The Greatest Belgian Books of All Time

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This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 759 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed books. For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details can be found on the rankings page.

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Rank Book Authors Year Country Language Actions
775 Cheese Willem Elsschot 1933 Belgian Dutch
872 Pallieter Felix Timmermans 1916 Belgian Dutch
1120 The Sorrow of Belgium Hugo Claus 1983 Belgian Dutch
1511 The Strange Case of Peter the Lett Georges Simenon 1931 Belgian French
1866 The Lion of Flanders Hendrik Conscience 1838 Belgian Dutch
1980 Chapel Road Louis-Paul Boon 1953 Belgian Dutch
2096 Elias, Or The Fight With The Nightingales Maurice Gilliams 1936 Belgian Dutch
2129 Houtekiet Gerard Walschap 1939 Belgian Dutch
2129 Will O' The Wisp Willem Elsschot 1947 Belgian Dutch
2180 The Oostakker Poems Hugo Claus 1955 Belgian Dutch
2782 The Legend Of Thyl Ulenspiegel And Lamme Goedzak Charles de Coster 1867 Belgian French
2794 Soft Soap Willem Elsschot 1931 Belgian Dutch
2825 The Leg Willem Elsschot 1946 Belgian Dutch
2910 Villa Des Roses Willem Elsschot 1913 Belgian Dutch
2921 Maigret And The Headless Corpse Georges Simenon 1955 Belgian French
3022 The Madman Of Bergerac Georges Simenon 1932 Belgian French
3035 The Crab With The Golden Claws Hergé 1941 Belgian French
3068 Tintin In Tibet Hergé 1960 Belgian French
3157 The Castafiore Emerald Hergé 1963 Belgian French
3410 The deadbeats Ward Ruyslinck 1957 Belgian Dutch
3611 The Blue Lotus Hergé 1936 Belgian French
3638 The Life of the Bee Maurice Maeterlinck 1901 Belgian French
3638 Maigret And The Old Lady Georges Simenon 1950 Belgian French
4234 Occupied City Paul van Ostaijen 1921 Belgian Dutch
4289 On the Fabric of the Human Body Andreas Vesalius 1543 Belgian Latin
4435 Verzameld Werk: Poëzie Paul van Ostaijen 1955 Belgian Dutch
4446 Verzameld Werk Willem Elsschot 1957 Belgian Dutch
4475 Minuet Louis-Paul Boon 1955 Belgian Dutch
4627 Blue Bird Maurice Maeterlinck 1908 Belgian French
5013 Omtrent Deedee Hugo Claus 1963 Belgian Dutch
5449 The bells of Bicêtre Georges Simenon 1963 Belgian French
5702 Fear And Trembling Amélie Nothomb 1999 Belgian French
5724 Blake and Mortimer Edgar P. Jacobs 1946 Belgian French
5974 The Man Who Watched The Trains Go By Georges Simenon 1938 Belgian French
6007 Les Métamorphoses Du Cercle Georges Poulet 1961 Belgian French
6107 Rijmsnoer Om En Om Het Jaar Guido Gezelle 1897 Belgian Dutch
6107 Het Vader Huis Karel van de Woestijne 1903 Belgian Dutch
6107 Tantes Cyriel Buysse 1924 Belgian Dutch
6107 Het Leven En De Dood In Den Ast Stijn Streuvels 1926 Belgian Dutch
6107 Nagelaten Gedichten Paul van Ostaijen 1928 Belgian Dutch
6107 Het Boek Alfa Ivo Michiels 1963 Belgian Dutch
6175 Ludo Conrad Detrez 1974 Belgian French
7123 Margot en de engelen Kristien Hemmerechts 1997 Belgian Dutch
7767 Mating In Captivity Esther Perel 2006 Belgian English
7821 On The Track Of Unknown Animals Bernard Heuvelmans 1955 Belgian French
8598 The Adventures Of Tintin Hergé 1929 Belgian French
8655 Three Days With My Mother François Weyergans 2005 Belgian French
9324 Red Lights Georges Simenon 1953 Belgian French
10873 Tokyo Fiancée Amélie Nothomb 2007 Belgian French
11226 Malpertuis Jean Ray 1943 Belgian French
11366 La Patrie Empaillée Jacques Izoard Belgian French
11579 Dirty Snow Georges Simenon 1948 Belgian French
11663 War And Turpentine Stefan Hertmans 2013 Belgian Dutch
11857 Mahmoud Ou La Montée Des Eaux Antoine Wauters 2021 Belgian French
12016 Hygiene And The Assassin Amélie Nothomb 1992 Belgian French
12050 Omega Minor Paul Verhaeghen 2004 Belgian Dutch
12050 The Death Of Napoleon Simon Leys 1986 Belgian French
13601 Faux Passeports Charles Plisnier 1937 Belgian French
13601 Saint Germain Ou La Négociation Francis Walder 1958 Belgian French
14105 The Character Of Rain Amélie Nothomb 2000 Belgian French
14986 I Who Have Never Known Men Jacqueline Harpman 1995 Belgian French
15735 Passionate Journey Frans Masereel 1919 Belgian German
15922 Atlas Gerardus Mercator 1595 Belgian Latin
15922 Maigret And The Man On The Boulevard Georges Simenon 1953 Belgian French
15922 La Femme De Gilles Madeleine Bourdouxhe 1937 Belgian French
15922 The Engagement Georges Simenon 1933 Belgian French
15922 Medieval Cities Henri Pirenne 1925 Belgian French
16705 De Witte Ernest Claes 1920 Belgian Dutch
17175 Giants And Heroes Dianne Tittle De Laet 1995 Belgian Unknown
17175 From Being To Becoming Ilya Prigogine 1980 Belgian English
17175 Maigret In Court Georges Simenon 1960 Belgian French
17175 Pitface Herman Brusselmans 1994 Belgian Dutch
17175 The Patience Of Maigret Georges Simenon 1965 Belgian French
17175 Congo David Van Reybrouck 2010 Belgian Dutch
17175 Chinese Shadows Simon Leys 1974 Belgian French
17175 Wonder Hugo Claus 1962 Belgian Dutch