Victorian London follows orphan Oliver Twist through workhouses and the criminal underworld in his search for belonging.
11. Around the World in Eighty Days — Jules Verne
Phileas Fogg wagers he can circle the globe in just eighty days, launching a breathless race against time across trains, ships, and unexpected obstacles.
12. Kidnapped — R. L. Stevenson
A thrilling tale of abduction and betrayal set in the Scottish Highlands, following young David Balfour's fight to reclaim his rightful inheritance.
13. Panchatantra — Arthur W. Ryder (trans.)
An ancient collection of interconnected Indian fables using animal characters to teach timeless lessons on statecraft, friendship, and wisdom.
14. Heidi — Johanna Spyri
The heartwarming story of a young orphan sent to live with her reclusive grandfather in the Swiss Alps, whose warmth transforms everyone she meets.
15. Mother — Maxim Gorky
Gorky's landmark work of Russian literature follows a working-class mother's political awakening as she embraces her son's revolutionary cause.
16. The Prophet — Kahlil Gibran
A collection of poetic essays in which the prophet Almustafa shares wisdom on love, work, and life before departing the city that has been his home.
17. Siddhartha — Hermann Hesse
Hesse's philosophical novel follows a young man's spiritual journey through pleasure, asceticism, and enlightenment along the banks of a river in ancient India.
18. The Return of Sherlock Holmes — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Holmes returns from the dead in this collection of thirteen stories, matching wits once more with Watson at his side against London's cleverest criminals.
19. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The collection that made Holmes a household name, featuring classic cases like “A Scandal in Bohemia” and “The Red-Headed League.”
20. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
This collection includes some of Holmes's most famous cases — and his fateful confrontation with archenemy Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls.
