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Modern & Literary Fiction Books

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    The Overstory: A novel from the Vintage Earth collection by Richard Powers

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    ** WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION **A wondrous, exhilarating novel about nine strangers brought together by an unfolding natural catastro...

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    The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage

    Only 6 left!

    **NOW THE WINNER OF THE 2022 BEST DIRECTOR OSCAR AND TWO 2022 BAFTA AWARDS**Discover Thomas Savage's dark poetic tale of a small town in early 20th...

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    Sugar by Bernice McFadden

    Only 18 left!

    **A RICHARD AND JUDY AUTUMN BOOK CLUB PICK AND THE MOST POWERFUL BOOK YOU'LL READ THIS YEAR** 'Poignant and bittersweet, this novel is a joy' Richa...

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    The Inseparables by Simone de Beauvoir

    Only 11 left!

    The lost novel from the author of The Second SexWhen Andree joins her school, Sylvie is immediately fascinated. Andree is small for her age, but wa...

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    In Praise of Shadows: Vintage Design Edition by Junichiro Tanizaki

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    A fully illustrated, beautifully produced edition of Junichiro Tanizaki's wise and evocative essay on Japanese culture. 'We find beauty not in t...

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    The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (Vintage Classics Japanese Series) by Haruki Murakami

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    Enter the surreal and enchanting world of Haruki Murakami. Toru Okada's cat has disappeared. His wife is growing more distant every day...

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    Slaughterhouse 5: 50th Anniversary Edition by Kurt Vonnegut

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    50th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITIONAs a young man and a prisoner of war, Kurt Vonnegut witnessed the 1945 US fire-bombing of Dresden in Germany, which...

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    The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

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    ** THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER ****A BBC BETWEEN COVERS BIG JUBILEE READ**Go back to where it all began with the dystopian novel behind the a...

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    Desire: Vintage Minis by Haruki Murakami

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    You've just passed someone on the street who could be the love of your life, the person you're destined for - what do you do? In Murakami's world, ...

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    The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

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    ** THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER **Discover the dystopian novel that started a phenomenon before you read the Booker Prize-winning sequel The T...

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    The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

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    The circus arrives without warning. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Against the grey sky the towering tents are striped black and wh...

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    To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

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    'Shoot all the Bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a Mockingbird.' Atticus Finch gives this advice to his child...

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    The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage

    Only 3 left!

    **NOW THE WINNER OF THE 2022 BEST DIRECTOR OSCAR AND TWO 2022 BAFTA AWARDS**Discover Thomas Savage's dark poetic tale of a small town in early 20th...

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    The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim

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    WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY BRENDA BOWENMrs Wilkins and Mrs Arbuthnot, cowed and neglected by their husbands, make a daring plan: they will have a holi...

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    To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

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    'ONE OF THE GREATEST AMERICAN NOVELS EVER WRITTEN''Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbi...

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    Outlander: (Outlander 1) by Diana Gabaldon

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    'Scotland's answer to Game of Thrones' HERALDTHE FIRST NOVEL IN THE BESTSELLING OUTLANDER SERIES, as seen on Amazon PrimeNow available to preorder:...

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    Dragonfly In Amber: (Outlander 2) by Diana Gabaldon

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    THE SECOND NOVEL IN THE BESTSELLING OUTLANDER SERIES - Now a major TV series. For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is ...

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    The Fiery Cross: (Outlander 5) by Diana Gabaldon

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    ___________________________________THE FIFTH NOVEL IN THE BESTSELLING OUTLANDER SERIESNow a major TV series1771: the Colony of North Carolina stand...

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    A Breath Of Snow And Ashes: (Outlander 6) by Diana Gabaldon

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    THE SIXTH NOVEL IN THE BESTSELLING OUTLANDER SERIES. _________________________________The long fuse of rebellion has already been lit. It's 1772,...

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    Recitatif by Toni Morrison

    Only 15 left!

    'Toni Morrison was the lodestar who inspired us' Bernadine EvaristoTwyla and Roberta have known each other since they were eight years old, when th...

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    Lily by Rose Tremain

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    Nobody knows yet that she is a murderer... Abandoned at the gates of a London park one winter's night in 1850, baby Lily Mortimer is saved by a you...

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    The Living Sea of Waking Dreams by Richard Flanagan

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    An ember storm of a novel, this is Booker Prize-winning novelist Richard Flanagan at his most moving-and astonishing-best. In a world of perennial...

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    Frankissstein: A Love Story by Jeanette Winterson

    Only 6 left!

    ***LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2019*****SHORTLISTED FOR THE COMEDY WOMEN IN PRINT PRIZE 2020****LONGLISTED FOR THE POLARI PRIZE 2020**'Beware, ...

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    Late in the Day by Tessa Hadley

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    'Unflinching, intelligent and fascinating' Marian KeyesThe lives of two close-knit couples are irrevocably changed by an untimely death in this Sun...

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    The Snakes by Sadie Jones

    Only 2 left!

    READ THE TENSE TWIST-FILLED RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK FOR SPRING 2020 FROM THE #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE OUTCAST. Family secrets can be ...

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    Clock Dance by Anne Tyler

    Only 7 left!

    A bittersweet novel of family and self-discovery from the bestselling, award-winning author of French BraidWilla Drake can count on one hand the de...

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    There There by Tommy Orange

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    ** Shortlisted for the 2020 International Dublin Literary Award **One of Barack Obama's best books of 2018, the New York Times bestselling novel ab...

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    Double Blind by Edward St Aubyn

    Only 4 left!

    'I was gripped by it' IAN McEWANThree lives collide, not one of them will emerge unchanged - the exhilarating new novel from the author of the Patr...

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    Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami

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    We all live our lives carrying secrets we cannot disclose. ...

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    Ordinary People by Diana Evans

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    **AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4 BOOK CLUB** 'Diana is so amazing when it comes to writing about humans and relationships... I don't know anyone who's as...

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    Forever and a Day (James Bond 007) by Anthony Horowitz

    Only 4 left!

    *THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*A spy is dead. A legend is born. This is how it all began. The explosive James Bond thriller from bestselling a...

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    China Room by Sunjeev Sahota

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    A story of forbidden love that echoes across generations - from the prize-winning author of The Year of the Runaways. 'A gorgeous, gripping read'...

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    The Parisian by Isabella Hammad

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    'A sublime reading experience: delicate, restrained, surpassingly intelligent, uncommonly poised and truly beautiful' Zadie Smith**WINNER OF THE BE...

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    The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

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    'A modern gothic triumph' Max PorterThe Bass Rock has for centuries watched over the lives that pass under its shadow on the Scottish mainland. And...

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    Conviction by Denise Mina

    Only 6 left!

    EVERYBODY LOVES A MURDER MYSTERY . . . UNTIL THEY HAVE A STARRING ROLE. *A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**A REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK* 'Deni...

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    Snow Country by Sebastian Faulks

    Only 9 left!

    The epic new novel from the bestselling author of Birdsong'Wistful, yearning and wise' Elizabeth Day1914: Aspiring journalist Anton arrives in Vien...

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    The Morning Star by Karl Ove Knausgaard

    Only 14 left!

    Nine lives will be changed forever in the exhilarating new novel from the international bestseller. 'Addictive' Daily Telegraph'Knausgaard retain...

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    Homesick For Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh

    Only 16 left!

    'Razor-sharp' Zadie Smith An electrifying, prizewinning short story collection from the Booker-shortlisted author of Eileen and My Year of Rest and...

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    Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

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    *SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE***FROM THE AUTHOR OF TIKTOK SENSATION MY YEAR OF REST AND RELAXATION** Trapped between caring for her alcohol...

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    After the Silence by Louise O'Neill

    Only 9 left!

    'Chillingly good' Elizabeth Day'Her best book to date and that's really saying something' Marian Keyes'A powerfully atmospheric, darkly compelling ...

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    Three Women and a Boat by Anne Youngson

    Only 3 left!

    Tender and humorous novel of second chances and life-changing new friendship for fans of Rachel Joyce, Clare Chambers and Barbara Pym'Life-affirmin...

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    The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan

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    Winner of the Guardian First Book Award 2013Shortlisted for the Dublin IMPAC Literary Award 2014Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2013Winner of B...

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    The Stray Cats of Homs: A powerful, moving novel inspired by a true story by Eva Nour

    Only 2 left!

    'An incredible book. Profoundly affecting and deeply soulful. This book will stay with me forever.' Ruth Jones, No.1 Sunday Times bestselling autho...

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    The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

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    Now includes an exclusive extract of Clare Pooley's new and brilliantly uplifting novel The People On Platform 5 - available nowTreat yourself to t...

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    Ellie and the Harpmaker by Hazel Prior

    Only 2 left!

    From the author of no.1 ebook bestseller and Richard & Judy Book Club pick Away with the Penguins. 'Uplifting and full of heart, I couldn't p...

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    A Traveller at the Gates of Wisdom by John Boyne

    Only 11 left!

    Some stories are universal. They play out across human history. And time is the river which will flow through them. It starts with a family, a fa...

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    Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

    in stock

    'I was completely spellbound' - Ruth Hogan, author of The Keeper of Lost Things'Setterfield is a master storyteller' - Madeline Miller, author of C...

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    Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson

    Only 15 left!

    **As read on BBC Radio Four**Uplifting, joyous, hopeful - a novel about late love and second chances, shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award a...

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Creative, 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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