The Best Southern Novels of All Time

This is one of the 759 lists we use to generate our main The Greatest Books list.

About this list

Oxford American, 32 Books

A list of the best southern novels of all time by Oxford American Magazine judged by 130 experts as well as authors.

This list was originally published in 2009 and was added to this site over 12 years ago.

View: List Grid Table

Cover of 'Absalom, Absalom!' by William Faulkner

Absalom, Absalom!

William Faulkner

Cover of 'All the King's Men' by Robert Penn Warren

All the King's Men

Robert Penn Warren

Cover of 'The Sound and the Fury' by William Faulkner

The Sound and the Fury

William Faulkner

Cover of 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' by Mark Twain

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Cover of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird

Cover of 'The Moviegoer' by Walker Percy

The Moviegoer

Cover of 'As I Lay Dying' by William Faulkner

As I Lay Dying

William Faulkner

Cover of 'Invisible Man' by Ralph Ellison

Invisible Man

Cover of 'Wise Blood' by Flannery O'Connor

Wise Blood

Flannery O'Connor

Cover of 'Their Eyes Were Watching God' by Zora Neale Hurston

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora Neale Hurston

Cover of 'The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter' by Carson McCullers

The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter

Carson McCullers

Cover of 'A Confederacy of Dunces' by John Kennedy Toole

A Confederacy of Dunces

John Kennedy Toole

Cover of 'Light in August' by William Faulkner

Light in August

William Faulkner

Cover of 'A Death in the Family' by James Agee

A Death in the Family

Cover of 'Look Homeward, Angel' by Thomas Wolfe

Look Homeward, Angel

Cover of 'Beloved' by Toni Morrison

Beloved

Cover of 'The Awakening' by Kate Chopin

The Awakening

Cover of 'The Color Purple' by Alice Walker

The Color Purple

Cover of 'Native Son' by Richard Wright

Native Son

Cover of 'The Optimist's Daughter' by Eudora Welty

The Optimist's Daughter

Cover of 'Suttree' by Cormac McCarthy

Suttree

Cormac McCarthy

Cover of 'Go Down, Moses' by William Faulkner

Go Down, Moses

William Faulkner

Cover of 'Gone With the Wind' by Margaret Mitchell

Gone With the Wind

Margaret Mitchell

Cover of 'The Golden Apples' by Eudora Welty

The Golden Apples

Cover of 'Cane' by Jean Toomer

Cane

Cover of 'The Known World' by Edward P. Jones

The Known World

Edward P. Jones

Cover of 'Blood Meridian' by Cormac McCarthy

Blood Meridian

Cormac McCarthy

Cover of 'Deliverance' by James Dickey

Deliverance

Cover of 'The Last Gentleman' by Walker Percy

The Last Gentleman

Cover of 'A Lesson Before Dying' by Ernest J. Gaines

A Lesson Before Dying

Ernest J. Gaines

Cover of 'Bastard Out of Carolina' by Dorothy Allison

Bastard Out of Carolina

Dorothy Allison

Cover of 'The Confessions of Nat Turner' by William Styron

The Confessions of Nat Turner