June 21st Fatjer's Day! All the best gift ideas. Shop NowJune 21st Fatjer's Day! All the best gift ideas. Shop Now

Literary Fiction

By exposing the inner lives of complex characters, literary fiction challenges our perception of human experience through powerful, vivid prose. From classics by Albert Camus to contemporary authors like Agustina Bazterrica and George Saunders, explore a new perspective through literary fiction.

NYC: Summer of 1984 Friendship, chaos and loss haunt the East Village Shop Now
NYC: Summer of 1984 Friendship, chaos and loss haunt the East Village Shop Now
The Things We Never Say A Beloeved teacher. A Quiet Life. A Secret that changes everything. Shop Now
The Things We Never Say A Beloeved teacher. A Quiet Life. A Secret that changes everything. Shop Now
John of John by Douglas Stuart | New from the Booker Prize-winning author of Shuggie Bain | Shop Now
John of John by Douglas Stuart | New from the Booker Prize-winning author of Shuggie Bain | Shop Now
From the Author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Shop Now - Go Gentle by Maria Semple
From the Author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Shop Now - Go Gentle by Maria Semple

Literary Fiction

Discover Literary Fiction

Shop at Barnes & Noble for literary fiction books everyone is talking about, as well as the best literary graphic novels and literary classics to add to your reading list. Looking for literary fiction to read immediately? Download literary fiction eBooks to your smartphone, tablet, or NOOK device and start reading today!


What is considered literary fiction?


Literary Fiction is a type of fiction that focuses on introspection and human character. Whereas most types of fiction are driven by plot (romance, mystery, fantasy, etc), literary fiction is a fiction of ideas that puts the human condition under the microscope. Works of literary fiction are considered to be works of art.


What is literary fiction vs. fiction?

Literary fiction is a subgenre of fiction that focuses its attention on character development, the human condition or social commentary.


What are some examples of literary fiction?

Pride and Prejudice is a literary fiction novel that focuses in-depth on character development, one of the main aspects of literary fiction writing. The reader is introduced to famous literary fiction characters like Elizabeth Bennet and observes each of the Bennet sisters’ individual thoughts, dreams and aspirations. Literary fiction books such as Of Mice and Men explore and reflect on the human condition. Other literary fiction novels focus on political or social conditions of a given time-period or place. For example, Things Fall Apart, a popular work of literary fiction, describes political tensions between Nigeria’s colonial government and the indigenous Igbo people in the 1890’s. George Orwell’s 1984 not only explores the political state of the nation, but also social conditions of its people. Literary texts are more likely to have a darker tone and slower pace compared to genre or popular fiction. Famous literary authors not only include such bookcase staples as F. Scott Fitzgerald and J.D. Salinger, but modern literary fiction writers like The Kite Runners' Khaled Hosseini or Cloud Cuckoo Lands' Anthony Doerr.


10 of the Best Literary Fiction Novels to Read in 2026:

  1. The Land of Sweet Forever by Harper Lee
  2. Wreck by Catherine Newman
  3. A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar
  4. Queen Esther by John Irving
  5. Tom's Crossing by Mark Z. Danielewski
  6. Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon
  7. Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory
  8. The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson
  9. Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite
  10. The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller