This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

1. 1. Long Day's Journey Into Night

   

   "Long Day's Journey Into Night" is a semi-autobiographical play that explores the complex dynamics of a family tormented by addiction and regret. The narrative follows the Tyrone family, composed of two parents and their two adult sons, over the course of a single day. As the day progresses, the family members engage in soul-baring conversations that reveal their individual struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, their deep-seated resentments, and the love that binds them together despite their flaws. The play is a poignant examination of the human condition, familial bonds, and the destructive power of addiction.

   The 1305th Greatest Book of All Time

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2. 2. Mourning Becomes Electra

   A Trilogy

   

   "Mourning Becomes Electra" is a trilogy of plays that retells the Oresteia story of the House of Atreus in a modern American setting. The narrative explores the themes of revenge, obsession, and guilt within the Mannon family, who are haunted by a dark, cursed past. The plot follows the aftermath of the American Civil War, with the characters struggling to escape their tragic fate, ultimately leading to their downfall.

   The 2088th Greatest Book of All Time

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3. 3. The Iceman Cometh

   

   "The Iceman Cometh" is a play set in a New York City bar in 1912, featuring a group of down-and-out alcoholics who spend their days in a state of drunken stupor, telling tall tales and dreaming of better futures. The arrival of a former patron, now sober, disrupts their routine as he insists on forcing them to face the harsh realities of their lives and abandon their delusions. The play is a poignant exploration of despair, disillusionment, and the human capacity for self-deception.

   The 2251st Greatest Book of All Time

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4. 4. Desire Under The Elms

   

   This play is a tragic tale set on a New England farm, exploring themes of passion, family conflict, and the destructive power of desire. The narrative centers around an aging father, his young wife, and his son from a previous marriage. The complex relationships between these characters are strained further by issues of inheritance and the son's romantic feelings towards his father's new wife. As jealousy and desires escalate, the characters are driven to extreme actions, leading to a devastating conclusion. The work delves deep into the human psyche, examining the dark and often destructive nature of desire and the consequences of pursuing one's deepest wants at the expense of others.

   The 4416th Greatest Book of All Time

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5. 5. The Complete Plays Of Eugene O'neill

   

   This collection encompasses the full range of Eugene O'Neill's dramatic works, showcasing his profound exploration of human emotions and societal issues. Through a diverse array of plays, O'Neill delves into themes such as family dynamics, personal despair, and the pursuit of identity, often set against the backdrop of early 20th-century America. His characters grapple with existential dilemmas and the complexities of their inner lives, reflecting O'Neill's innovative use of expressionistic techniques and deep psychological insight. The compilation highlights his evolution as a playwright, from his early one-act plays to his later, more complex masterpieces, cementing his legacy as a pivotal figure in American theater.

   The 7177th Greatest Book of All Time

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6. 6. Lazarus Laughed

   A Play for Imaginative Theatre

   

   "Lazarus Laughed" is a play that explores the transformation of Lazarus after being raised from the dead by Jesus Christ. Rather than focusing on the miracle itself, the narrative delves into the profound psychological and spiritual change within Lazarus, who emerges from the tomb with an unshakable peace and a contagious laughter, signifying his transcendence over the fear of death. As he shares his newfound enlightenment with those around him, he faces both admiration and opposition, challenging the societal norms and religious dogmas of his time. The play is a philosophical meditation on the meaning of life and death, the power of joy, and the potential for human beings to live free from the paralyzing grip of fear.

   The 7201st Greatest Book of All Time

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7. 7. Strange Interlude

   

   "Strange Interlude" is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play that delves into the complex inner lives and psychological struggles of its characters over a span of several decades. The narrative revolves around Nina Leeds, a woman haunted by her father's oppressive influence and her lover's death in World War I. As she seeks solace in various relationships, including a troubled marriage and an affair, the play employs unconventional techniques such as soliloquies and asides to reveal the characters' private thoughts and motivations. This exploration of themes such as mental illness, infidelity, and the search for meaning in the interwar period showcases the characters' intricate emotional landscapes and the societal pressures they navigate.

   The 14884th Greatest Book of All Time

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8. 8. Early Plays

   The Complete Works of Eugene O'Neill, Volume I

   

   "Early Plays" is a collection of three one-act plays that delve into the human condition through the lens of maritime life and the struggles of working-class individuals. The plays, "Bound East for Cardiff," "In the Zone," and "The Long Voyage Home," explore themes of isolation, camaraderie, and existential despair as sailors confront their fears, dreams, and the harsh realities of life at sea. Through vivid characterizations and poignant dialogue, the collection captures the raw and often bleak essence of early 20th-century seafaring life.

   The 15595th Greatest Book of All Time

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9. 9. Three Plays Of Eugene O'neill Desire Under The Elms, Strange Interlude, Mourning Becomes Electra

   

   This collection features three of Eugene O'Neill's most compelling plays, each exploring complex themes of desire, identity, and familial conflict. "Desire Under the Elms" delves into the destructive power of greed and forbidden love within a rural family. "Strange Interlude" presents a psychological exploration of a woman's life and relationships, revealing the inner thoughts and struggles of its characters. "Mourning Becomes Electra" reimagines the Oresteia in a post-Civil War American setting, examining themes of revenge, fate, and the inescapable influence of the past on the present. Together, these plays showcase O'Neill's mastery of dramatic tension and his deep understanding of human nature.
10. 10. Anna Christie / The Emperor Jones / The Hairy Ape

    

    This collection of plays by Eugene O'Neill explores themes of identity, isolation, and the human struggle against societal and internal forces. "Anna Christie" follows the reunion of a troubled father and daughter, delving into themes of redemption and the harsh realities of life at sea. "The Emperor Jones" presents the psychological unraveling of a self-proclaimed emperor on a Caribbean island, highlighting issues of power, race, and guilt. "The Hairy Ape" examines the alienation of a ship's stoker in an industrialized world, reflecting on class conflict and the search for belonging. Each play offers a profound exploration of the human condition through complex characters and intense emotional narratives.

11. 11. A Moon For The Misbegotten

    

    Set in a dilapidated Connecticut farmhouse in the 1920s, this poignant drama unfolds over the course of two days, exploring themes of love, redemption, and the human condition. The story revolves around Josie Hogan, a strong-willed and sharp-tongued woman, and her complex relationship with James Tyrone Jr., a disillusioned and self-destructive actor. As they confront their personal demons and vulnerabilities, the play delves into the depths of their souls, revealing the raw and tender emotions that bind them together. Through their interactions, the narrative paints a vivid picture of longing, regret, and the fleeting nature of hope.

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12. 12. More Stately Mansions

    

    Set among America’s wealthy elite at the turn of the century, the play traces a bitter domestic power struggle driven by ambition, jealousy and the pursuit of social position. An intense triangle of love, rivalry and manipulation exposes the moral emptiness beneath polished facades, showing how greed and possessiveness corrode family bonds and lead to emotional ruin.

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13. 13. A Touch Of The Poet

    

    Set in a New England town in the early 19th century, the drama follows an aging Irish immigrant whose bluster, vanity and self-mythologizing about aristocratic past collide with the harsh realities of his family’s decline and a society that will not indulge his pretensions; his stubborn pride and clinging to illusion spark personal humiliation, conflict and tragic consequences, offering a meditation on identity, disillusionment and the gap between romantic dreams and American social life.

14. 14. Days Without End

    

    An Irish immigrant narrates his life in mid-19th-century America, tracing the tender and fraught relationship he forms with a companion as they endure frontier hardship, Indian fighting and the Civil War; the spare, lyrical account juxtaposes intimate love and loyalty with the brutality of war and displacement, exploring memory, identity and the costs of survival.

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15. 15. Ah, Wilderness!

    

    Set in a small New England town in the early 1900s, the play follows teenage Richard Miller as he navigates first love, literary idealism, and a brief youthful rebellion that culminates in a drunken July Fourth escapade. Against the backdrop of a warm, boisterous middle-class household, family tensions and moral anxieties surface but are met with humor, compassion, and ultimately reconciliation as Richard matures into a more grounded view of life.

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16. 16. Complete Plays, 1920–1931

    

    A collected volume of powerful early 20th-century dramas that probe family conflict, identity, guilt, and the human urge for redemption. Ranging from intimate domestic tragedies to expressionistic and experimental works, the plays combine naturalistic dialogue, bold stagecraft, and interior monologues to explore ambition, racial and social tensions, psychological trauma, and existential despair, marking a major transformation in modern American theatre.

17. 17. Dynamo

    

18. 18. The Great God Brown & Lazarus Laughed

    

    One play is a dark psychological drama about two men who adopt public masks to hide their true selves, entangling them in a destructive struggle over love, identity and the cost of self-deception; the other is a poetic, quasi‑biblical parable about a man raised from death whose liberating, ironic laughter exposes societal hypocrisy and spiritual blindness and leads to martyrdom — together they probe identity, illusion, redemption and the painful demands of inner truth.

19. 19. Marco Millions

    

    Set between contemporary San Francisco and a lavish, dreamlike re-creation of Marco Polo’s travels, the play follows a brash California millionaire whose wealth and ambitions are tested when he is swept into an extravagant fantasy that stages exotic adventures and moral trials; blending satire, spectacle, and poetic lyricism, it contrasts material success with spiritual yearning and examines the costs of ambition, the nature of heroism, and America’s romanticized view of the East.
20. 20. The Fountain

    

    The Fountain is a 2006 American epic science fiction romantic drama film written and directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. Blending elements of fantasy, history, spirituality, and science fiction, the film consists of three storylines involving immortality and the resulting loves lost, and one man's pursuit of avoiding this fate in this life or beyond it. Jackman and Weisz play sets of characters bonded by love across time and space: a conquistador and his ill-fated queen, a modern-day scientist and his cancer-stricken wife, and a traveler immersed in a universal journey alongside aspects of his lost love. The storylines—interwoven with use of match cuts and recurring visual motifs—reflect the themes and interplay of love and mortality. Aronofsky originally planned to direct The Fountain on a $70 million budget with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in the lead roles, but Pitt's withdrawal and cost overruns led Warner Bros. Pictures to shut it down. Aronofsky rewrote the script to be sparser, and was able to resurrect the film for $35 million with Jackman and Weisz in the lead roles. Principal photography began from November 2004 to February 2005, and mainly took place on a sound stage in Montreal, Quebec. Aronofsky used macro photography to create key visual effects for The Fountain at a low cost. The film was released theatrically in the United States and Canada on November 22, 2006. It was a box office bomb, only grossing $16.5 million worldwide against a production budget of $35 million, and received generally mixed reviews from critics, but it has gained a cult following since its release.