The Greatest Books of All Time on Self Reflection

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This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 743 '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
74 Essays Michel de Montaigne 1580 French French
273 The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau 1782 French French
795 The Fall Albert Camus 1956 French French
836 Second Thoughts Michel Butor 1957 French French
1138 The Unquiet Grave Cyril Connolly 1944 British English
1167 The Diaries Franz Kafka 1948 Czech German
1393 The Business of Living Cesare Pavese 1952 Italian Italian
1531 Dreamtigers Jorge Luis Borges 1960 Argentinian Spanish
2365 The Crack-Up F. Scott Fitzgerald 1945 American English
2777 Mist Miguel de Unamuno 1914 Spanish English
3216 Ecce Homo Friedrich Nietzsche 1908 German German
3318 Reveries of a Solitary Walker Jean-Jacques Rousseau 1782 French French
4139 Krapp's Last Tape Samuel Beckett 1958 Irish English
4410 Diary Witold Gombrowicz 1986 Polish Polish
4622 De Profundis Oscar Wilde 1905 British English
5586 Poetry And Truth From My Own Life Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 2004 German English
5622 Ego Monster Sayd Bahodine Majrouh 1985 Afghan French
5924 Look At Me Now And Here I Am Gertrude Stein 1967 American Unknown
6247 Moments Of Being Virginia Woolf 1976 British English
6421 La Jeune Parque Paul Valéry 1917 French French
6505 Ghost Image Hervé Guibert 1981 French French
7109 127 Hours Aaron Ralston 2004 American English
7199 The Red Notebook Benjamin Constant 1804 French French
7199 The Blue Octavo Notebook Franz Kafka 1935 Czech German
7667 Sophie Calle Sophie Calle 1994 French French
9173 How To Slowly Kill Yourself And Others In America Kiese Laymon 2013 American English
9486 False Years Josefina Vicens 1964 Mexican Unknown
9528 Straw For The Fire Theodore Roethke 1972 American English
10166 Winter Journal Paul Auster 2012 American English
11361 Always Astonished Fernando Pessoa 1988 Portuguese Portuguese
14165 Journal Of A Solitude May Sarton 1973 American English
14691 Monsieur Teste Paul Valéry 1896 French French
14860 Double Or Nothing Raymond Federman 1971 American English
16393 The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold Evelyn Waugh 1957 British English
15787 Amiel's Journal Henri-Frédéric Amiel 1883 Swiss French
16458 The Wisdom Of Life And Counsels And Maxims Arthur Schopenhauer 1851 German German
17010 Violet Bent Backwards Over The Grass Lana Del Rey 2020 American English
17010 How Proust Can Change Your Life Alain de Botton 1997 British English
17010 The Art Of The Personal Essay Phillip Lopate 1994 American English
17010 Confessions Of A Philosopher Bryan Magee 1997 British English
17010 Mirror, Mirror On The Wall Stanley Ellin 1972 American English
17010 I’m A Fan Sheena Patel 2023 Unknown English
17010 Skip To The Fun Parts Dana Jeri Maier 2023 Unknown English
17010 The Guest Lecture Martin Riker 2023 Unknown English
17010 The Best Of Me David Sedaris 2020 American English
17010 The Fifth Agreement Don Miguel Ruiz 2010 Mexican English
17010 A Memoir Of My Former Self Hilary Mantel 2023 British English
17010 Eine Leidenschaft Annie Ernaux Unknown French