Modern & Literary Fiction Books
An Act of Love by Carol Drinkwater
Be swept away with this breathtaking and beautifully written wartime romance set deep in the French Alps, from the bestselling author behind Channe...
View full detailsWalking on Sunshine by Giovanna Fletcher
The heart-warming and uplifting Sunday Times bestseller from Giovanna Fletcher'This book is beautiful' ZOE BALL'Lovely, very moving. Giovanna's boo...
View full detailsThe Heatwave by Kate Riordan
THE PERFECT SUMMER READ AND RICHARD & JUDY PICK FROM THE AUTHOR OF SUMMER FEVER'The only book you need this summer. Gripping and full of thrill...
View full detailsAll Adults Here by Emma Straub
THE IRRISISTABLE, UPLIFTING AND BIG-HEARTED STORY OF SURVIVING IN A MODERN FAMILY . . . 'A wonderful read' Elizabeth Strout 'Literary sunshine'...
View full detailsBig Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
DISCOVER THE GRIPPING NO. 1 BESTSELLER BEHIND THE AWARD WINNING HBO SENSATION STARRING REESE WITHERSPOON, NICOLE KIDMAN & MERYL STREEP________P...
View full detailsThe Rosie Project: The romantic and utterly original novel that will warm your heart by Graeme Simsion
Discover the delightfully heartwarming and life-affirming bestseller about one man's unlikely journey through love'I couldn't put this book down. I...
View full detailsThe Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
His terrible secret. Her life-shattering choice . . . Discover the enthralling story of secrets, family, and the danger of the truth from the bests...
View full detailsThe Complete Short Stories: Volume Two by Roald Dahl
The Complete Short Stories of Roald Dahl in the second of two unsettling and sinister volumes. 'Dahl finds the child in the adult and the adult i...
View full detailsThe Complete Short Stories: Volume One by Roald Dahl
The Complete Short Stories of Roald Dahl in the first of two unsettling and sinister volumes. 'They are brutal, these stories, and yet you finish...
View full detailsThe One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
The beautiful, poignant and utterly compelling No. 1 bestseller from the author of ME BEFORE YOU, STILL ME and THE GIVER OF STARS'An uplifting, cha...
View full detailsTo Italy, With Love by Nicky Pellegrino
'An uplifting and delicious taste of Italy' ERICA JAMES'The perfect recipe for the ultimate escapist read!' VERONICA HENRYLove happens when you lea...
View full detailsMaybe Now by Colleen Hoover
The long-awaited finale to the New York Times bestselling Maybe Someday series returns with all the characters you fell in love with.What is more i...
View full detailsPractical Magic: The Beloved Novel of Love, Friendship, Sisterhood and Magic by Alice Hoffman
The beloved classic novel, the basis of the classic film starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock As children, sisters Gillian and Sally were fore...
View full detailsFlappy Investigates by Santa Montefiore
Flappy returns in the fabulously fun follow-up to Flappy Entertains from bestselling author Santa Montefiore, and this time something is amiss in t...
View full detailsThe Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
'Full of Hoffman's bewitching and lucid prose and vivid characters, The Book of Magic is ultimately about the very human magic of family and love a...
View full detailsThe Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon
'A modern master at work' THE TIMES 'Heart-poundingly suspenseful' WASHINGTON POST 'Joseph Kanon owns this corner of the literary landscape' LEE CH...
View full detailsThe Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon
'A modern master at work' THE TIMES'Heart-poundingly suspenseful' WASHINGTON POST'Joseph Kanon owns this corner of the literary landscape' LEE CHIL...
View full detailsThe Summer Book by Tove Jansson
Celebrating 50 years of Tove Jansson's classic, bestselling novel'Distils the essence of summer' Robert Macfarlane'Magical, life-affirming' Elizabe...
View full detailsThe Khan by Saima Mir
'Bold, addictive and brilliant.' Stylist, best fiction 2021A Times BestsellerA Times & Sunday Times Best Crime Books of 2021A Waterstones Best ...
View full detailsThe Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
STUNNING HARDBACK GIFTING EDITION, INCLUDES A RIBBON and SIX LINE DRAWINGSRECOMMENDED BY THOUSANDS OF READERS - the uplifting story of a journey ar...
View full detailsA Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins
THE ADDICTIVE NEW SUNDAY TIMES NO.1 BESTSELLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN'Shocking, moving, full of heart . . . A Slow Fire Burning s...
View full detailsThe Bell in the Lake: The Sister Bells Trilogy Vol. 1 by Lars Mytting
Love, suspense, nature and superstition are woven together in this powerful novel MAJA LUNDE, author of The History of Bees"Lars Mytting writes wit...
View full detailsEyes of the Rigel by Roy Jacobsen
The third novel in a historical trilogy that began with the International Booker shortlisted The Unseen "Taken together, Jacobsen has given us an ...
View full detailsThe Slaughterman's Daughter by Yaniv Iczkovits
WINNER OF THE WINGATE PRIZE 2021SUNDAY TIMES "MUST READS" PICKECONOMIST "BEST BOOKS OF 2020" PICKKIRKUS REVIEWS "10 BOOKS TO LOOK FOR IN 2021" PICK...
View full detailsWhite Shadow by Roy Jacobsen
The sequel to the Man Booker Prize-shortlisted The Unseen"A gifted writer, stylish, laconic and imaginative" Paul Owen, TLS"A beautiful sequel to T...
View full detailsThe Sixteen Trees of the Somme by Lars Mytting
A family story of epic scale, by the author of NORWEGIAN WOOD and THE BELL IN THE LAKE. "An intricate story about war, family, secrets and,yes, w...
View full detailsA Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman
*A Richard & Judy Bookclub Pick Spring 2016*A YEAR OF MARVELLOUS WAYS is the unforgettable and completely captivating new novel from Sarah Winm...
View full detailsWhen God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman
The SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER from the author of STILL LIFE'Thronging with incident and wonder' Guardian'Beautifully true . . . superb' The Times'Cap...
View full detailsPost Office by Charles Bukowski
Henry Chinaski is a lowlife loser with a hand-to-mouth existence. His menial post office day job supports a life of beer, one-night stands and race...
View full detailsDear Santa: Settle down this winter with a heart-warming romance - the perfect festive read by Debbie Macomber
The brand new festive romance from Debbie Macomber, the #1 New York Times bestselling author and the queen of Christmas fiction!ALL SHE WANTS FOR C...
View full detailsIt's Better This Way by Debbie Macomber
The joyful and escapist new novel from New York Times bestselling author Debbie MacomberIt's been nearly six years since Julia Jones had her heart ...
View full detailsIt's Better This Way by Debbie Macomber
The joyful and escapist new novel from New York Times bestselling author Debbie MacomberIt's been nearly six years since Julia Jones had her heart ...
View full detailsJingle All the Way by Debbie Macomber
Could a holiday romance save Everly's Christmas? Everly Lancaster has always had big dreams, but her high-flying career has left little time for an...
View full detailsChristmas at the Island Hotel by Jenny Colgan
Escape with Jenny Colgan this Christmas . . . 'Nobody does cosy, get-away-from-it-all romance like Jenny Colgan' Sunday Express'An evocative, swe...
View full detailsChristmas at the Island Hotel by Jenny Colgan
'Nobody does cosy, get-away-from-it-all romance like Jenny Colgan' Sunday ExpressSnuggle up and escape with Jenny Colgan to the beautiful island of...
View full detailsFive Hundred Miles From You by Jenny Colgan
'Nobody does cosy, get-away-from-it-all romance like Jenny Colgan' Sunday Express'A sheer delight from start to finish' Sophie Kinsella ___________...
View full detailsThe Moroccan Daughter by Deborah Rodriguez
The BRAND NEW novel from the internationally bestselling author of THE LITTLE COFFEE SHOP OF KABUL In Morocco, behind the ancient walls of the medi...
View full detailsThe Frequency of Us by Keith Stuart
*** A BBC2 BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK ****** BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME ***'A fascinating, beautiful, heartwarming novel. It kept me grippe...
View full detailsDarkness Falls by Robert Bryndza
THE UNMISSABLE NEW THRILLER FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE GIRL IN THE ICE, NINE ELMS AND SHADOW SANDS, ROBERT BRYNDZA'The thir...
View full detailsIn the Time We Lost by Carrie Hope Fletcher
The BRAND NEW NOVEL from Sunday Times bestselling author Carrie Hope Fletcher 'Our go-to for spellbinding stories with a magical edge' HEAT'Enchant...
View full detailsGolden Moments by Danielle Steel
THE WORLD'S FAVOURITE STORYTELLERNEARLY ONE BILLION COPIES SOLD A dazzling romance - but will their passion survive?As one of the world's richest w...
View full detailsThe Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Celebrating 25 years of The Notebook - the classic novel which became the heart-wrenching film. *Once again, just as I do every day, I begin to rea...
View full detailsCaptain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION - WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY THE AUTHOR'A true diamond of a novel, glinting with comedy and tragedy' Daily MailIt is 1941 ...
View full detailsRestless by William Boyd
It is 1939. Eva Delectorskaya is a beautiful 28-year-old Russian emigree living in Paris. As war breaks out she is recruited for the British Secret...
View full detailsDesertion by Abdulrazak Gurnah
**By the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 2021**'A careful and heartfelt exploration of the way memory inevitably consoles and disappoints u...
View full detailsIn The Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami
It's just before New Year, and Frank, an overweight American tourist, has hired Kenji to take him on a guided tour of Tokyo's nightlife. But, Frank...
View full detailsThe House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Told in a series of vibrant vignettes, The House On Mango Street is the story of Esperanza Cordera, a young girl growing up in the Hispanic quarter...
View full detailsBy the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah
**By the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 2021**LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2002'One scarcely dares breathe while reading it for fear of...
View full detailsCreative, formula-bending, genre-defying, character-focused, and most importantly, a literary exploration of the human condition—contemporary & modern literary fiction is arguably the most experimental genre within literature.
The landscape of literary fiction is constantly being revolutionised by literary fiction authors; that are known to constantly push the boundaries of genre fiction and blur the lines of distinction between literary fiction and other genres of literature.
Given the creative ambiguity of contemporary literary fiction; the genre witnesses a dazzling lineup of highly acclaimed debuts and fresh progressive voices each year. From trailblazing memoirs to the cultural history of humanity—no other genre captures the exactness of our collective life experience more creatively than literary fiction.
The list of bestselling literary fiction is an exciting mix of very distinct literary techniques and contrasting voices. Precisely why, we at Books2Door bring you and a carefully curated collection of the best literary fiction books of all time whilst also helping you gain an acute understanding of what qualifies as modern & literary fiction.
Formula-bending, genre-defying, and experimental
Modern and Contemporary Literary Fiction or experimental fiction is possibly the literature’s most rebellious genre. It doesn’t follow any literary formulas, nor does it adhere to any rules. In that, literary fiction authors are free to build an unpredictable narrative. Anything can transpire; exciting or unnerving. In literary fiction, any established literary theme can be turned on its head. For instance, literary fiction authors have challenged the good-triumphs-over-evil theme; so common otherwise in genre fiction books.
George Orwell’s social satire Nineteen Eighty-Four is one example. A book best categorised as dystopian literature; (remember the recently trending hashtag #makeorwellfictionagain ?) Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four not only challenged the good vs evil theme but also blurred the lines of distinction between genre fiction and classic literary fiction.
Employees creative storytelling
Considering literary fiction doesn’t adhere to any rules of genre or sub-genre; every literary fiction author is free to be creative and create his own rules. This makes the storyline an adventure, that can take its readers by surprise.
Devoid of any rules, the literary fiction writer is free to break convention and employ his creativity. This practice has birthed some extraordinary literary works. For example, Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife where Niffenegger’s uses dual narrators from the first person point of view, in the present tense.
Thought-provoking and introspective
Like we said earlier, no other genre captures the exactness of the human condition and our collective life experience more creatively than literary fiction. Whilst most genres are designed to entertain the readers, literary fiction is meant to do more than that. Literary fiction seeks to make sense of the world. It is meant to be thought-provoking, and introspective and is meant to push the reader to think critically of the human condition.
Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, for instance, explores the mind of a depressed, anxious, and neurotic young woman. Whilst the book has a coming-of-age plot line; it is the inner dialogue of this character that truly makes it a memorable book. This strong character study is what makes literary fiction a character-focused and introspective genre.
Explores the human condition
Stories in literary fiction do not shy away from dealing with difficult subjects and the realities of the human condition with artistic honesty. Literary fiction, therefore, is not always designed to help the reader escape. It can make the reader uncomfortable and push them to think about issues.
Literary fiction however is not non-fiction; so it doesn’t just report the truth. Instead, it relies on creative techniques and artsy symbolism to convey a deeper meaning. Literary fiction relies on metaphors and creative storytelling to convey meaningful messages. As a result, the takeaway from these stories is more than just the story, the takeaway is the experience, the message, and at times the characters.
Literary fiction is character-driven
Whilst genre fiction is focused on the story, plotlines, and on being an engaging read; literary fiction is more stressed on the characters or on conveying a meaningful message or idea. At times, it is focused on both. The characters in literary fiction can have layers, the depth of a character's actions and psyche are explored to forward the plot. Literary fiction doesn’t just show a character’s story, it shows how their actions and circumstances change the character.
Literary fiction can be as absurd and ambiguous as life itself
Literary fiction is experimental in nature much like absurd art, which means it doesn’t have to have a happy ending or an ending at all. Art movements like absurdism, dadaism and surrealism, are all, artsy cousins of experimental prose.
Literary fiction gives writers the liberty to let a story end abruptly or for the entire plot to be absurd. Stories in this genre don’t necessarily have to resolve but they have to have meaning. The meaning however is left to the reader’s interpretation.
Literary fiction is good for the reader
Because literary fiction pushes boundaries, employs a unique perspective, searches for meaning, and is designed for intellectual and emotional stimulus--it is much like the art you see hanging in galleries and the movies that bring meaningful conversations alive. Just like artsy movies and art itself, the creative genius of literary fiction is largely open to criticism. Some of the best contemporary literary fiction books have won critical acclaim and awards but missed out on winning the masses.
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