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If you’ve been keeping up with the new releases on the blog, you probably know that I’ve recently gotten into classic literature and have been dropping book recommendations for the past week or so.
I’ve written about the very best romantic classic books with the most heartwarming love stories and even a post about some of the most underrated classic books that are worth reading.
This time around, I’ve listed the best queer classic books that I genuinely think every single person needs to check out.
It might sound crazy if you’re already in the know, but there’s a wide misconception that there isn’t any classic queer literature. If you’ve been around for a while, you know what this type of erasure amounts to.
So, there is a need for everyone to be more intentional about highlighting the existence and lives of queer individuals from the past, and these fantastic queer classic books do an excellent job of it.
It was super fun compiling this list because I pulled books from different genres, so there’s everything from memoirs to semi-autobiographies and fictionalized accounts that will have you gripping your seat from start to finish.
That said, open up your heart and check out this list. If you have any other recommendations that you think anyone would enjoy, drop them in the comments section. If not, I’m sure you’ll find a new favorite on this list.
1. Orlando: A Biography by Virginia Woolf
Orlando begins as a young nobleman in Elizabethan England and magically transforms into a woman in the 18th century.
The novel spans several centuries, as it follows Orlando’s experiences and changing perspectives on gender, society, and identity.
Woolf uses Orlando’s life to comment on the fluidity of gender and the constraints imposed by society.
2. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
This fantastic queer classic novel follows Celie, an African American woman in the early 20th century South, who endures abuse and oppression but gradually finds empowerment and love.
While it isn’t the primary story, the book includes Celie’s relationship with another woman, Shug Avery, which plays an important role in Celie’s personal growth and self-acceptance.
3. The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall
Stephen Gordon is an upper-class Englishwoman who identifies as a lesbian.
And, this book chronicles her struggles with her sexuality and societal acceptance, her relationships, and the discrimination she faces.
Stephen is one of those female characters in a classic novel you’ll be stuck on years after reading – She’s epic in every way and I was absolutely in awe while reading.
And, if banned books are your jam, this is one must-read everyone genuinely needs to give a chance.
4. Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
David, an American living in Paris, is engaged to Hella but becomes romantically involved with Giovanni, an Italian bartender.
David’s internal conflict – that is, the difference between his desires and his fears of societal judgement – is pretty much another character in this classic LGBTQ+ book.
Let me tell you right now though: These two do not have a happy ending and, in fact, the entire book is written from David’s POV as he recalls the time before his world fell apart.
A more sombre book by this same author is Another Country, which details the life of the self-destructive Rufus Scott and what he leaves behind when he dies.
5. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Dorian Gray is a young, beautiful man whose portrait ages and shows the effects of his immoral actions while he remains physically unblemished.
As Dorian indulges in a life of hedonism and moral decay, his relationship with Lord Henry Wotton influences his worldview.
In time, his interactions with various characters reveal the complexities of his sexuality and identity, which makes this book one of the boldest explorations of non-gender-conforming roles.
6. Maurice by E.M. Forster
This book follows Maurice Hall, who is a young man in Edwardian England who has finally come to terms with his homosexuality and the societal limitations imposed on him.
After an initial period of struggle and failed relationships, Maurice finds solace and love with another man, Alec Scudder.
If you’ve ever wanted an illuminating treatise on the difficulties of being gay in a repressive society, you’re going to enjoy reading about Maurice’s search for personal happiness and authenticity.
Interestingly, this author foresaw the many legal challenges and possible ramifications of publishing this book and instructed that it be released after his death.
7. The City and the Pillar by Gore Vidal
Our lead in this amazing queer literary classic is Jim Willard, a young man who is grappling with his homosexuality in mid-20th century America.
And of his different relationships that are explored, a significant one with a man named Bob forms the better part of the story.
Jim’s struggle to meet societal expectations and find his personal identity is an honest, unflinching show of a life spent chasing personal fulfilment.
8. The Hours by Michael Cunningham
In this book, we see a depiction of the tenuous bonds that link the lives of three women across different time periods but all connected by Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway.
Among the characters is Clarissa Vaughan, a lesbian living in contemporary New York, whose relationship with her partner and her reflections on past loves are central to the story.
So, while this book isn’t quite the not-so-academic treatise on the politics of lesbianism, the sapphic relationship at its forefront delineates the many possibilities and impossibilities of finding love.
9. The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares
This science fiction novel features a character who, while not explicitly queer, is involved in a relationship with a mysterious woman in a surreal and isolated setting.
It’s one to read if you’re tired of the usual narrative and, frankly, will be imprinted on your mind when you turn the last page – You will totally enjoy this classic queer fiction work.
10. Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
Nancy Astley is a young woman in Victorian London who falls in love with a female performer named Kitty Butler.
Inspired by Kitty, Nancy leaves her old life behind to become a performer herself and this book follows her experiences as she embraces her sexuality.
The challenges of living openly in a society that doesn’t accept her are many, but Nancy’s story is ultimately one of love and self-discovery.
11. The Liar by Stephen Fry
This novel follows a young man named Adrian Healey who is a compulsive liar.
And, we get to see his relationships with other men as he deals with establishing his personal identity and finding out more about himself.
This is definitely one of the funniest classic books I’ve had the pleasure of reading and it’ll be a comedic but enlightening read for anyone who give it a chance.
12. Passing by Nella Larsen
A Harlem Renaissance novel through and through, this queer classic examines the lives of two African American women, Irene and Clare, who can pass as white.
Queer relationships and desires remain a blinding subtext at best, but you’ll enjoy this aching exploration of race and sexual identity.
13. The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith
The Price of Salt follows Therese Belivet, a young woman who works at a department store, and her romance with Carol Aird, an older woman who is married.
Set in the 1950s and just like many other books on this list, it shows the dangers of cultivating a deep relationship in a society that’s as repressive as it is obtrusive.
For Therese and Carol, whose love feels “immoral” on multiple levels, a happily ever after remains a peripheral thought and they do what they can to protect their feelings while dealing with societal obstacles one after the other.
14. The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman
I know this post is primarily for classic works of queer literature, but I simply couldn’t resist adding this bold and groundbreaking 1934 play that is a commentary on the damage caused by prejudice and the need for understanding and justice.
The story starts in a girls’ school run by two women, Karen Wright and Martha Dobie. When a student, Mary Tilford, is caught lying and being punished, she retaliates by accusing the two teachers of being in a lesbian relationship.
The rumour spreads and it causes a scandal that destroys their reputations, careers, and personal lives and the book dishes on the effects of these false accusations on the characters involved and the destructive power of gossip.
15. Nightwood by Djuna Barnes
Nightwood is set in 1920s Paris and it follows a group of unique characters, including a lesbian couple and a person with an ambiguous gender identity, who are living outside society’s norms.
Everyone says this, but I’ll tell you right now that I was positively enthralled by the rich prose and you’ll swept up in the deep and thought-provoking look at several unconventional lives.
This classic queer book is one of the earliest works on the twin concepts of gender and sexual identity and the nuanced purview at it’s center will keep you glued to your seat.
Have you read any of the books on this list? How many do you think will make it onto your TBR list for this weekend, and which one would you recommend to your friends?
Let me know all that and more in the comments section. And, of course, don’t forget to check out the other related posts if you want more book recommendations.
If you’re in the mood to continue your classic book journey, check out this list of some of the best American classic books ever, as well as some of the best adult queer romance novels.
