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1934 Books

From bestselling novels to critically acclaimed works, 1934 was filled with captivating stories that have stood the test of time. In this list, we highlight the most popular books of 1934, celebrating the titles that topped the charts and won the hearts of book lovers everywhere.

Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot, #10)
Written by: Agatha Christie
Outline: A snowstorm halts the renowned Orient Express in the Balkans, and a wealthy American passenger is found dead in his locked compartment. Renowned detective Hercule Poirot, who happens to be on board, must identify the killer before they strike again.
Tender Is the Night
Written by: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Outline: The tragic romance of a young actress and an American couple on the French Riviera in the late 1920s, where a brilliant psychiatrist's marriage to his wealthy patient leads to his own downfall, is a profound and lyrical exploration of …
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Written by: James M. Cain
Outline: Cain's debut novel, which faced an obscenity trial in Boston and influenced Camus's work, is a gripping story about a drifter who accidentally finds a job, becomes erotically obsessed, and commits a murder.
A Handful of Dust
Written by: Evelyn Waugh
Outline: The novel "A Handful of Dust" satirizes the wealthy yet unfulfilled lives of the English gentry, depicting the breakdown of a marriage where the bored wife becomes infatuated with a social parasite. The story is laced with cynicism and truth, …
Lust for Life
Written by: Irving Stone
Outline: Lust for Life is a fictionalized account of the remarkable life of the renowned artist Vincent Van Gogh, whose enduring legacy and artistic genius continue to enrich the world. Despite facing poverty, heartbreak, and mental anguish, Van Gogh's unwavering creative …
Burmese Days
Written by: George Orwell
Outline: Orwell's novel, set during the British rule in Burma, explores the themes of corruption and imperial prejudice. The story centers around Flory, a white timber merchant, who befriends Dr. Veraswami, a native enthusiast for the Empire, whose social standing can …
Independent People
Written by: Halldór Laxness
Outline: This Nobel Prize-winning novel, set in early 20th-century Iceland, blends medieval epics and classic literature, featuring a determined sheep farmer whose quest for independence is both heroic and harrowing, as he clashes with his spirited daughter's own desire for freedom.
Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
Written by: Agatha Christie
Outline: The mysterious death of a stranger has piqued the curiosity of amateur sleuths Bobby Jones and Frances Derwent, leading them on a perilous pursuit to uncover the truth behind the man's cryptic final words and the dangerous consequences of their …
Cain's Jawbone
Written by: E. Powys Mathers
Outline: Cain's Jawbone, a 1934 murder mystery novel by Edward Powys Mathers (aka Torquemada), presents a fiendishly difficult literary puzzle with six murder victims and their respective murderers. The pages are printed in a haphazard order, and only two puzzlers have …
Appointment in Samarra
Written by: John O'Hara
Outline: John O'Hara's fictional Gibbsville, Pennsylvania, much like Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, explores the social dynamics and psychological landscapes of its inhabitants, but in a more grounded, worldly manner, without Faulkner's penchant for mythic inference or the depth of his prose. …
Security Analysis: The Classic 1951 Edition
Written by: Benjamin Graham
Outline: Security Analysis, a seminal investment book, has remained in print for over 60 years, with its third edition in 1951 providing timeless guidance on value investing strategies that remain relevant in today's volatile markets. The authors, Benjamin Graham and David …