15 great fiction books to read in your 20s

As the conversation in literary circles moves more toward current trends in the so-called “BookTok” community, it’s becoming harder and harder to make a to-be-read list that includes great works from the classical catalog, or even more modern literature.

While you could arguably spend countless hours with these romantasy novels and fast food books and be thoroughly entertained, most of them tend to leave something to be desired when it comes to a lasting impact on your worldview or thought process.

That’s why we’ve decided to make this list of some of the great works of fiction to read in your 20s and be moved not only by the power of their evocative themes but also by the sheer grace of their literary form.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

No writer in history has managed to capture the human condition in the nuanced and dumbfounding way that Leo Tolstoy does, and the best example of this mastery is Anna Karenina, often hailed as one of the greatest works of fiction in history. Similar to many contemporary Russian authors, Tolstoy’s prose is sharp and to the point while also containing a myriad of different meanings and implications, all driving home his desire to explore profound themes like faith, family, the various kinds of love and commitment, and the follies of a society whose future stands upon the brink.

Reading Anna Karenina in your early 20s is an experience that might just transform the way you look at the world and its history. It also makes you regret all the complexity of human expression and thought that we’ve lost in our fast-paced modern lives.

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Many rightly consider The Catcher in the Rye to be about teenage angst, but the story’s complex structure makes it therapeutic for more than just adolescents. We follow the story of Holden Caulfield, who has just been expelled from his secondary school for failing all his grades except English. Disillusioned with what he thought he knew of life and society, Holden now has to navigate a treacherous world that he finds alien. The Catcher in the Rye deals with isolation, rebellion, sexuality, and identity, and its short length makes it a perfect read for people who have yet to find catharsis after life has abruptly pulled the rug from under their feet.

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

Cormac McCarthy might be most renowned for The Road, but if it’s introspection that you’re looking for –and deep philosophical themes that underpin the very nature of the human society we currently live in – then Blood Meridian is the book you need to pick up as soon as possible. The story follows the journey of “the Kid,” who gets entangled with a group of savage scalp hunters massacring American Indians, first out of a twisted sense of pleasure, then with a nihilistic passivity.

Just be warned that the violence in Blood Meridian is stark and grotesque, but the profound musings on fate, free will, and the nature of evil more than make up for the disturbing reading experience. The intricate portrayal of the American frontier, aka the Wild West, is also a huge selling point for Blood Meridian.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

The Death of Ivan Ilyich, these days most commonly found under the title of The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories, is the most profound short story by Leo Tolstoy. We follow the tale of a respected judge who lives a comfortable and somewhat luxurious upper-middle-class life in 19th-century Russia. For Ivan Ilyich, what is right is what is decent and beautiful and conformist, but all of that changes when he learns that he is soon to die. The last months of Ivan Ilyich’s life are spent in arrant suffering, with him musing over the meaninglessness of his life.

This short story packs a heavy punch, leaving you contemplating your life. It’s about how the expediencies of social existence make automatons of us all and strip us of our sense of moral integrity. Most importantly, however, it’s about the one truth in life that no one can ever argue: The unjustifiable violation — as Simone de Beauvoir would say — called death.

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

One of the greatest sci-fi novels of all time, The Left Hand of Darkness follows the tale of Genly Ai, who visits the planet of Gethen as an envoy of a confederation of planets. Genly is tasked with persuading the peoples of Gethen to join the confederation, but his efforts are hindered when he learns that the Gethen live in an ambisexual society. 

Great worldbuilding, fantastic character work, and Le Guin’s usual flowing, beautiful prose are only a few strengths that make The Left Hand of Darkness stand out among a sea of other contemporary works in the genre. It also remains the most thoughtful examination of androgyny in all of speculative literature, which, given the literary tradition’s amazing strides in these matters, is saying quite a lot.

The Stand by Stephen King

Stephen King doesn’t frequent the fantasy genre, and indeed, apart from The Dark Tower and The Stand, you’d be hard-pressed to find elements of the so-called epic or high fantasy in his works. While the former is a great read and one of the best the genre has to offer, the latter is arguably one of the top three novels in King’s entire bibliography. 

The Stand takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a virus has wiped out 99% of humanity. When the survivors emerge, they’re enigmatically drawn towards two opposite forces of good and evil: one represented by Mother Abigail, kindly and sacrificial, and one represented by Randall Flagg, charismatic but sinister and deceitful. These two factions then fight the ultimate battle of good versus evil to decide the fate of the world… what remains of it, anyway. If you think that premise is too cliche to bother with, then ignore the thought completely and read The Stand anyway; you won’t be disappointed.

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

Most of you have probably sat through the story of Les Misérables in one medium or another. Whether it was one of the dozens of movie or television adaptations, the widely acclaimed musical play, or even a radio drama, Victor Hugo’s timeless tale is a part of the very fabric of our cultural and literary experience.

And yet, reading the unabridged novel is an experience unlike any other. If you’re a fan of Les Misérables and all the innumerable human motifs it explores through its ambitious narrative, then do yourself a favor and buy the book. It may be a bit on the lengthy side, but the journey is well worth undertaking. Every person should read Les Misérables at some point in their lives, and at no point will it leave such a profound and lasting effect as the early years of adulthood.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Ever found yourself in an existentially induced state of panic? Do you spend countless nights staring at the ceiling of your bedroom, wondering about your purpose in the universe? About who you are and what you’re supposed to do? About what it all means? Well, you may never find a definitive answer to your questions out there, but The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy can at least give you the satisfaction of a superb perspective on this absurd, terrifying thing we call the human experience.

The book is witty, satirical, and deeply profound, dealing with themes of existential dread, the randomness of everything, and the nature of the human proclivity for learning. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is now a cornerstone of sci-fi literature, having influenced hundreds of other stories after its debut. This is a book that you need to read, then re-read, and re-read, and then re-read again and again, if for nothing other than pondering the true depth of the number 42. (If you know, you know.)

1984 by George Orwell

In this postmodern age, some people tend to take the infamous “Big Brother is watching you!” to the extreme, painting every aspect of society and its governance in the light of conspiracy theories. But what I find even more worrisome than conspiracy theorists are those who accept everything they’re told without even questioning it. And to those, what I often end up recommending is George Orwell’s 1984.

This terrifying dystopian narrative depicts a totalitarian regime that exercises absolute control over the lives and minds of its citizens. We follow Winston Smith, who works for the Ministry of Truth, designated to alter historical records to fuel the propaganda machine of the governing party, and thus allow them to rewrite the truth as they see fit. Smith slowly becomes disillusioned with the manipulation of truth, misuse of surveillance, and the abject authoritarian nature of his society, but Big Brother isn’t going to let go of him that easily.

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

There are books that define human history. There are books that influence literary genres and artistic traditions as a whole. There are even books that end up inspiring many famous authors for generations to come. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a novel that does all of this, and then some.

This is a philosophical tale that discusses such ideas as God, faith, free will, morality, and guilt in such a somber manner that you can’t help but be fascinated by Dostoevsky’s creation. Most great writers and thinkers of the 20th century were in one way or another influenced by The Brothers Karamazov, a long list that includes names like Martin Heidegger, Virginia Woolf, Cormac McCarthy, Sigmund Freud, James Joyce, Franz Kafka, William Faulkner, and even Albert Einstein, who famously said: “Dostoevsky gives me more than any scientist. The Brothers Karamazov is the most wonderful book that I have ever laid my hands on.”

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Taking place during the Great Depression, The Grapes of Wrath is about a family of farmers from Oklahoma who get displaced due to the economic collapse and the changing ways of the agriculture industry. The family sets out for California in search of a brighter future, and the trials they face during this perilous road, along with thousands of other Oklahomans, shape the timeless story of The Grapes of Wrath. 

There are many biblical and religious allusions in the novel and the critique of economic inequality and social injustice is a thought-provoking study of systemic oppression. But what’s amazing about all of this is Steinbeck’s wonderful prose, which captures the resilience of the human spirit in a most hopeful way.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

A Tale of Two Cities is Charles Dickens at his best. Taking place in London and Paris at the height of the French Revolution, we follow the tale of Dr. Alexandre Manette, who has just been released from prison after 18 years of unjust confinement. He leaves France for England and is reunited with her daughter Lucie, whereupon the two attempt to build a new life. Meanwhile, we have two other characters in the form of Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, a French aristocrat and a self-destructive English lawyer, respectively, who both fall in love with Lucie.

Few works of fiction have managed to reach quite the same heights as A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. The author’s poetic prose, combined with themes of sacrifice and redemption, has turned this into one of the best-selling novels in history.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Taking place in the segregated American South in the 1930s, To Kill a Mockingbird follows Jean Louise Finch and her father, Atticus Finch, an honorable lawyer, who takes on the case of a Black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. 

The unparalleled social commentary on racism and racial inequality has turned To Kill a Mockingbird into one of the most profound novels in history, but while the story deals with grave issues like race and sexual assault, the tenderness of this small cast of characters, especially Atticus Finch himself, and the stark contrast it draws with the rest of the community makes it a truly spectacular read.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Dorian Gray is a vain man, but his opinion of himself is further exaggerated when his friend Basil, who is in awe of Dorian’s beauty, draws a portrait of him. Through Basil, Dorian also comes in contact with Lord Henry Wotton, whose hedonistic worldview leaves an impression on Dorian. The main character, realizing that his beauty will one day fade, then wishes that he remain young forever while his portrait takes on the toll of his age. The wish is granted, and Dorian is enthralled by hedonism and moral corruption. He remains unchanged outwardly, but his portrait records every one of his sins.

A classic of Gothic literature, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde once again paints a vivid word picture of this most inherent struggle of humanity with time, age, and death.

Faust by Goethe

Faust isn’t just a character but a literary and storytelling tradition unto himself. This dramatic work by the greatest German writer and poet, Goethe, is told in two parts, dealing with how Faust, a successful yet disillusioned intellectual, sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for unlimited knowledge and worldly delights.

Faust remains a crowning achievement of Western literature and a work that, in time, has influenced dozens of other authors and hundreds of other stories and character studies. It doesn’t get any more intellectually intricate, lyrically beautiful, or symbolically rich than Goethe’s Faust.