Beginner's Luck: Famous Debut NovelsLike this list

14 items

• The Hobbit

  Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973

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  This debut novel not only brought us a beloved fantasy tale, it also lead to a resurgence of the fantasy genre.

• Carrie

  King, Stephen, 1947-

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  When this book first came out in 1974, the world didn't yet know it was about to crown a King of horror.

• The Notebook

  Sparks, Nicholas,

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  Nicholas Sparks wrote two unpublished novels before "The Notebook," but it was this 1996 romance that became a New York Times Bestseller the first week it was released and launched his career.

• White Teeth

  a Novel

  Smith, Zadie

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  Author Zadie Smith has written six novels total, but it is her best-selling, award-winning literary debut form 2000 that remains her most well-known work.

• The Kite Runner

  Hosseini, Khaled

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  This debut novel is a father-son story set in Afghanistan and spent over two years on the bestseller list.

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

  Rowling, J. K.

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  Talk about hitting the jackpot. The debut story of "the boy who lived" went on to become the bestselling book series of all time and made Rowling the first billionaire author.

• Fight Club

  a Novel

  Palahniuk, Chuck

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  This debut became a cult classic, but is probably best known for its film adaptation. Two "Fight Club" sequels have been released as graphic novels.

• The Bluest Eye

  Morrison, Toni

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  This book shows that Morrison was never afraid to take on difficult subject matter. She would go on to win both a Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize in Literature.

• Native Son

  Wright, Richard, 1908-1960

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  Wright published a collection of novellas before "Native Son" came out in 1939, and published many works of fiction and nonficiton after it. However, this novel that gave voice to African Americans for generations to come remains his most…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

  McCullers, Carson, 1917-1967

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  Carson McCullers was only 23-years-old when she wrote this debut novel that became an instant classic and bestseller.

• Jane Eyre

  Bront©±, Charlotte, 1816-1855

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  This was actually the second novel Charlotte Bronte wrote, but this was the first one to be published and is also considered her masterpiece.

• Things Fall Apart

  Achebe, Chinua

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  Staple reading in high schools across America, this debut is also one of the first African novels to enter the Western canon.

• Catch-22

  Heller, Joseph

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  Joseph Heller not only struck literary gold with this witty debut novel, he also coined an oft-used phrase in the process.

• The Catcher in the Rye

  Salinger, J. D. (Jerome David), 1919-

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  Although this debut marked the beginning of a successful writing career, Salinger struggled with the unwanted notoriety, and none of his subsequent work ever surpassed the fame of his first novel.