Hours at an average pace
Showing 80 books
About 585 hours for 78 of 80 books with measured lengths. Estimates use 250 words a minute, adjusted for each book's difficulty. At 2 hours a day, about 293 days for those books.
Voss is recognized as a cornerstone of Australian literature and a major work of postcolonial fiction. It consistently appears in scholarly discussions of antipodean identity, imperial mythology, and mid-century modernism. The novel has maintained critical attention since publication and is standard curriculum in Australian and Commonwealth literary studies.
After Randall Jarrell's landmark 1965 introduction rescued it from obscurity, the novel achieved masterpiece status, appearing on TIME's 100 Best English-language Novels 1923-2005. It remains continuously in print and features prominently in Women's Studies curricula. However, it lacks the universal recognition of Fitzgerald, Joyce, or Faulkner, occupying a tier below absolute canonical dominance despite critical consensus on its brilliance.
Winner of the Booker Prize in 1982, Schindler's Ark occupies an unusual position as both literary achievement and historical testimony. Its canonical status increased dramatically through Spielberg's 1993 film adaptation, making the story culturally ubiquitous. Critics debate whether its documentary method—Keneally calls it a novel but uses survivor interviews—places it in fiction or nonfiction canons.
Patrick White is Australia's only Nobel laureate in literature, and The Vivisector (1970) is considered one of his four or five major works. It appears on Australian literature syllabi and is included in surveys of postwar fiction, though it receives less broad teaching than Voss or The Tree of Man. The Nobel Prize (1973) substantially elevated all of White's work in the canonical record.
The Eye of the Storm appears on Australian literature syllabi regularly and in world literature courses focused on postcolonial or Commonwealth fiction, but it is not among the most-taught novels globally. Wikipedia coverage exists in only 5 languages, reflecting its reputation as a significant but not universally assigned work. It sits in the shadow of White's Voss and Riders in the Chariot in academic curricula, though it remains his most accomplished late novel according to many critics.
Widely taught in Australian literature courses and postcolonial studies programs as a major work of contemporary Australian fiction. The novel has secured its place in discussions of national identity, historical fiction, and postcolonial literature. While central to Australian literary canon, it has somewhat less international canonical weight than older modernist classics.
The Secret River (2005) is a modern Australian classic, taught in Australian schools and in university courses on Australian and postcolonial literature. It is among the most widely read Australian novels of the century so far.
The Booker winner is increasingly taught in Australian and war-literature courses, though its Wikipedia reach is still limited. It stands as a modern classic of Australian fiction rather than a fixture of world syllabi.
Oscar and Lucinda appears on 45 university syllabi (41st percentile), taught primarily in postcolonial literature and Australian fiction courses rather than mainstream Anglophone curricula. Its Wikipedia article exists in 7 languages, indicating moderate but not wide global reach — respectable for an Australian novel but well below the breadth of Booker winners like Remains of the Day.
Winner of the 2007 Miles Franklin Award, Australia's most prestigious literary prize. Taught in Australian literature and postcolonial studies courses but not widely assigned outside that context. An important book in Australian and Indigenous literatures, not yet a global curriculum fixture.
No. 11 on this list. A Town Like Alice · Nevil Shute · 1950
One of the most popular novels of the 1950s. A classic of wartime literature and Australian fiction. Still widely read.
Very Easy5 hours
Start this bookNo. 12 on this list. Burial Rites · Hannah Kent · 2014
Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution. Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only Tóti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes's death looms, the farmer's wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard.
Moderate5.6 hours
Start this bookNo. 13 on this list. Gossip from the Forest · Thomas Keneally · 1975
In November 1918, German officials and their Allied counterparts negotiate the armistice in a railway carriage in the forest of Compiègne. Keneally imagines the conversations, tensions, and absurdities as war gives way to an uneasy peace. A darkly comic historical novel about the end of WWI.
Moderate3.8 hours
Start this bookNo. 14 on this list. The Riders · Tim Winton · 1995
In "The Riders", Tim Winton crafts a poignant and introspective tale of love, family, and the complexities of relationships. The story follows a man who embarks on a perilous journey to reunite with his wife and child, only to find himself confronting the harsh realities of his own desires and the elusiveness of human connection. As he travels to the farthest reaches of the globe, he must come to terms with the fragility of his own family and the sacrifices that must be made for love. Winton's writing is characterized by a lyrical, evocative style that captures the rugged beauty of the natural world and the turmoil of the human heart. Through his protagonist's journey, he explores themes of devotion, abandonment, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world. The narrative is both deeply personal and universally relatable, inviting readers to reflect on their own experiences of love, loss, and longing. Readers of literary fiction will appreciate the nuanced character study and the author's thoughtful pacing, which balances introspection with a sense of forward momentum. While the subject matter can be intense and emotionally challenging, the writing is accessible and engaging, making it a compelling choice for those interested in character-driven fiction. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1995, "The Riders" is a testament to Winton's skill as a storyteller and his ability to craft compelling, emotionally resonant narratives. With its richly atmospheric prose and thought-provoking themes, this novel is sure to appeal to readers who appreciate literary fiction and are looking for a story that will linger long after the final page is turned.
Challenging7.1 hours
Start this bookNo. 15 on this list. Stone Yard Devotional · Charlotte Wood · 2024
A woman returns to a remote religious community in Australia, seeking peace but finding instead complications of the past and present. Wood's meditative novel explores solitude, faith, and the weight of history.
Challenging5.9 hours
Start this bookNo. 16 on this list. Theft: A Love Story · Peter Carey · 2006
Michael "Butcher" Boone is an ex-“really famous" painter, now reduced to living in a remote country house and acting as caretaker for his younger brother, Hugh. Alone together they've forged a delicate equilibrium, a balance instantly destroyed when a mysterious young woman named Marlene walks out of a rainstorm and into their lives. Beautiful, smart, and ambitious, she's also the daughter-in-law of the late great painter Jacques Liebovitz. Soon Marlene sets in motion a chain of events that could be the making--or the ruin--of them all.
Challenging5.3 hours
Start this bookNo. 17 on this list. March · Geraldine Brooks · 2006
March does not appear prominently on university syllabi and lacks the curriculum-fixture status of older Pulitzer winners. It surfaces occasionally in American literature and historical fiction courses but has not achieved the kind of ubiquity that places a novel in the canon of essential reading.
Difficult11 hours
Start this bookNo. 18 on this list. Restless Dolly Maunder · Kate Grenville · 2024
Dolly Maunder, a working-class Australian woman in the 19th century, refuses to accept the limited life prescribed for her. Grenville returns to historical fiction to tell the story of a woman who would not be contained by convention.
Moderate3.7 hours
Start this bookNo. 19 on this list. That Deadman Dance · Kim Scott · 2010
Two-time Miles Franklin Award winner. Major Australian literary work.
Easy4.7 hours
Start this bookNo. 20 on this list. A Fraction of the Whole · Steve Toltz · 2008
"The fact is, the whole of Australia despises my father more than any other man, just as they adore my uncle more than any other man. I might as well set the story straight about both of them... Heroes or Criminals? Crackpots or Visionaries? Families or Enemies?" Anyway, you know how it is. Every family has a story like this one. Most of his life, Jasper Dean couldn't decide whether to pity, hate, love, or murder his certifiably paranoid father, Martin, a man who overanalyzed anything and everything and imparted his self-garnered wisdom to his only son. But now that Martin is dead, Jasper can fully reflect on the crackpot who raised him in intellectual captivity, and what he realizes is that, for all its lunacy, theirs was a grand adventure. As he recollects the events that led to his father's demise, Jasper recounts a boyhood of outrageous schemes and shocking discoveries--about his infamous outlaw uncle Terry, his mysteriously absent European mother, and Martin's constant losing battle to make a lasting mark on the world he so disdains. It's a story that takes them from the Australian bush to the cafes of bohemian Paris, from the Thai jungle to strip clubs, asylums, labyrinths, and criminal lairs, and from the highs of first love to the lows of failed ambition. The result is a rollicking roller-coaster ride from obscurity to infamy, and the moving, memorable story of a father and son whose spiritual symmetry transcends all their many shortcomings. A Fraction of the Whole is an uproarious indictment of the modern world and its mores and the epic debut of the blisteringly funny and talented Steve Toltz.
Moderate8.9 hours
Start this book
No. 21 on this list. Singing My Sister Down · Margo Lanagan · 2001
In the haunting short story "Singing My Sister Down", a family gathers to witness a brutal punishment, as a young girl is prepared to face the consequences of violating tribal law. The atmosphere is tense and foreboding, as the family's actions are driven by a deep-seated adherence to tradition and ritual. Through this disturbing narrative, Margo Lanagan explores the darker aspects of human nature, delving into the complexities of family bonds, loyalty, and the devastating consequences of blind obedience. The writing is evocative and unflinching, rendering the scene with a terrible beauty that lingers long after the story concludes. Readers who appreciate literary fiction that probes the depths of human emotion and morality may find "Singing My Sister Down" a compelling, if unsettling, read. Be prepared for a intense and thought-provoking experience that challenges the reader to confront the harsh realities of the narrative. Shortlisted for the Women's Prize in 2001, "Singing My Sister Down" has been widely anthologized, a testament to its enduring power and impact. Lanagan's masterful storytelling weaves a narrative that is both haunting and mesmerizing, making this short story a must-read for those who appreciate provocative and unflinching literature.
Moderate3.1 hours
Start this bookNo. 22 on this list. The Thorn Birds · Colleen McCullough · 1977
Over thirty million copies sold. The 1983 miniseries made it a global cultural event. A defining popular novel of the 1970s.
Easy10 hours
Start this bookNo. 23 on this list. She Who Became the Sun · Shelley Parker-Chan · 2021
British Fantasy Award winner. Widely acclaimed debut, still establishing its canonical position.
Moderate6.9 hours
Start this bookNo. 24 on this list. The Book Thief · Markus Zusak · 2005
Taught in schools: Common Core text exemplars (Appendix B) (US)
Over 500 weeks on NYT list. Widely taught in schools. A modern YA classic.
Easy6.4 hours
Start this bookNo. 25 on this list. Confederates · Thomas Keneally · 1979
During the American Civil War, Confederate soldiers from rural Ireland and Germany, former slaves serving as stretcher-bearers, and Southern officers march toward Antietam. Keneally follows these disparate lives through the bloodiest day in American military history, illuminating the chaos, courage, and moral complexity of war. An immersive historical novel from the author of Schindler's List.
Moderate7.1 hours
Start this bookNo. 26 on this list. Dirt Music · Tim Winton · 2002
Appears on 47 university syllabi (41.8th percentile, Open Syllabus Project), primarily in Australian literature and postcolonial fiction courses. Wikipedia articles in only 2 languages point to regional rather than global canonical standing. The novel has a dedicated Wikipedia article with reception and adaptations sections, reflecting meaningful cultural presence within Australia and the Commonwealth.
Challenging10 hours
Start this bookNo. 27 on this list. Remembering Babylon · David Malouf · 1993
Gemmy, a British cabin boy, is shipwrecked in 19th-century Australia and raised by Aboriginal people. When he returns to white society, both he and the settlers must confront what cannot be understood across the cultural divide. Malouf's Booker-shortlisted novel examines colonialism, otherness, and the limits of language.
Challenging5.1 hours
Start this bookNo. 28 on this list. The Hating Game · Sally Thorne · 2016
Breakthrough contemporary romance that reinvigorated the enemies-to-lovers office trope.
Very Easy3.7 hours
Start this bookNo. 29 on this list. The Lost Dog · Michelle de Kretser · 2008
The Lost Dog (2007) is one of Michelle de Kretser's better-known novels and is sometimes taught in Australian literature courses. It is not a standard text outside Australia.
Challenging5.9 hours
Start this bookNo. 30 on this list. Vernon God Little · DBC Pierre · 2003
Vernon God Little does not appear on tracked university syllabi and its Wikipedia article exists in only 9 languages, indicating limited global academic penetration. Despite winning the 2003 Booker Prize, the novel has not entered standard curricula for contemporary fiction, British literature, or American literature survey courses. It remains a Booker curiosity rather than a syllabus fixture.
Challenging6.9 hours
Start this book
No. 31 on this list. Possum Magic
Mem Fox · 1991
No. 32 on this list. Here One Moment
Liane Moriarty · 2024
No. 33 on this list. The Idea of Perfection
Kate Grenville · 2001
No. 34 on this list. The Dry
Jane Harper · 2016
No. 35 on this list. Scary Monsters
Michelle de Kretser · 2022
No. 36 on this list. The Book of Strange New Things
Michel Faber · 2014
No. 37 on this list. Theory & Practice
Michelle de Kretser · 2024
No. 38 on this list. Lost and Found
Oliver Jeffers · 2005
No. 39 on this list. Big Little Lies
Liane Moriarty · 2014
No. 40 on this list. The Slap
Christos Tsiolkas · 2010
No. 41 on this list. Carry Me Down
M.J. Hyland · 2006
No. 42 on this list. Migrations
Charlotte McConaghy · 2020
No. 43 on this list. Horse
Geraldine Brooks · 2022
No. 44 on this list. Bodies of Magic
Freya Marske · 2026
No. 45 on this list. Once There Were Wolves
Charlotte McConaghy · 2021
No. 46 on this list. He Who Drowned the World
Shelley Parker-Chan · 2023
No. 47 on this list. The Husband's Secret
Liane Moriarty · 2013
No. 48 on this list. A Marvellous Light
Freya Marske · 2021
No. 49 on this list. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes
Mem Fox · 2008
No. 50 on this list. Shantaram
Gregory David Roberts · 2004
No. 51 on this list. Sixty Lights
Gail Jones · 2004
No. 52 on this list. The Strength of the Few
James Islington · 2025
No. 53 on this list. Prince's Gambit
C.S. Pacat · 2015
No. 54 on this list. A Power Unbound
Freya Marske · 2023
No. 55 on this list. The Essence of the Thing
Madeleine St John · 1997
No. 56 on this list. The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Heather Morris · 2018
No. 57 on this list. Dark Rise
C.S. Pacat · 2021
No. 58 on this list. Wild Dark Shore
Charlotte McConaghy · 2025
No. 59 on this list. A Strange and Stubborn Endurance
Foz Meadows · 2022
No. 60 on this list. Sabriel
Garth Nix · 1995
No. 61 on this list. If This Gets Out
Sophie Gonzales · 2021
No. 62 on this list. No God But Us
Bobuq Sayed · 2026
No. 63 on this list. The Way Back Home
Oliver Jeffers · 2008
No. 64 on this list. Kings Rising
C.S. Pacat · 2016
No. 65 on this list. The Rosie Project
Graeme Simsion · 2013
No. 66 on this list. The Will of the Many
James Islington · 2023
No. 67 on this list. The Prison Healer
Lynette Noni · 2022
No. 68 on this list. The Blood Traitor
Lynette Noni · 2023
No. 69 on this list. What We'll Build: Plans for Our Together Future
Oliver Jeffers · 2020
No. 70 on this list. 99 Percent Mine
Sally Thorne · 2019
No. 71 on this list. The Bait
No. 72 on this list. To the Moon and Back
N.R. Walker · 2023
No. 73 on this list. Deathball
W.H. Lockwood · 2026
No. 74 on this list. The Team
No. 75 on this list. The Gilded Cage
Lynette Noni · 2021
No. 76 on this list. Deathwish
W.H. Lockwood · 2027
No. 77 on this list. Doppelbänger
W.H. Lockwood · 2026
No. 78 on this list. The Conscious Mind
David J. Chalmers · 1996
No. 79 on this list. Living a Feminist Life
Sara Ahmed · 2017
No. 80 on this list. Other Minds
Peter Godfrey-Smith · 2016
About this list
These 80 books are the highest-scoring eligible books from Australia currently in the catalogue. About 585 hours of reading in all, for the 78 with measured lengths. Difficulty runs from 31 to 57 out of 100 for the middle half of the list; the summit is Oscar and Lucinda at 72.
This is a computed ranking ordered by literary regard, with a consistent order for equal scores. Membership follows authors and co-authors, not translators or editors. The list keeps to literature: fiction, poetry, drama and philosophy, its novels, poems and plays first and its philosophy after them, and no more than three works by one author. Catalogue coverage and the historical canon both limit what this list can represent.
When we matched the Canons dataset to our catalogue in October 2026, our canonical-status scores rose with the number of school curricula, publisher series and lists in it that cite a work: the median score was 72 for books one such source cites, 84 at two, 88 at three, 92 at four and 93 at five or more. Prizes are left out of that count. Outside the state curricula, the dataset’s sources choose mostly from what has been translated into English or French, so it is a weaker check on other literatures. Source: Canons (Andrew Piper), CC BY 4.0
Questions people actually ask
- What are the best books from Australia?
- By literary regard, which weighs canonical status, critical standing and influence: Voss by Patrick White, The Man Who Loved Children by Christina Stead, Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally, The Vivisector by Patrick White and The Eye of the Storm by Patrick White. ReadingRate ranks 80 such books, each with a difficulty score and a reading-time estimate.
- Which books from Australia should I read first?
- Start from difficulty, not from rank. The most approachable books on this list that still carry top literary regard are Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally (about 9.9 hours), The Man Who Loved Children by Christina Stead and The Eye of the Storm by Patrick White.
- What are the shortest of the best books from Australia?
- Among the top 25, the shortest are Singing My Sister Down by Margo Lanagan (about 3.1 hours), Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville (about 3.7 hours) and Gossip from the Forest by Thomas Keneally (about 3.8 hours), at an average pace of 250 words a minute adjusted for each book's difficulty.
- Which of the best books from Australia are the established classics?
- By canonical status, how firmly a book sits in curricula, anthologies and the canon: Voss by Patrick White, The Man Who Loved Children by Christina Stead, Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally, The Conscious Mind by David J. Chalmers and The Vivisector by Patrick White.
- How long would it take to read the top ten?
- About 149 hours, at an average pace of 250 words a minute adjusted for each book's difficulty: 75 days at two hours a day. Set your own pace on the page and the list's reading times change to it.
- How hard are books from Australia to read?
- Most of this list sits between 31 and 57 on ReadingRate's 100-point difficulty scale, where 40 to 55 is moderate. The summit is Oscar and Lucinda at 72. Every entry carries its own score, so a reader can pick a great book at a difficulty they will finish.
- Where should I start with Patrick White?
- Voss. It ranks highest of his novels and scores 68 for difficulty — demanding, but the most approachable of his major work. The Aunt's Story and A Fringe of Leaves rank nearly as high and read considerably harder.
- What is the most readable book on this list?
- Nevil Shute's A Town Like Alice, which holds real literary regard at a difficulty score of 23 — the lowest of any highly ranked Australian book, and lower than almost anything on the site.
- Which Australian books won the Booker Prize?
- Schindler's Ark, Oscar and Lucinda and True History of the Kelly Gang all won it, giving Thomas Keneally one and Peter Carey two. All three appear high on this list.
- How is this list ranked?
- On literary-regard data: how canonically established a work is, its critical standing, and its influence on later writing. It is not a readers’ poll, which is why recent bestsellers rarely appear. Membership follows authors and co-authors, not translators or editors. Lists by country, author, period, theme or difficulty keep to literature (fiction, poetry, drama and philosophy), their novels, poems and plays first and their philosophy after them; a list of a kind of book, such as memoir or criticism, keeps every book of that kind. Every list holds at most three works by one author.