Best 1800s Historical Fiction

Non-genre novels and short stories written after the 1800s, but set (at least partially) in the 1800s. Literary fiction only. Award-winning, critically acclaimed, well-reviewed by readers, and/or what you've read and loved.

Other readers should have given the book mostly 3 stars and above.
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4.33 avg rating — 90,855 ratings
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3.88 avg rating — 55,077 ratings
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4.02 avg rating — 116,201 ratings
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4.23 avg rating — 297,499 ratings
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3.30 avg rating — 109,064 ratings
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3.90 avg rating — 83,472 ratings
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4.36 avg rating — 156,605 ratings
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3.78 avg rating — 18,390 ratings
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15

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3.97 avg rating — 42,218 ratings
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4.06 avg rating — 15,722 ratings
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17

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3.84 avg rating — 145,574 ratings
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18

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4.09 avg rating — 383,937 ratings
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19

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3.90 avg rating — 57,634 ratings
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20

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4.25 avg rating — 18,061 ratings
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21

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3.43 avg rating — 549,009 ratings
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22

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4.17 avg rating — 359,197 ratings
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23

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3.97 avg rating — 29,319 ratings
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24

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3.83 avg rating — 23,913 ratings
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25

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4.25 avg rating — 9,762 ratings
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26

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4.76 avg rating — 2,323 ratings
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26

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4.01 avg rating — 5,669 ratings
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28

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3.86 avg rating — 6,463 ratings
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29

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3.89 avg rating — 54,838 ratings
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30

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4.05 avg rating — 76,991 ratings
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30

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3.90 avg rating — 25,704 ratings
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32

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3.97 avg rating — 10,932 ratings
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33

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4.25 avg rating — 878 ratings
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34

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4.01 avg rating — 66,876 ratings
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35

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3.93 avg rating — 8,411 ratings
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4.09 avg rating — 10,530 ratings
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36

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4.04 avg rating — 154,300 ratings
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38

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3.99 avg rating — 1,817 ratings
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39

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4.20 avg rating — 138,919 ratings
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40

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3.82 avg rating — 76,816 ratings
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41

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3.83 avg rating — 1,323,805 ratings
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42

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3.97 avg rating — 163,823 ratings
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43

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4.37 avg rating — 6,866 ratings
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44

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4.11 avg rating — 26,013 ratings
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45

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3.91 avg rating — 135,197 ratings
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46

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4.15 avg rating — 13,127 ratings
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47

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4.23 avg rating — 4,640 ratings
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48

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3.65 avg rating — 90,480 ratings
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49

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3.70 avg rating — 4,590 ratings
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49

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3.87 avg rating — 251,274 ratings
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51

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3.85 avg rating — 71,520 ratings
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52

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4.47 avg rating — 90,575 ratings
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3.64 avg rating — 6,077 ratings
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4.06 avg rating — 180,045 ratings
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4.27 avg rating — 8,736 ratings
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56

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4.25 avg rating — 704,700 ratings
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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 17,409 ratings
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4.11 avg rating — 3,233 ratings
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59

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4.01 avg rating — 45,291 ratings
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60

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3.73 avg rating — 21,690 ratings
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61

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3.90 avg rating — 61 ratings
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61

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 419 ratings
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61

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4.42 avg rating — 226 ratings
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64

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4.39 avg rating — 216 ratings
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65

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4.45 avg rating — 164 ratings
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66

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4.44 avg rating — 170 ratings
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67

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4.19 avg rating — 2,084 ratings
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68

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3.74 avg rating — 15,741 ratings
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69

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4.25 avg rating — 16,333 ratings
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70

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3.84 avg rating — 26,019 ratings
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71

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4.26 avg rating — 329,246 ratings
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72

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4.10 avg rating — 5,618 ratings
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73

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3.67 avg rating — 3,531 ratings
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74

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4.04 avg rating — 2,439 ratings
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75

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4.39 avg rating — 6,280 ratings
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76

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3.84 avg rating — 9,633 ratings
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77

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3.96 avg rating — 53,783 ratings
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78

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4.08 avg rating — 50,191 ratings
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78

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3.73 avg rating — 4,334 ratings
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80

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3.81 avg rating — 641 ratings
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81

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4.12 avg rating — 22,947 ratings
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82

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3.78 avg rating — 13,926 ratings
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83

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3.69 avg rating — 4,407 ratings
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84

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4.17 avg rating — 2,409,718 ratings
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85

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4.07 avg rating — 7,509 ratings
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86

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3.86 avg rating — 2,259 ratings
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87

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3.54 avg rating — 17,412 ratings
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87

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3.75 avg rating — 78,743 ratings
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89

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4.17 avg rating — 1,784 ratings
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89

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3.81 avg rating — 128 ratings
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89

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4.73 avg rating — 11 ratings
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92

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3.87 avg rating — 16,579 ratings
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92

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3.81 avg rating — 24,772 ratings
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92

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4.25 avg rating — 48 ratings
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95

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4.63 avg rating — 111 ratings
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96

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4.46 avg rating — 150 ratings
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97

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3.85 avg rating — 38,839 ratings
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98

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4.26 avg rating — 243 ratings
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99

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4.35 avg rating — 1,096 ratings
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99

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3.62 avg rating — 15,852 ratings
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87 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


El 4889 books
45 friends
Scott L. 1496 books
64 friends
Susanna - Censored by GoodReads 3384 books
853 friends
Boots 913 books
28 friends
Jon 1972 books
46 friends
Linda 2 books
0 friends
Susan 1661 books
11 friends
Nichole 4973 books
37 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-10 of 10 (10 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads I have real doubts about The Count of Monte Cristo - Dumas was writing about his own time.


message 2: by El (new)

El I agree. To me, historical fiction means something written about another time period; not one's own.


message 3: by El (new)

El And that's in fact what the list criteria says - set in the 1800s but written after this period.


message 4: by Michael (new)

Michael Spisak good morning,

My first novel, Full Circle, is now available on Amazon.com as paperback and Kindle. I invite you to pick up a copy and if you choose, post a review. Good or bad I am interested in your opinion.

~michael "hawk" spisak


message 5: by Misfit (new)

Misfit Michael wrote: "good morning,

My first novel, Full Circle, is now available on Amazon.com as paperback and Kindle. I invite you to pick up a copy and if you choose, post a review. Good or bad I am interested in ..."


??????


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Is it even historical fiction set in the 1800s? From its blurb it doesn't look like it.


message 7: by Misfit (new)

Misfit Susanna wrote: "Is it even historical fiction set in the 1800s? From its blurb it doesn't look like it."

Doesn't look like he put it on this list, just spammed his book :/


message 8: by Manray9 (new)

Manray9 J.G. Farrell's "Troubles" takes place during the Irish uprising after the Great War. Good book, but wrong century for this list.


message 9: by Elyse✨ (new)

Elyse✨ I removed "The Story of My Life" by Helen Keller. It's her memoir!


message 10: by Fiona (last edited Dec 10, 2020 02:46AM) (new)

Fiona Hurley Set in 20th century:
#317 Rebecca
#384 A Farewell to Arms

Not historical fiction:
#297 Cary Grant: A Class Apart
#337 North and South
#363 Little Women
#384 We the Living
#387 Testament of Youth
#414 Twelve Years a Slave


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