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1947 Books

From bestselling novels to critically acclaimed works, 1947 was filled with captivating stories that have stood the test of time. In this list, we highlight the most popular books of 1947, celebrating the titles that topped the charts and won the hearts of book lovers everywhere.

The Diary of a Young Girl
Written by: Anne Frank
Outline: Anne Frank's remarkable diary, discovered in the attic where she spent her final years, has become a global classic that powerfully reflects the horrors of war and the resilience of the human spirit. Despite the hardships and constant threat of …
Goodnight Moon
Written by: Margaret Wise Brown
Outline: In a cozy green room, a little bunny bids goodnight to the familiar objects around it. This classic children's book, with its soothing language and gentle illustrations, creates a perfect bedtime story.
A Streetcar Named Desire
Written by: Tennessee Williams
Outline: The Pulitzer Prize and Drama Critics Circle Award-winning play, "A Streetcar Named Desire," continues to have a powerful impact decades after its Broadway premiere. The story follows the downfall of the faded and promiscuous Blanche DuBois, pushed over the edge …
The Plague
Written by: Albert Camus
Outline: Albert Camus' novel "The Plague" is a gripping tale that chronicles the devastating impact of a plague sweeping through a French Algerian city, exploring themes of human resilience, the confrontation with mortality, and the absurdist perspective on the human condition. …
The Pearl
Written by: John Steinbeck
Outline: Kino, a poor diver, discovers an exceptionally large and valuable pearl, which brings hope and the promise of a better life for him, his wife Juana, and their son. However, the pearl also unleashes the darker aspects of human nature, …
The Woman in Black
Written by: Susan Hill
Outline: Susan Hill's "The Woman in Black" is a gripping ghost story set on an isolated English moor, where a young solicitor, Arthur Kipps, is drawn into a web of sinister events and secrets while settling the affairs of the late …
Survival in Auschwitz
Written by: Primo Levi
Outline: Primo Levi's "Survival in Auschwitz" is a powerful and poignant account of his harrowing experience in the German concentration camp, which he miraculously survived. This classic work, hailed as a "true work of art," offers a testament to the indestructibility …
The Setting Sun (New Directions Book)
Written by: Osamu Dazai
Outline: The post-war period in Japan was a time of significant social change, and Osamu Dazai's novel "The Setting Sun" explores the decline of a minor aristocratic family through the eyes of Kazuko, the unmarried daughter of a widowed aristocrat, as …
Under the Volcano
Written by: Malcolm Lowry
Outline: Geoffrey Firmin, a former British consul, struggles with alcoholism in Quauhnahuac, Mexico. On the Day of the Dead, his wife Yvonne arrives, determined to save their failing marriage, but her mission is complicated by the presence of Firmin's half-brother Hugh …
Stone Soup
Written by: Marcia Brown
Outline: This classic picture book, first published in 1947, has endured as one of Marcia Brown's most popular works. The story, inspired by an old French tale, follows three hungry soldiers who outsmart the greedy villagers to secure a feast for …
No Exit and Three Other Plays
Written by: Jean-Paul Sartre
Outline: Jean-Paul Sartre, the renowned existentialist author and philosopher, showcases his exceptional dramatic skills in these four plays, which include a haunting depiction of hell, a modern interpretation of the Electra-Orestes tale, a story about a young intellectual grappling with the …
All My Sons
Written by: Arthur Miller
Outline: During World War II, Joe Keller and Herbert Deever, partners in a machine shop, produced defective airplane parts, leading to the deaths of many soldiers. While Deever was imprisoned, Keller evaded punishment and became wealthy. This powerful play explores the …
Miracles
Written by: C.S. Lewis
Outline: The central Christian belief is the Incarnation, where God became human. All other miracles either prepare for or stem from this fundamental miracle, which testifies to God's personal involvement in creation, as C.S. Lewis eloquently argues against rationalists, agnostics, and …