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1920 Books

From bestselling novels to critically acclaimed works, 1920 was filled with captivating stories that have stood the test of time. In this list, we highlight the most popular books of 1920, celebrating the titles that topped the charts and won the hearts of book lovers everywhere.

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The Age of Innocence
Written by: Edith Wharton
Outline: The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is a captivating portrayal of desire and betrayal in the opulent era of Old New York, where societal norms and expectations clash with the protagonist's personal yearnings. As Newland Archer navigates his impending marriage to the …
This Side of Paradise
Written by: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Outline: F. Scott Fitzgerald's debut novel, written at the age of 23, is a semi-autobiographical tale of the privileged and idealistic Princeton student Amory Blaine, which garnered critical acclaim and launched the author to immediate fame. This newly edited, authorized version …
Women in Love
Written by: D.H. Lawrence
Outline: D.H. Lawrence's "Women in Love" is a captivating novel that offers a vivid portrayal of pre-World War I English society while exploring the powerful and complex dynamics of human desire. The story follows the lives of the Brangwen sisters, Ursula …
The Story of Doctor Dolittle (Doctor Dolittle, #1)
Written by: Hugh Lofting
Outline: Doctor John Dolittle's deep affection for animals leads him to become a renowned veterinarian, able to communicate with them and provide care worldwide. The beloved children's classic, featuring black-and-white illustrations by Michael Hague, has been updated for modern readers by …
Main Street
Written by: Sinclair Lewis
Outline: Sinclair Lewis's 1920 novel "Main Street" received immediate acclaim and is considered one of the essential texts of the American literary landscape. Lewis, the first American to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, was praised for his intellectual rigor and …
Kristin Lavransdatter
Written by: Sigrid Undset
Outline: Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset's historical epic, set in 14th-century Norway, chronicles the life of a strong-willed woman, immersing readers in the era's social, political, and religious landscape. Tiina Nunnally's award-winning translation presents this remarkable work with clarity and lyrical elegance.
Storm of Steel
Written by: Ernst Jünger
Outline: A powerful memoir that vividly depicts the horrors and fascination of total war, as seen through the eyes of a young, patriotic German soldier who found personal fulfillment in the Great War's unrelenting violence. Jünger's self-aware and disturbingly exultant account, …
The Short Stories
Written by: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Outline: F. Scott Fitzgerald, renowned for his novels, was also a prolific and gifted writer of short stories and novellas, as showcased in "The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald," a collection curated by the leading Fitzgerald scholar, Matthew J. Bruccoli. …
Ion
Written by: Liviu Rebreanu
Outline: Liviu Rebreanu's novel "Ion" is a monograph of the realities of the Transylvanian village at the beginning of the 20th century, illustrating the conflict generated by the struggle for land, where social status is determined by wealth. Rebreanu's great merit …
R.U.R.
Written by: Karel Čapek
Outline: R.U.R., a 1920 play by Karel Čapek, popularized the term "Robot" and explored the consequences of mass-produced, efficient, and servile labor, leading to a Utopian society that ultimately lacks meaning. When the Robots revolt, killing all but one human, their …
The Guermantes Way
Written by: Marcel Proust
Outline: The new translation of Marcel Proust's masterpiece, "The Guermantes Way," offers a vast and dazzling portrayal of fashionable Parisian life in the late 19th century, serving as both a salute to and a devastating satire of the time, place, and …
Glinda of Oz (Oz, #14)
Written by: L. Frank Baum
Outline: The peaceful Land of Oz is disrupted by a war between the Flatheads and Skeezers, prompting Princess Ozma and her friend Dorothy to embark on a quest to restore harmony. When their efforts fail, Glinda the Good assembles Ozma's allies …