Modern & Literary Fiction Books
A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTIONNEW YORK TIMES TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2010Jennifer Egan's spellbinding novel circles the lives of Bennie Salazar, ...
View full detailsA Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER AND MODERN CLASSIC: NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES 'A phenomenon, a prodigy, a marvel' Evening Standard ONE OF THE BBC'S 100...
View full detailsThe Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante
Find The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante from publishers Europa Editions (UK) Ltd at Books2Door! ; 464 pages; Published: 17/09/2015
Those Who Leave And Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante
Find Those Who Leave And Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante from publishers Europa Editions at Books2Door! ; 424 pages; Published: 18/09/2014
The Story Of A New Name: Book 2 by Elena Ferrante
Find The Story Of A New Name: Book 2 by Elena Ferrante from publishers Europa Editions at Books2Door! ; 480 pages; Published: 19/09/2013
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Find My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante from publishers Europa Editions at Books2Door! ; 336 pages; Published: 11/10/2012
Quicksilver by Dean Koontz
#1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense Dean Koontz takes a surprising and exhilarating road trip with a man in pursuit of his strange pas...
View full detailsMy Pen is the Wing of a Bird: New Fiction by Afghan Women
Powerful, profound and deeply moving, new fiction by Afghan women writers will expand your mind and elevate your heart ELIF SHAFAK"[An] arresting c...
View full detailsAnything Could Happen by Lucy Diamond
'The book we all need - full of escapism, romance, hope and kindness' Milly Johnson'Gloriously romantic' Sun'I couldn't put it down' Jill MansellY...
View full detailsSeven Days in June by Tia Williams
A REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICKTHE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER (JUNE 2021)'A sexy, modern love story' Reese Witherspoon'I absolutely loved...
View full detailsThe Lewis Man: (The Lewis Trilogy Book 2) by Peter May
THE 12 MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE ENZO FILES AND THE CHINA THRILLERSAWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF THE CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY 2021'One of t...
View full detailsAll I Want for Christmas by Joanna Bolouri
The sparkling Christmas romance to pick you up this year... 'A hilarious and heartwarming festive treat' Heidi Swain'So funny, sweet, warm and fu...
View full detailsTyll by Daniel Kehlmann
'A masterly achievement, a work of imaginative grandeur and complete artistic control' Ian McEwan'Brilliant and unputdownable' Salman RushdieHe's a...
View full detailsBeyond Summer by Lisa Wingate
From the million-copy bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes an uplifting novel where unexpected challenges and new friendships reveal wh...
View full detailsThe Summer Kitchen by Lisa Wingate
From the million-copy bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes an inspiring novel about one woman's effect on a struggling Dallas neighbour...
View full detailsOur Fathers by Rebecca Wait
What kind of man kills his own family?A gripping, tender novel about fathers and sons from the highly acclaimed authorA Guardian crime and thriller...
View full detailsForever Home by Graham Norton
The new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author Graham Norton'Blend[s] dark humour and emotional weight with ease.' RADIO TIMES'His best yet...
View full details28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
This sweeping love story is Hilderbrand's best ever - New York TimesTheir secret love affair has lasted for decades - but will it last one more sum...
View full detailsThe Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill by C.S. Robertson
'A dark, disturbing and highly original thriller' MARK BILLINGHAM'Haunting, twisted and compelling' C.L. TAYLOR'Clever, dark, unusual and full of g...
View full detailsThe Lost Storyteller by Amanda Block
'A powerful novel about the bond between fathers and daughters, and how stories connect us all. I loved it' Jenny Colgan THE LOST STORYTELLER is th...
View full detailsThe Slowworm's Song by Andrew Miller
By the Costa Award-winning author of Pure, a profound and tender tale of guilt, a search for atonement and the hard, uncertain work of loving. 'T...
View full detailsThe Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle
The superb new novel from the bestselling author of Half A World Away and All the Lonely People. 'A joyful celebration of life' - Heat'Filled wit...
View full detailsThe Stranding by Kate Sawyer
AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4'S BOOK AT BEDTIMEWINNER OF THE FICTION PRIZE AT THE EAST ANGLIAN BOOK AWARDS 2021'A poignant and page turning apocalyptic t...
View full detailsHot Stew by Fiona Mozley
Longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize'Ambitious, clever, brilliant and very funny . . . If Elmet announced the arrival of a bright new voice in Bri...
View full detailsHot Stew by Fiona Mozley
Longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize'Ambitious, clever, brilliant and very funny . . . If Elmet announced the arrival of a bright new voice in Bri...
View full detailsThe Getaway by Isabelle Broom
Sometimes it takes losing everything to find the person you need . . . Most people travel to Croatia for its endless sunshine, pebbly beaches and...
View full detailsDominicana by Angie Cruz
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2020'A story for now, an important story . . . told with incredible freshness' Martha Lane Fox, Chair...
View full detailsBig Girl, Small Town by Michelle Gallen
SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARDSHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS NEWCOMER OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE COMEDY WOMEN IN PRINT PRIZ...
View full detailsThe Herd by Emily Edwards
THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLERSTYLIST MAGAZINE'S 'FICTION BOOKS YOU CAN'T MISS IN 2022'COSMOPOLITAN'S 'BEST BOOKS OF 2022'WOMAN & HOME 'BEST BOOKS O...
View full detailsThe Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella
'Joyous and funny, [with] emotional hidden depths.' JILL MANSELLWhat might your family say about you if you weren't in the room....?________Escape ...
View full detailsA Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins
'Here are characters who are real and likeable, even when they are complicated and flawed. Paula Hawkins is a genius'Lisa JewellIT'S THE QUIET ONES...
View full detailsThe Echo Chamber by John Boyne
'The funniest book I've read in ages. Savage but compelling' Ian Rankin'A fearless romp with big laughs along the way' Graham Norton'Funny, rumbust...
View full detailsLonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura
For fans of BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD, fairy tale and magic are weaved together in sparse language that belies a flooring emotional punch. 'Str...
View full detailsGreat Circle by Maggie Shipstead
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA GOLD CROWN THE NEW YORK TIMES AND TIMES BEST...
View full detailsThe Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
THE INSTANT NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFROM THE AUTHOR OF RULES OF CIVILITY AND A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW'Deserves a place alongside Kerouac, ...
View full detailsWidespread Panic by James Ellroy
Freddy is an ex-L.A. cop on the skids. He snuffed a cop killer in cold blood - and it got to him bad. Now he's a sleazoid private eye, a shakedown ...
View full detailsGive Unto Others by Donna Leon
'Crime writing of the highest order' GUARDIAN'Donna Leon has been giving unto us for all of the thirty years since Death at La Fenice introduced us...
View full detailsMalibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
From the bestselling author of DAISY JONES & THE SIX and THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGOTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Thank you Taylor Jenkins ...
View full detailsAfraid of the Light by Douglas Kennedy
THE EXPLOSIVE NEW THRILLER FROM INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER, DOUGLAS KENNEDY__________________________'A pulse-racing thriller centred on hot-button d...
View full detailsA Bright Ray of Darkness by Ethan Hawke
'Riveting work' Patti Smith'Vivid . . . it communicates a real power' Sunday Times'A wild ride of a book' MetroActor William Harding has been caugh...
View full detailsMy Policeman by Bethan Roberts
**NOW A MAJOR FILM STARRING HARRY STYLES**This love is all-consuming It is in 1950s' Brighton that Marion first catches sight of the handsome and e...
View full detailsLily by Rose Tremain
From Sunday Times bestselling novelist Rose Tremain comes a gripping novel of murder and revenge set in Victorian England Nobody knows yet that she...
View full detailsLife Without Children by Roddy Doyle
Love and marriage, children and family, death and grief. Life touches everyone the same, but living under lockdown? It changes us alone. A man ab...
View full detailsCheckout 19 by Claire-Louise Bennett
'Extraordinary . . . radiant' Sunday Times 'An existential tour-de-force' Eimear McBride 'Elatingly risky' Guardian 'We read in order to come to l...
View full detailsThe Living Sea of Waking Dreams by Richard Flanagan
'Striking...brilliantly done' The TimesAn ember storm of a novel, this is Booker Prize-winning novelist Richard Flanagan at his most moving-and ast...
View full detailsInside Story by Martin Amis
'Utterly compelling' GuardianLife...is shapeless, it does not point to and gather round anything, it does not cohere. Artistically, it's dead. Life...
View full detailsA Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson
'I've been telling everyone I know about Mary Lawson . . . Each of her novels is just a marvel' Anne TylerClara's rebellious older sister is missin...
View full detailsActs of Desperation by Megan Nolan
SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD'Crushing...intensely vital' Observer'It's impossible to tear yourself away' The Tim...
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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