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1965 Books

From bestselling novels to critically acclaimed works, 1965 was filled with captivating stories that have stood the test of time. In this list, we highlight the most popular books of 1965, celebrating the titles that topped the charts and won the hearts of book lovers everywhere.

The Source
Written by: James A. Michener
Outline: James A. Michener takes us back thousands of centuries to the Holy Land in his trademark style of grand storytelling. Michener vividly recreates the life of an ancient city through the excavations of archaeologists. He also traces the rich history …
Herzog
Written by: Saul Bellow
Outline: This is one of the greatest achievements of Nobel Prize winner Saul Bellow. It presents a multifaceted portrait, with a complex hero who struggles with life's complexity and longs for redemption.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Written by: Malcolm X
Outline: The Autobiography of Malcolm X chronicles his remarkable transformation from a troubled youth to a prominent civil rights leader, highlighting his journey of personal growth and his profound impact on modern American society.
Stoner
Written by: John Williams
Outline: William Stoner, born into a poor farming family, pursues a scholarly life in English literature, but faces a series of personal and professional disappointments that lead him to rediscover the stoic resilience of his ancestors and confront his own solitude. …
Ariel
Written by: Sylvia Plath
Outline: The untimely death of Sylvia Plath left behind her unpublished literary masterpiece, which her husband, Ted Hughes, published in 1966 to worldwide acclaim. This collection of Plath's brilliant, thought-provoking, and emotionally resonant poems, including the iconic "Ariel," has captivated readers …
The Magus
Written by: John Fowles
Outline: This captivating literary thriller, brimming with eroticism and suspense, is one of John Fowles's most acclaimed and popular novels, solidifying his reputation as a renowned writer. The story revolves around Nicholas Urfe, a young Englishman who takes a teaching job …
Fox in Socks
Written by: Dr. Seuss
Outline: Dr. Seuss' "Fox in Socks" challenges readers with tongue-twisting games, but Mr. Knox eventually catches on, making this classic a delightful read-aloud for children and adults alike. The story features whimsical scenes, such as Goo-Goose chewing "chewy gluey blue goo" …
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
Written by: Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Outline: Vonnegut's 1965 novel "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater" introduces the character of Eliot Rosewater, a wealthy philanthropist who seeks to put his inheritance to meaningful use, and the science fiction writer Kilgore Trout, who serves as both Rosewater's conscience and …
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
Written by: Philip K. Dick
Outline: In the densely populated world and space colonies of the late 21st century, people find respite from boredom through the drug Can-D, which allows them to share a collective illusion. However, upon returning from an interstellar journey, industrialist Palmer Eldritch …
The Painted Bird
Written by: Jerzy Kosiński
Outline: The novel follows the harrowing journey of a boy abandoned by his parents during World War II, exploring the proximity of terror and savagery to innocence and love.
Everything That Rises Must Converge: Stories
Written by: Flannery O'Connor
Outline: Flannery O'Connor's final collection, an exquisite legacy from a master of the American short story, explores her signature themes of race, faith, and morality, blending the comic and tragic, the beautiful and grotesque, in a distinctly individual style.