Nobel Prize Day
A Celebration of Award-Winning Literature
Although winners of the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature are announced in October, honorees receive their awards on December 10th, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. We’ve collected word lists from the works and acceptance speeches of over a century’s worth of prize recipients. So don’t rest on your laurels — master the vocabulary of some of the world’s most renowned authors.
The Remains of the DayThis novel by Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro explores the interior life of a traditional English butler.
The Grapes of WrathDuring the Great Depression, the Joad family leaves a failing farm in Oklahoma in hopes of a better life out west.
BeowulfNobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney translates the Old English epic poem about a warrior's battles with a series of monsters.
BelovedWinner of the Pulitzer Prize, Morrison's novel tells the story of Sethe, a formerly enslaved woman who is haunted by her past.
One Hundred Years of SolitudeTranslated from the original Spanish by Gregory Rabassa, this classic of magical realism relates the saga of the Buendía family and the isolated town they founded in Colombia.
Never Let Me GoIn Ishiguro's chilling dystopian novel, three students at a secluded boarding school learn the truth about their identities and their futures.
The Bluest EyeIn the Nobel Prize-winner's first novel, a young black girl yearns to conform to society's rigid standards of beauty.
Song of SolomonRich with allusions to the Bible and Greek mythology, Toni Morrison's coming-of-age novel tells the story of Milkman's journey to find his roots.
SulaNel Wright and Sula Peace are close friends growing up in a town called The Bottom, but tragedy and a terrible secret send their lives in different directions.
JazzSet during the Harlem Renaissance, this follow-up to the Pulitzer Prize-winning Beloved explores a love triangle that ends violently.
Death and the King's HorsemanSet in Nigeria, this play depicts the destruction and chaos that are unleashed when tribal ritual and the English legal system collide.
Lord of the FliesWhen they are marooned on a deserted island, a group of schoolboys attempts to form a new society.
Chronicle of a Death ForetoldWhen two brothers declare their intention to commit murder, no one in their town takes on the responsibility of preventing the crime.
East of EdenInspired by the biblical story of Cain and Abel, this novel tells the interlinked stories of the Trask and Hamilton families.
The PearlIn this novella based on a Mexican folk tale, a poor diver rejoices when he finds an enormous pearl — but the treasure may not be the blessing it seems to be.
Of Mice and MenSet during the Great Depression, Steinbeck's classic novel tells the story of shrewd, scheming George and loyal, childlike Lennie. The two farm workers dream of owning their own land but must struggle merely to survive.
Cannery RowSet during the Great Depression, Cannery Row tells the story of a struggling community that pulls together to throw a thank-you party for the friendly neighborhood genius.
The Red PonyThis novella links four episodes in the life of Jody Tiflin, a young boy growing up on a California ranch during the early 20th century.
Travels with Charleyin Search of AmericaIn this travelogue, acclaimed author John Steinbeck sets out on a roadtrip across America with his best friend, a French poodle named Charley.
The StrangerTranslated by Matthew Ward, Camus’s seminal 1942 novel follows Meursault — a young Frenchman in Algeria — who is condemned for his unemotional response to the death of his mother.
The Old Man and the SeaSantiago is a luckless Cuban fisherman who struggles to land a giant marlin. In spare, searing prose, Hemingway transforms the story of one man's battle with nature into a heroic ordeal. Scribner 2003 edition.
A Farewell To ArmsCaught up in the brutality of World War I, an American ambulance driver on the Italian front falls in love with an English nurse.
As I Lay DyingThis novel uses multiple narrators and perspectives to tell the story of a family's quest to honor a relative's last wishes.
The Sound and the FuryThrough the perspectives of three brothers and an omniscient narrator, the Compson family of Mississippi is shown falling into ruin.
Absalom, Absalom!Considered by many to be William Faulker's masterpiece, this novel uses multiple viewpoints to recount the rise and ruin of a Southern plantation.
SiddharthaIn this translation from German by Hilda Rosner, a young man named Siddhartha, not entirely satisfied with the religious ways of his Brahmin family and Gotama the Buddha, decides to seek his own path to spiritual enlightenment.
The Good EarthSet in China in the early twentieth story, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel tells the story of a struggling farmer and his family.
PygmalionIn this play inspired by the Greek myth of Pygmalion, Professor Henry Higgins bets that he can transform Eliza Doolittle, a poor flower seller, into a cultured and genteel lady.
The Jungle BookIn this collection of stories set in India, Rudyard Kipling introduces beloved characters such as Mowgli, the boy raised by wolves, and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, the courageous mongoose.
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