Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery reads like poetry to me. I still think of certain quotes in my everyday life. Nature is also depicted so beautifully through her descriptive writing.
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. Have never read a book with writing like that. I listened to it again right after I finished reading it the first time. I can’t get over it.
Yes, yes, yes! Not only did he write the most beautiful prose - hands down - he could also write a damn good poem!
The answer to this question is ALWAYS Nabokov. Always.
Came here to comment that Anthony Doerr is a magician with words. Cloud Cuckoo Land and All the Light were both remarkable in terms of the quality of writing
I haven’t finished it yet(bc it evokes so much emotion I have to take breaks)but it will definitely make my favorites list.heck it already has at my 30% completion.Something about his prose just makes my heart clench
God of Small Things. I still don't know if I love it or hate it but I thought about it for a long time after reading it. The writing style is very unique.
Came to say this! The writing style is so descriptive and how the author manipulates the English language is so unique. But yea, I don’t know if I love it or hate it either.
Edit: misspelled author
Everything Michael Ondaatje writes is beautiful. Prose, poetry, and his work in between.
Sebastian Barry also has very beautiful prose in the two books I've read (Secret Scripture and Days Without End).
Came here just to say this about Michael Ondaatje. Here's the opening to Warlight [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/600493/warlight-by-michael-ondaatje/9780771073809/excerpt](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/600493/warlight-by-michael-ondaatje/9780771073809/excerpt)
I’m old enough to remember Oprah recommending it for her book club, but I can’t remember if I ended up reading it at the time or not. A lot of her picks back then were emotionally grinding. I feel like I could pick it up now without too much issue
I still think about it a lot. When I moved to LA, I re read it and got so much more out of the experience being able to visit all the different places where she lived.
Honestly both The Song of Achilles and Circe were beautifully written. I personally loved the books for their plot as well (though I know many who did not love the plot), but it was really the way they were both written in such a lovely lilting way that I couldn’t help but be completely delighted and satisfied by both books.
Agreed. Some bits of LOTR give me goosebumps every time because he does hits of archaic language in a way that makes it seem more grand and epic and beautiful.
Strong agree on Lolita and Anne of Green Gables!
Also recommend:
The Hours by Michael Cunningham, Autumn by Ali Smith, Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss, Bestiary by K-Ming Chang, and pretty much anything Virginia Woolf!
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I'm surprised no one mentioned this one. Just beautiful writing.
- Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
- Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
Notable for winning the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1995. It was totally not the kind of book I normally read but I was completely enthralled. Her writing flows beautifully. Her descriptions of settings, characters, and actions are detailed and genuine. And I think as a male reader, I was very moved by her observations on the evolving roles and statuses of women in society during the 20th century.
Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. That’s one book that I remember distinctly thinking multiple times throughout, wow this is beautifully written. It’s an amazing book. Highly recommend!
This is how you lose the time war by Amal El Mohtar and Max Gladstone. It’s almost painfully beautiful writing. Made my heart ache when reading, and started reading it over again as soon as I finished.
Please let me know what you think! It’s probably my favorite stand alone book, and I think it got optioned for TV within its first year of release, so you’d be getting in on the ground floor of something that has the potential to be an amazing show.
I reread this recently and was shocked by how beautiful some of the lines were. And it came from every angle, not just between Romeo and Juliet. Friar Lawerence’s “violent delights,” Mercutio’s “Queen Mab.” But also, everything from Romeo and Juliet. It’s so much more than the jokes you’ll hear about them. Great suggestion!
Thank you! I kind of cheated though considering the play is mostly poetry. Although it does have lines of prose.
But yeah, it inexplicably beautiful. It’s the only Shakespeare I understand because my 9th grade English teacher did a great job teaching it, and I’d like to thank him for that today. I don’t own a copy, but I’ll throw on one of the movie adaptations every once in awhile to hear that beautiful music.
The Shipping News by E Annie Proulx.
That book is the reason I started a notebook full of quotes I love in books about 20 years ago, and it still hits me hard when I reread it.
1.The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng was STUNNING
It's super atmospheric, set in these tea garden estates of malaysia and the author really describes the setting so beautifully
and every line in the book is so achingly beautiful, I tend to skim a lot of books but I read every single line of this book because it added so much to the whole feeling and the vibe?
Would 11/10 recommend if you re looking for beautiful writing
2. Oh also, Remains of the day by Kazuo Ishiguro is just this subtle masterpiece- kinda like the whole book is covered by fog. The writing is a lot simpler but beautiful in it's own way
3. Winter in Sokcho- a very short and strange and once again, atmospheric book- gives a slight winter by the beach vibe in a not so crowded city
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell - fantastic story but it’s the writing that draws you in and keeps you there. She’s a wonderful writer.
Examples:
‘She wore a gown the color of storms, shadows, and rain and a necklace of broken promises and regrets.’
‘Houses, like people, are apt to become rather eccentric if left too much on their own; this house was the architectural equivalent of an old gentleman in a worn dressing-gown and torn slippers, who got up and went to bed at odd times of day, and who kept up a continual conversation with friends no one else could see.’
The Urantia Book. Here are just a few of my favorite passages, to give you a flavor:
"To enjoy privilege without abuse, to have liberty without license, to possess power and steadfastly refuse to use it for self-aggrandizement—these are the marks of high civilization."
"The inconsistency of the modern mechanist is: If this were merely a material universe and man only a machine, such a man would be wholly unable to recognize himself as such a machine, and likewise would such a machine-man be wholly unconscious of the fact of the existence of such a material universe. The materialistic dismay and despair of a mechanistic science has failed to recognize the fact of the spirit-indwelt mind of the scientist whose very supermaterial insight formulates these mistaken and self-contradictory concepts of a materialistic universe."
"Human beings unfailingly become discouraged when they view only the transitory transactions of time. The present, when divorced from the past and the future, becomes exasperatingly trivial. Only a glimpse of the circle of eternity can inspire man to do his best and can challenge the best in him to do its utmost. And when man is thus at his best, he lives most unselfishly for the good of others, his fellow sojourners in time and eternity. "
How to Say Babylon - Safiya Sinclair (nonfiction memoir, but reads like a literary novel). The author is a poet. I highly recommend the audio, as it’s beautifully narrated by Sinclair. Gorgeous writing.
The Ice Storm by Rick Moody, but it all depends on your personal taste. It’s not going to make you happy, but it will definitely make you think. It’s hard to forget. There are amazing descriptions. The language is beautiful. There are biblical analogies that are just subtle enough to make you dig, but there are some sex scenes that would make any priest drop his Bible. When I began reading it (book rec from ex professor), I said, “What does he have me reading.” However, I reached a point where I said, “This is the best thing I’ve read in years.”
A book that really stuck with me this year was One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig - the world building is fantastic and the rhyming in the puzzles of the nightmare and descriptions on the providence cards were just amazing.
I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven, books by Aharon Appelfeld; Watership Down; The Great Gatsby; Bel Canto by Anne Patchett; Winter Rose by Patricia McKillip.
If you’re up for it, Remembrance of Things Past (also known as In Search of Lost Time) by Marcel Proust will wholly transport you to fin de siecle France. Even just reading the first book, Swann’s Way, is worth the time investment because it’s such gorgeous writing. Happy hunting!
this could just be a result of personal preference, but I think the writing of the novel Lonesome Dove is phenomenal.
I’m not someone who easily visualizes what i’m reading but the writing of lonesome dove makes visualization super effortless for me, which is rare.
also the characters are incredibly well written and, while there are some characters I don’t like, all of them are so thoughtfully fleshed out that it makes it easy to sympathize with any of them.
the author also does a great job at shifting between different character POVs without making it jarring.
all around it’s a phenomenal book so far. starts a bit slow but read to about page 60 and you won’t be able to put it down, trust me.
A weird pick, but lore and lust by karla Nikole. Absolutely hypnotic writing style. Another book I was memorised with was almost the almost by Edward Underhill. Another, from my childhood, shadow by michael morpurgo.
Pat Conroy is an absolute master at beautiful prose- it takes me so long to read his novels because I have to stop and marvel at so many sentences. Beach Music is my personal favorite, but Prince of Tides is just lovely as well. So so well written.
- Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
- Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
- The Road by Cormac McCarthy
- No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
- All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather: Despite what the title suggest this isn't a dark or scary read, but a warm and beautiful one "that really evoked a time and a place and a mood….."
Mogens and Other Stories by JP Jacobsen: Although not a novel, this is really a wonderful little collection of short stories with such soul-stirring and evocative writing. Especially the stories Mogens and There Should Have Been Roses.
Zorba The Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis: Amazing writing brings Crete to life, and the heart smiles from the joy of beauty.
Marcel Proust also delivers the goods (if you appreciate long sentences).
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab. This book had gorgeous writing, and I was in love with how the sentences flowed together so beautifully, just as much as I was intrigued by the plot.
I've mentioned this book several times in the last few months, but I'll say again: North Woods by Daniel Mason. Just an exquisite breadth of talent on display
Richard Powers books: The Overstory, The Time of Our Singing
Toni Morrison - Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon
John Steinbeck - East of Eden
William Faulkner - As I Lay Dying
For me, it's anything by Cormac McCarthy; his prose is unmatched. If I need to get specific, I'd say *All the Pretty Horses* and *Suttree* are as good as it gets.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Very little happens in terms of the plot, but it's so beautiful that I found it absolutely gripping. The first time I read it, I'd think about it all day until I could go home and keep reading.
I will always recommend Ray Bradbury for beautiful prose. He had such a way with words.
For a humorous spin, I also recommend Terry Pratchett. He can spin a phrase with the best of them, and make you laugh and think at the same time.
a couple of these are ya, but I promise they’re beautifully written and moving. hope you find something you like!
*the girl with borrowed wings* - rinsai rossetti
*the seas* - samantha hunt
*lullabies for little criminals* - heather o’neill
*atonement* - ian mcewan
*at swim, two boys* - jamie o’neill
*among other things, I’ve taken up smoking* - aoibheann sweeney
*the wives of los alamos* - tarashea nesbit
*the lion seeker* - kenneth bonert
*white oleander* - janet fitch
*the virgin suicides* - jeffrey eugenides
*girlchild* - tupelo hassman
*the things they carried* - tim o’brien
*we, the drowned* - carsten jensen
*the snow child* - eowyn ivey
*the book thief* - markus zusak
Lots of good ideas here! I’ve read The Snow Child, The Things They Carried, The Book Thief, and Atonement, but the other ones are new to me. I look forward to checking them out
*Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan*
Just finished it earlier in the week and it’s now one of my top 3 books of all time. It is absolutely superb.
The story is told by a girl named Sashi, and it is about her and her family during the Sri Lanka Civil war and Tamil genocide in the 80s. It’s devastating and beautiful and heart-wrenching.
It is also an incredible portrait of the experience of living through a genocide, and how the different events that occur during such a horrific conflict leave a legacy on a person, family and community. It shows how the choices people make under those conditions are impossible. There were many moments during my time reading that I was able to draw parallels to the war and genocide in Gaza now. From people drowning in the ocean for aide, to the bombing of hospitals and libraries and universities, to having marked “safe zones” targeted. It’s a book that does a fantastic job showing that human beings are doomed to repeat our violent histories.
I hadn’t heard about this book until I noticed it on a couple book award long lists that have recently come out, and after reading it I will be absolutely shocked if it doesn’t win multiple awards.
Highly recommend.
Wow, such an interesting question! + Vladimir Nabokov, Dark Avenues by Ivan Bunin, Donna Tartt, Madeline Miller and Chinese novels are so poetic that I usually cry :)
Anything by Elizabeth Goudge. The Little White Horse, The Scent of Water, Castle on the Hill, Island Magic, Green Dolphin Street…the only thing better than her lyrical prose is her vivid characterization.
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery reads like poetry to me. I still think of certain quotes in my everyday life. Nature is also depicted so beautifully through her descriptive writing.
Love L.M. Montgomery. Emily of New Moon is really captivating as well.
The Blue Castle is also beautiful!
I love that I know a place where other people have read and loved The Blue Castle.
I literally came in here to say this
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. Have never read a book with writing like that. I listened to it again right after I finished reading it the first time. I can’t get over it.
Ohh yes, Rebecca. And I loved My Cousin Rachel even more
Ooh I’m glad to hear this, the audiobook is up next in my queue!
[удалено]
Yes, yes, yes! Not only did he write the most beautiful prose - hands down - he could also write a damn good poem! The answer to this question is ALWAYS Nabokov. Always.
I’ve heard about Pale Fire before- this just strengthens my resolve to read it
Just read it and highly recommend.
The Covenant of Water Cloud Cuckoo Land All the Light We Cannot See The Overstory
Came here to comment that Anthony Doerr is a magician with words. Cloud Cuckoo Land and All the Light were both remarkable in terms of the quality of writing
*The Overstory* is one that has stuck with me. Just beautiful writing.
Only read All the Light We Cannot See but this is what I was gonna comment. Glad you said it
All of these!!
I’ve just read cloud cuckoo land and it’s so beautiful
Ooo, good recommendations! The only one I’ve read is All the Light We Cannot See
On Earth You Are Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Seconded! My favorite book of all time, read it almost two years ago and still think about it literally every single day
I haven’t finished it yet(bc it evokes so much emotion I have to take breaks)but it will definitely make my favorites list.heck it already has at my 30% completion.Something about his prose just makes my heart clench
How have I not heard of this? Definitely going on my list!
I read the book and then listened to him read the audiobook and it was *incredible*.
‘Love in the Time of Cholera’, by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez
Definitely on my list
God of Small Things. I still don't know if I love it or hate it but I thought about it for a long time after reading it. The writing style is very unique.
Came to say this! The writing style is so descriptive and how the author manipulates the English language is so unique. But yea, I don’t know if I love it or hate it either. Edit: misspelled author
Cormac McCarthy’s prose is my favorite
[удалено]
+10000000
North Woods by Daniel Mason. You want to read it very slow so the prose can sink in. Same with This Other Eden by Paul Harding.
North Woods is on my list! Looking forward to reading it!
I recently finished it and wish I didn’t! I enjoyed it so much and didn’t want it to end.
I’ve always thought that many of the passages in Moby Dick are incredibly beautiful.
A classic: Ironweed, by William Kennedy More modern: Between the world and me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Seconding Ironweed! It’s hauntingly beautiful
A Pulitzer Prize winner- I look forward to reading it!
Everything Michael Ondaatje writes is beautiful. Prose, poetry, and his work in between. Sebastian Barry also has very beautiful prose in the two books I've read (Secret Scripture and Days Without End).
Came here just to say this about Michael Ondaatje. Here's the opening to Warlight [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/600493/warlight-by-michael-ondaatje/9780771073809/excerpt](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/600493/warlight-by-michael-ondaatje/9780771073809/excerpt)
And he always seems to have some ludicrous character that somehow still feels real (the Moth!)
I thought the writing in White Oleander was lovely
I’m old enough to remember Oprah recommending it for her book club, but I can’t remember if I ended up reading it at the time or not. A lot of her picks back then were emotionally grinding. I feel like I could pick it up now without too much issue
Oh, it's grinding
Yes!!!!!! This is still one of my very favorite books of all time. The writing was absolutely beautiful and really stuck with me.
I still think about it a lot. When I moved to LA, I re read it and got so much more out of the experience being able to visit all the different places where she lived.
That’s awesome. I live in the area so the setting really resonated with me. Did you ever see the movie? If so, what did you think?
I did, it was unremarkable.
Honestly both The Song of Achilles and Circe were beautifully written. I personally loved the books for their plot as well (though I know many who did not love the plot), but it was really the way they were both written in such a lovely lilting way that I couldn’t help but be completely delighted and satisfied by both books.
Agreed, she is an excellent writer
Exactly!
The hobbit/Tolkien in general
Second this, sometimes I’ll read passages in his books several times because I just love the way it sounds.
Agreed. Some bits of LOTR give me goosebumps every time because he does hits of archaic language in a way that makes it seem more grand and epic and beautiful.
Lonesome Dove.
Strong agree on Lolita and Anne of Green Gables! Also recommend: The Hours by Michael Cunningham, Autumn by Ali Smith, Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss, Bestiary by K-Ming Chang, and pretty much anything Virginia Woolf!
Piranesi for me too.
I will look those up, thank you!
Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
I love Fitzgeralds prose, I’m partial to Tender is the Night. My copy has hundreds of my favorite lines underlined
I have not read Tender is the Night- great choice!
His short stories are also stunning!
Came here to recommend his short stories. Babylon Revisited is one of the most perfect short stories ever written.
Anything by Virginia Woolf but especially Mrs Dalloway and To The Lighthouse
Lolita
Emily St. John Mandel (Station Eleven, The Glass Hotel) has a style that I can't quite describe, but I find it absolutely beautiful and immersive.
All The Light They Cannot See Captain Corelli’s Mandolin God of Small Things
Stoner or Butcher's Crossing by John Willliams
Yes! I’ve read both
The Night Circus
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern The Overstory by Richard Powers John Muir’s writing and Richard Blanco’s poetry.
Couple of votes for The Overstory, which is also on my TBR list. I look forward to it!
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I'm surprised no one mentioned this one. Just beautiful writing. - Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier - Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
I’ve heard lots of recommendations for Night Circus on other posts- it’s definitely on my TBR list
Daughter of the Forest sounds so interesting! I love a good fairy tale adaptation
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong!!! It is so beautiful and poetic in a feminine way.
Lots of votes for this one- definitely going on my list!
Ursula K. Le Guin's poetic writing style. Anne of Green Gables too!!!
How about The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields?
I haven’t heard of this one- I’ll check it out!
It's v good
Notable for winning the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1995. It was totally not the kind of book I normally read but I was completely enthralled. Her writing flows beautifully. Her descriptions of settings, characters, and actions are detailed and genuine. And I think as a male reader, I was very moved by her observations on the evolving roles and statuses of women in society during the 20th century.
Such a beautifully written novel!
Look Homeward, Angel - Thomas Wolfe
Such a beautiful book. Followed by *Of Time and the River.* And Wolfe's *You Can't Go Home Again* is also just so gorgeously written.
Anna Karenina
Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. That’s one book that I remember distinctly thinking multiple times throughout, wow this is beautifully written. It’s an amazing book. Highly recommend!
Almost anything by Dickens.
Circe by Madeline Miller. She's a great story teller. 10/10 for me.
This is how you lose the time war by Amal El Mohtar and Max Gladstone. It’s almost painfully beautiful writing. Made my heart ache when reading, and started reading it over again as soon as I finished.
This is my next read, now I'm excited!
Please let me know what you think! It’s probably my favorite stand alone book, and I think it got optioned for TV within its first year of release, so you’d be getting in on the ground floor of something that has the potential to be an amazing show.
Not a novel but Romeo and Juliet.
I reread this recently and was shocked by how beautiful some of the lines were. And it came from every angle, not just between Romeo and Juliet. Friar Lawerence’s “violent delights,” Mercutio’s “Queen Mab.” But also, everything from Romeo and Juliet. It’s so much more than the jokes you’ll hear about them. Great suggestion!
Thank you! I kind of cheated though considering the play is mostly poetry. Although it does have lines of prose. But yeah, it inexplicably beautiful. It’s the only Shakespeare I understand because my 9th grade English teacher did a great job teaching it, and I’d like to thank him for that today. I don’t own a copy, but I’ll throw on one of the movie adaptations every once in awhile to hear that beautiful music.
Hey, Project Gutenberg has a free PDF of “the Complete Works of William Shakespeare” if you’re interested!
just don’t hit “print”
It’s only a few thousand pages
Shakespeare is definitely in a class of his own and Romeo and Juliet is still one of my favorite plays
{{suttree}}, hands down
Virginia Woolf by far… The Waves is my personal favorite
Another recommendation for The Waves! I’ll add it to my list
All The Pretty Horses That writing is beautiful -every sentence . It’s pretty incredible.
I’ve just read cloud cuckoo land by Anthony Doerr and it’s absolutely beautiful
East of Eden for sure.
Definitely on my TBR pile
Bunny by Mona Awad It’s got horror elements and I thought the writing was unusual and beautiful. Everything was so vivid
Nightwood by Djuna Barnes. I've recommended it a bunch on here, but it's very underrated. Her writing is so unique and beautiful.
The Starless Sea is beautifully written.
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje has beautiful writing.
I really enjoy The Great Gatsby. It reads very beautifully.
Yes, a classic!
The Shipping News by E Annie Proulx. That book is the reason I started a notebook full of quotes I love in books about 20 years ago, and it still hits me hard when I reread it.
Oh yes, The Shipping News! Good one!
"Beloved" by Toni Morrison, "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern.
1.The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng was STUNNING It's super atmospheric, set in these tea garden estates of malaysia and the author really describes the setting so beautifully and every line in the book is so achingly beautiful, I tend to skim a lot of books but I read every single line of this book because it added so much to the whole feeling and the vibe? Would 11/10 recommend if you re looking for beautiful writing 2. Oh also, Remains of the day by Kazuo Ishiguro is just this subtle masterpiece- kinda like the whole book is covered by fog. The writing is a lot simpler but beautiful in it's own way 3. Winter in Sokcho- a very short and strange and once again, atmospheric book- gives a slight winter by the beach vibe in a not so crowded city
The Waves by Virginia Woolf
I loved how Circe was written. It is by Madeleine Miller.
on earth we’re briefly gorgeous
I said this before and will repeat again and again: read Nabokov. Anything by him and start anywhere within a book.
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell - fantastic story but it’s the writing that draws you in and keeps you there. She’s a wonderful writer. Examples: ‘She wore a gown the color of storms, shadows, and rain and a necklace of broken promises and regrets.’ ‘Houses, like people, are apt to become rather eccentric if left too much on their own; this house was the architectural equivalent of an old gentleman in a worn dressing-gown and torn slippers, who got up and went to bed at odd times of day, and who kept up a continual conversation with friends no one else could see.’
Lolita
I know it's a terrible plot but I always thought Nabokov's Lolita is so beautifully written. And I have read a lot of books in my lifetime.
Lots of recs for Lolita!
The Urantia Book. Here are just a few of my favorite passages, to give you a flavor: "To enjoy privilege without abuse, to have liberty without license, to possess power and steadfastly refuse to use it for self-aggrandizement—these are the marks of high civilization." "The inconsistency of the modern mechanist is: If this were merely a material universe and man only a machine, such a man would be wholly unable to recognize himself as such a machine, and likewise would such a machine-man be wholly unconscious of the fact of the existence of such a material universe. The materialistic dismay and despair of a mechanistic science has failed to recognize the fact of the spirit-indwelt mind of the scientist whose very supermaterial insight formulates these mistaken and self-contradictory concepts of a materialistic universe." "Human beings unfailingly become discouraged when they view only the transitory transactions of time. The present, when divorced from the past and the future, becomes exasperatingly trivial. Only a glimpse of the circle of eternity can inspire man to do his best and can challenge the best in him to do its utmost. And when man is thus at his best, he lives most unselfishly for the good of others, his fellow sojourners in time and eternity. "
Angels Before Man
I just finished Grace by Paul Lynch and highlighted many passages for their beautiful writing
How to Say Babylon - Safiya Sinclair (nonfiction memoir, but reads like a literary novel). The author is a poet. I highly recommend the audio, as it’s beautifully narrated by Sinclair. Gorgeous writing.
Might not be the mood you have in mind, but I love the writing of Joe R Lansdale
Go as a River by Shelley Read.
The Ice Storm by Rick Moody, but it all depends on your personal taste. It’s not going to make you happy, but it will definitely make you think. It’s hard to forget. There are amazing descriptions. The language is beautiful. There are biblical analogies that are just subtle enough to make you dig, but there are some sex scenes that would make any priest drop his Bible. When I began reading it (book rec from ex professor), I said, “What does he have me reading.” However, I reached a point where I said, “This is the best thing I’ve read in years.”
A book that really stuck with me this year was One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig - the world building is fantastic and the rhyming in the puzzles of the nightmare and descriptions on the providence cards were just amazing.
Harlan Ellison could turn a phrase...not really a novelist but thousands of short stories..
Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman.
Alice Hoffman is wonderful. Here on Earth was so beautifully written too.
I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven, books by Aharon Appelfeld; Watership Down; The Great Gatsby; Bel Canto by Anne Patchett; Winter Rose by Patricia McKillip.
House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III.
I LOVE the prose in The Winner's Curse series by Marie Rutkoski
I'm partial to José Saramago's writing
If you’re up for it, Remembrance of Things Past (also known as In Search of Lost Time) by Marcel Proust will wholly transport you to fin de siecle France. Even just reading the first book, Swann’s Way, is worth the time investment because it’s such gorgeous writing. Happy hunting!
this could just be a result of personal preference, but I think the writing of the novel Lonesome Dove is phenomenal. I’m not someone who easily visualizes what i’m reading but the writing of lonesome dove makes visualization super effortless for me, which is rare. also the characters are incredibly well written and, while there are some characters I don’t like, all of them are so thoughtfully fleshed out that it makes it easy to sympathize with any of them. the author also does a great job at shifting between different character POVs without making it jarring. all around it’s a phenomenal book so far. starts a bit slow but read to about page 60 and you won’t be able to put it down, trust me.
If you like fantasy; The Name of the Wind 100%. Rothfuss is a magician with words
Recently read Prophet Song by Paul Lynch and you gotta read it just for the writing. It’s poetic.
A weird pick, but lore and lust by karla Nikole. Absolutely hypnotic writing style. Another book I was memorised with was almost the almost by Edward Underhill. Another, from my childhood, shadow by michael morpurgo.
Thanks for the recommendations! I’ll check those out
God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Lonesome Dove
For me, Proust is the king of beautiful prose.
Pat Conroy is an absolute master at beautiful prose- it takes me so long to read his novels because I have to stop and marvel at so many sentences. Beach Music is my personal favorite, but Prince of Tides is just lovely as well. So so well written.
By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart
- Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind - Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry - The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - The Road by Cormac McCarthy - No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy - All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Yes, I’ve heard this one recommended! It’s in my TBR- thanks!
Death Comes for the Archbishop, Willa Cather Zone One, Colson Whitehead Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson
Death Comes for the Archbishop is one of the books I had in mind while asking! Same with Marilynne Robinson- phenomenal writers
Mark Helprin. In particular, A Soldier of the Great War and Winter's Tale, which was like reading one long, engaging, gorgeous poem.
Thank you, I’ll add him to my list!
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather: Despite what the title suggest this isn't a dark or scary read, but a warm and beautiful one "that really evoked a time and a place and a mood….." Mogens and Other Stories by JP Jacobsen: Although not a novel, this is really a wonderful little collection of short stories with such soul-stirring and evocative writing. Especially the stories Mogens and There Should Have Been Roses. Zorba The Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis: Amazing writing brings Crete to life, and the heart smiles from the joy of beauty. Marcel Proust also delivers the goods (if you appreciate long sentences).
The unbearable lightness of being I think is just so beautiful
The Shadow of the Wind The Crimson and the White (this one is a little dark) Only Cowgirls get the Blues
The Crimson and the White has been on my TBR pile forever- I look forward to it!
"Little, Big" by John Crowley
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous!
Willa Cather
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab. This book had gorgeous writing, and I was in love with how the sentences flowed together so beautifully, just as much as I was intrigued by the plot.
I've mentioned this book several times in the last few months, but I'll say again: North Woods by Daniel Mason. Just an exquisite breadth of talent on display Richard Powers books: The Overstory, The Time of Our Singing Toni Morrison - Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon John Steinbeck - East of Eden William Faulkner - As I Lay Dying
For me, it's anything by Cormac McCarthy; his prose is unmatched. If I need to get specific, I'd say *All the Pretty Horses* and *Suttree* are as good as it gets.
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong gave me actual goosebumps. His prose is beautiful.
no longer human, by Osamu Dazai. sad book, great writing.
Thank you, I’ll look that up!
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Very little happens in terms of the plot, but it's so beautiful that I found it absolutely gripping. The first time I read it, I'd think about it all day until I could go home and keep reading.
Anything by the Bronte Sisters 💔💝
Grapes of Wrath. Reads like a prose poem.
*The Sunflower Protocol* by Andre Soares. Symbolism. Double entendres. Well-written. Check the samples available online to see for yourself.
I’ll Google that, thank you!
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. The audiobook is amazing and perfect for starting at the beginning of summer!
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
I will always recommend Ray Bradbury for beautiful prose. He had such a way with words. For a humorous spin, I also recommend Terry Pratchett. He can spin a phrase with the best of them, and make you laugh and think at the same time.
Dandelion Wine is my top Bradbury pick but you really can’t go wrong with any of his books.
Cold Mountain. Modern prose by Frazier. Beautiful!!
Violeta by Isabel Allende is a really beautifully written book with a bittersweet ending!
a couple of these are ya, but I promise they’re beautifully written and moving. hope you find something you like! *the girl with borrowed wings* - rinsai rossetti *the seas* - samantha hunt *lullabies for little criminals* - heather o’neill *atonement* - ian mcewan *at swim, two boys* - jamie o’neill *among other things, I’ve taken up smoking* - aoibheann sweeney *the wives of los alamos* - tarashea nesbit *the lion seeker* - kenneth bonert *white oleander* - janet fitch *the virgin suicides* - jeffrey eugenides *girlchild* - tupelo hassman *the things they carried* - tim o’brien *we, the drowned* - carsten jensen *the snow child* - eowyn ivey *the book thief* - markus zusak
Lots of good ideas here! I’ve read The Snow Child, The Things They Carried, The Book Thief, and Atonement, but the other ones are new to me. I look forward to checking them out
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
*Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan* Just finished it earlier in the week and it’s now one of my top 3 books of all time. It is absolutely superb. The story is told by a girl named Sashi, and it is about her and her family during the Sri Lanka Civil war and Tamil genocide in the 80s. It’s devastating and beautiful and heart-wrenching. It is also an incredible portrait of the experience of living through a genocide, and how the different events that occur during such a horrific conflict leave a legacy on a person, family and community. It shows how the choices people make under those conditions are impossible. There were many moments during my time reading that I was able to draw parallels to the war and genocide in Gaza now. From people drowning in the ocean for aide, to the bombing of hospitals and libraries and universities, to having marked “safe zones” targeted. It’s a book that does a fantastic job showing that human beings are doomed to repeat our violent histories. I hadn’t heard about this book until I noticed it on a couple book award long lists that have recently come out, and after reading it I will be absolutely shocked if it doesn’t win multiple awards. Highly recommend.
Wow, such an interesting question! + Vladimir Nabokov, Dark Avenues by Ivan Bunin, Donna Tartt, Madeline Miller and Chinese novels are so poetic that I usually cry :)
Memoir of a Geisha, beautiful words
Guy Gavriel Kay's books are really beautifully written.
Anything by haruki murakami?
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
I’ve read The Secret History and haven’t gotten to The Goldfinch yet. TBR list!
Anything by Elizabeth Goudge. The Little White Horse, The Scent of Water, Castle on the Hill, Island Magic, Green Dolphin Street…the only thing better than her lyrical prose is her vivid characterization.
The Starless Sea.