50 RECOMMENDED SHORT NOVELS FROM GREAT AUTHORS - LITERATURE - 2025

I leave you with a list of short novels perfect to be read in a day or two. A selection of magnificent works by the greatest authors, developed in just over 150 or 200 pages.

Its brevity does not imply that the main elements (characters, environment, plot, time…) change in complexity compared to a novel with a greater number of pages. In fact, the author can keep the development of these factors just as dense, but with fewer words.

Covers of the books extracted from amazon.es

Short novels are characterized by being concise and precise. That is, the development of the story is focused -commonly- on a single plot and at the same time on the use of a type of narrator, in this way it is concentrated on a single point of view or perspective.

Within the literary world there are many writers who have experienced this genre. Some of the most prominent titles are: The Old Man and the Sea, The Stranger, Chronicles of a Death Foretold, The Metamorphosis, The Heart of Darkness and The Gypsy Woman.

Short novels are a good option to start creating the habit of reading, thanks to their fluency and how simple their content becomes in most cases.

List of 50 short novels

The following are the 50 most recognized short novels by prominent authors:

Abroad

It was published in France in 1942 and narrates the indifferent and apathetic position towards the life of the main character Meursault. His strange attitude towards the death of his mother places him in the eye of justice. The third edition of Alianza has 122 pages.

The old man and the sea

It is about an old fisherman named Santiago who, after a three-day marine odyssey to catch a fish, has to face difficult circumstances. Random House published a 160-page edition in 2019.

Heart of Darkness

It is a story about colonization, centered on the Congo and its protagonist is Charles Marlow. The 2014 publication of the Sexto Piso publishing house has 128 pages.

The death of Ivan Ilyich

The novel is a reflection of success and failure, experienced by the character of Ivan Ilyich. His professional fall is symbolized by an accident with a ladder. The first edition of Iberia Literatura has 160 pages.

Pedro Paramo

The novel recounts the meeting between Juan Preciado and Pedro Páramo (son and father) in the town of Comala. It has dreamlike components and a mix of storytellers. Editorial RM released a first edition in 2005 with 132 pages.

The fair

It deals with the patron saint festivities of San José celebrated in the town of Zapotlán (Mexico). It runs between the past and the present and has a historical content. Booket México's 2015 edition has 200 pages.

The ravine

It tells the story of two brothers, where one fights to save the other from the clutches of death. It is a criticism of Colombia. Penguin Random House published a 192-page edition in 2014.

Litter

The suicide of a doctor is based on the contempt of a people for his bad attitude. Diana Mexico's 2015 edition has 128 pages.

Memory of my sad whores

Memory of my sad whores, Gabriel García Márquez. Source: amazon.es.

This is one of the author's shortest and most controversial novels. It narrates the romance between an old man who has just turned ninety and a teenage girl who keeps his virginity. Diana México published a 112-page edition.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

This work shows the psychology of an individual who adopts two identities through a drink. Buque de Letras produced a first edition in 2018 of 112 pages.

The adversary

It is based on a true story from 1993 in which a man murders his family and attempts suicide in vain. Editorial Anagrama published a 176-page edition in 2019.

Omega point

It is a story of circumstances that unite the lives of Richard Elster, Jessie Elster and Jim in a rare bond. The first edition (2013) of Austral México is 160 pages long.

Dog heart

It tells the story of a man censored and oppressed during the Stalin regime who makes humor his main escape. In 2013 a 172 page edition was published.

The fifth son

It is based on the birth of the son of the Lovatt couple, who is physically abnormal and causes terror in the English society of the sixties. Random House released a 160-page edition in 2017.

The lot 49 auction

It is a story of inheritance and clandestine operations that lead Oedipa Maas to investigate until he finds precise answers. The Tusquets México publishing house published a 192-page edition.

Sula

Set in the United States in a community of blacks, it talks about friendship in childhood years and its destruction in adulthood. The Vintage publishing house released a 192-page edition in 2004.

The little Prince

It is a story with a philosophical content in which, through friendship and love, the way in which the adult world perceives life is criticized. The first edition of Océano Travesía contains 112 pages.

Of mice and men

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Source: amazon.es.

Autobiographical in nature, this novel narrates the difficulties of two workers during the period of "Depression" in the United States. The 2002 edition of Lectorum Pubns is 120 pages long.

Fahrenheit 451

It is a novel with a futuristic content in which knowledge is limited by the destruction of books by a government mandate. One of the most recent editions (2012) has 159 pages.

Breakfast with diamonds

This work tells the story of Holly Golyghtly, whose life has been characterized by waste and luxury thanks to always getting dates and love affairs with millionaire men older than her. The 1993 edition of Vintage is 192 pages.

The tunnel

Love and crime story, in which Juan Pablo Castel is taken to jail for the murder of his lover. It is narrated in the first person. Bronce Argentina's 2011 publication is 113 pages long.

The place without limit

Describes prostitution and the life of transvestites in 20th century Chile. The second edition of Random House is 152 pages long.

The kingdom of this world

It is based on the revolution that Haiti experienced after gaining independence from the French. It is characterized by its magical, surreal and baroque touches. The University of Chile publishing house released a 144-page edition in 2019.

Burnt silver

It is about crime, corruption and violence, and takes place in Buenos Aires in 1965 after an assault on an armored car loaded with money. One of its last editions (2014) was by Random House with 176 pages.

A corpse in the library

It tells the story of a strange murder in which Colonel Bantry is involved and, with the help of Jane Marple, a solution to the case is sought. The first edition of Planeta has 176 pages.

The ones below

It tells the story of some events in the Mexican Revolution of 1910 and the dominance of the upper classes over the poor. The sixth edition of the Fondo de Cultura Económica has 154 pages.

I'm afraid, bullfighter

It is a love story between a young homosexual man and a member of the guerrilla, which was set in Chile at the end of the eighties. The Mexican publishing house Planeta published a 176-page edition in 2019.

Rebelion on the farm

George Orwell's Farm Rebellion. Source: amazon.es.

Its satirical and ironic content reflects the totalitarianism of the Russian Revolution through the actions of the animals of the Manor Farm. Random House published a 144-page edition in 2005.

The virgin of the hitmen

Set in Medellín, this novel was a reflection of the insecurity and violence that reigned in this city during the 20th century. The Random House published a 144-page edition in 2017.

The great gastby

It is a novel about the success and triumph of the youth of the 1920s in the United States. The third edition of Random House covers 192 pages.

the postman Always calls two times

It is a story of infidelity, crime, betrayal, sex and violence where Frank and Cora are the protagonists. The first edition of RBA contains 128 pages.

The wax museum

It narrates the fall of the high social class of Chile, specifically during the Pinochet regime. Tusquets Editor published a 150-page first edition.

The ice rink

Novel that deals with a crime in which three men are involved, the reader being the main witness. The 2017 edition of Random House has 200 pages.

Distant star

It tells the story of a poet who assumes a false identity, but reveals it in the middle of the military dictatorship. The Vintage edition is 160 pages long.

Amulet

It deals with poetry, literature and the political and student situation in Mexico in the late sixties. Publishing house Random House released a 136-page edition in 2017.

Monsieur Pain

This work is about health, death, mystery and intrigue. The plot is set in Paris in the 1930s. The Random House published a 136-page edition in 2017.

Blood of reciprocated love

It is a story of nostalgia and melancholy for the loves of the past. The 2012 edition of Seix Barral contains 130 pages.

Diary of a seducer

Story about the seduction of men towards women through the use of letters with deep content. The second edition of Fontamara has 152 pages.

The lover

It tells the story of a European teenager living in Indochina and her relationship with a native to help her family financially. The 2014 edition of Tusquest México is 136 pages long.

These ruins you see

It is the story of a university professor from a village who lives his life among women, drinks, fights and leisure time. The 2015 edition of Booket México consists of 184 pages.

The immoralist

It tells the story of an intellectual named Michel who goes through different vicissitudes throughout his life. The fifth edition of Cátedra is 174 pages long.

As fast as desire

It's about love, culture, and the power of communication. Its protagonist is Júbilo, who lives up to his name. The 2015 edition of Random House is 200 pages long.

Night of Chile

It is based on the life experiences of a clergyman named Sebastián Urrutia during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. The 2017 edition of Random House is 200 pages long.

Story of a murky love

It is a novel with autobiographical features where the love relationship between Rohán and the Elizalde sisters is related. Independently Published released a 142-page edition in 2019.

The inmortality

This novel describes love from a philosophical and metaphysical perspective and from the experiences of various characters. The publisher of Tusquets México published a 150-page edition in 2002.

Trafalgar

It is a story of secrets and appearances within the elitist society of the 19th century. The 2016 edition has 178 pages.

The song of us

It is a narrative that evokes life in Uruguay prior to and during the military dictatorship. Siglo XXI published a 196-page publication in 2019.

Ten little blacks

It tells a story of crime and suspense on an English island where murders are the order of the day. The first edition of Planeta of 2017 has 168 pages.

Death visits the dentist

It is a fictional plot loaded with violence and crimes where Hercule Poirot is the main character. The Planeta publishing house published a 152-page edition in 2019.

References

1. Novel. (2020). Spain: Wikipedia. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org.
2. Meaning of novel. (2019). (N / A): Meanings. Recovered from: significados.com.
3. 12 short novels to read in one afternoon. (S. f.). (N / A): Librotea. Recovered from: librotea.elpais.com.
4. Zugaide, F. (2019). 23 short novels that you should read in your spare time. (N / A): Freim. Recovered from: freim.tv.
5. Camino, A. (2016). 11 short novels to read on a rainy weekend. (N / A): Jared. Recovered from: trendencia.com.