Last Novels That Last in Our Memories

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In 2018, I wrote about late-career novels. Today, I’m going to tighten that focus to discuss final novels.

There’s something poignant and memorable about an author’s last book — whether it’s good or not-so-good, finished or unfinished, written when the author was aged or relatively young, published in the author’s lifetime or posthumously, etc.

Few final novels are the very best of an author’s canon, given that many soon-to-die people are often not in the very best of health — and/or perhaps not brimming with as many new ideas as when they were in their writing primes. But there can be exceptions or near-exceptions.

A couple of mentions before I begin: I’m focusing on authors with a number of books in their canon, not authors who wrote only one or two novels. And there have been some cases where posthumously published novels were written by the author before other novels by the author, so I’m not considering those to be final books — even if they were the last to be released.

Maybe the most famous last hurrah was The Brothers Karamazov (1880), considered one of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s two best novels along with Crime and Punishment. Dostoevsky died at age 59, so there might been more stellar works ahead; in fact, the author reportedly envisioned The Brothers Karamazov as the first of a trilogy. But death intervened in early 1881.

George Eliot, who died in 1880 at age 61, saw her final novel Daniel Deronda published in 1876. Not as highly esteemed as Middlemarch, but I found it to be her most emotionally gripping work. Quite a fiction finale, as it turned out.

Ten years later, in 1886, Herman Melville began sporadic work on Billy Budd — not finishing it before he died in 1891 at age 72. It was finally published in 1924, and is in the conversation as possibly the best Melville novel other than Moby-Dick (1851).

Staying with the 19th century, the novel that Charlotte Bronte wrote last was Villette (1853) — which has many good moments but nowhere near the power of the author’s Jane Eyre (1847). With her young novelist sisters Emily and Anne dying in 1848 and in 1849, respectively, Charlotte was understandably depressed during the Villette writing process. She died in 1855 at age 38.

In the 1890s, Robert Louis Stevenson worked on two novels simultaneously — both of which he would not finish before his 1894 death at age 44. One of them, Weir of Hermiston, is a quantum-leap better than his excellent previous fiction.

Unfinished as well was The Last Tycoon by F. Scott Fitzgerald — who also passed at 44, in 1940. Not The Great Gatsby or Tender Is the Night, but very compelling.

John Steinbeck’s final novel (though not his final book) was The Winter of Our Discontent (1961), which is very absorbing, even if not in The Grapes of Wrath masterpiece territory. Steinbeck died in 1968 at age 66.

Any final novels you’d like to mention?

My literary-trivia book is described and can be purchased here: Fascinating Facts About Famous Fiction Authors and the Greatest Novels of All Time.

In addition to this weekly blog, I write the 2003-started/award-winning “Montclairvoyant” topical-humor column every Thursday for Montclair Local. The latest piece — about a huge unpaid municipal utility bill and more — is here.

94 thoughts on “Last Novels That Last in Our Memories”

  1. The First Man is my favorite. It’s a fictional autobiography by Albert Camus, published in 1996. Although it may not be his last posthumous work, I think it is the most memorable, one of the most heartwarming and revealing memoirs I’ve ever read. I copied his style in a lot of my early writing. People thought I was crazy when I told them that. But the style isn’t like any of Camus’ other works, It’s more sensitive and revealing, the account of a boy growing up in Algiers during the country’s worst turmoil. I highly recommend it as a stepping stone for authors who plan on writing their memoirs.

    The story of “Jacques Cormery, a boy who lived a life much like [Camus’] own, with the sights, sounds and textures of a childhood steeped in poverty . . . yet redeemed by the beauty of Algeria and the boy’s attachment to his mother.” Amazon

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    • Thank you, Pablo! Great mention, described very well by you! I hadn’t heard of “The First Man,” which does sound exceptional.

      My sole experience with Camus’s work has been “The Plague,” which I thought was powerful and terrific; and “The Stranger,” which I had some mixed feelings about but liked a lot overall.

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      • I read “The Stranger” and got the impression it was about a chain smoker who did or didn’t like the heat of the sun. His indifference to the murder didn’t phase me. I couldn’t get into “The Plague”. I think reading The First Man ruined me for his philosophical works. It was the first Camus I read when it was placed on our library’s New Releases cart. Great book.

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        • Interesting, Pablo, that you like a lesser-known book the most among Camus’ work. Definitely happens! I can think of several authors (Walter Scott, George Eliot, Erich Maria Remarque, etc.) whose most-famous books were not my favorite books by them.

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  2. I decided to adopt the Thumper Dictim, and having nothing nice to say about the examples (both out of one author) that came to mind, I chose silence. The Harper Lee example has been thoroughly aired hereabouts in prior posts, so that one likewise I have left alone, except to say, at least in the case of “Go Set A Watchman”, her wishes were unclear, as the author’s mind was cloudy.

    But today I came across the news that the son of Gabriel Garcia Marquez is going to publish his last novel, “Until August”,written, according to the author, as he began to succumb to dementia, and not, again according to the author, a worthy addition to his oeuvre. He wanted it destroyed. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/mar/08/gabriel-garcia-marquez-son-publishing-fathers-work-until-august

    Hard to conclude here– Kafka, Emily Dickinson, and others have wanted similar destruction, and the world is richer for their executors having ignored them. But Marquez was sure of his own decline; he could see it on the page.

    Thoughts?

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    • Thank you, jhNY! In the case of “Until August” — as with “Go Set a Watchman,” which I realize was a far-from-identical situation — I would have left it unpublished.

      With Emily Dickinson and Franz Kafka, the work that was posthumously released was peak work, so I feel more ambivalent. Leaning toward publishing, as happened many decades ago — and readers are grateful.

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      • Thank you, Rebecca, for the link! This is a complicated issue. I think authors’ wishes should be respected, and that books they didn’t want published shouldn’t be published posthumously. But I do wonder why authors who feel that way about a book don’t destroy the manuscript when they feel death is close. (I realize this might not always be possible.) What do you think?

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        • I am with you,Dave. I think author’s wishes should be respected. As you wrote, it is a very complex discussion!! It goes to the state of mind. For example, my heart sank when I read Claude Monet’s words “My life has been nothing but a failure.” I think of Martha Washington who destroyed all of her correspondence with George Washington after his death. A huge amount of knowledge was forever lost. (I read that four letters slipped past her censorship, thankfully).

          But to your pivotal question – why didn’t authors destroy their work before they died. Perhaps they had a sentimental attachment to the story and delegated their wishes to another. The caveat, of course: will the person attend to their wishes? It would be a heavy responsibility to bear for those given the request not to publish. They would have to balance the wishes of the author against the greater need of society. Is it fair that history does not include this story? How many people would benefit from reading the story?

          What a wonderful conversation. For it speaks to our writings, our legacy. At the end of life, how do we want to be remembered.

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          • Great thoughts and observations, Rebecca!

            I didn’t know Martha Washington destroyed most of her correspondence with George Washington. Perhaps she believed the letters were too personal for public scrutiny, but that IS a big historical loss.

            Your points and questions in your second and third paragraphs make a LOT of sense. Yes, how we want to be remembered is a major and profound thing.

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  4. Hi Dave, you have mentioned some excellent authors here and many books I have read and enjoyed. I can’t say I’ve ever worried about the order of an author’s books and whether it was an early or a final one. I’ve mentioned before that I tend to read an author’s best book/s. So many books, so little time.

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      • Thank you, Robbie! “The Old Man and the Sea” is a terrific mention! I hadn’t remembered that that title was the last Hemingway novel published during his lifetime. And I hear you that the order in which an author wrote her or his books is not necessarily a big thing; if the book is good, it’s good. 🙂

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  5. How about Jane Austen? She’s one of my favourite authors, particularly ‘Pride and Prejudice’ (such fun), which I have read many times – from 12 years and up each decade. I knew that she was not recognised until much later after she died. Eventually, Jane Austen had become a legend. Now she’s in films and series. Who has read the spoof ‘Death Comes to Pemberley’ from the wonderful P.D. James?

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    • Thank you, Chris! I’m also a fan of Jane Austen and, yes, although she had a small measure of renown during her lifetime, she and her work became much more famous long after her death. Nice that you keep returning to “Pride and Prejudice”! (I’ve read her six novels only once apiece.) As Darlene and I discussed in another comment here, “Persuasion” is my favorite Austen but “Pride and Prejudice” is a strong second.

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  6. Hi Dave,

    Back in 2018, based on this blog, I put Jules Verne’s “Paris in the Twentieth Century” on my TBR. I finished reading it last week and must admit to being disappointed. I just looked through some of the 2018 posts to see who might have recommended it and why, but all I can see is that you were going to read it. Did you? Were you also a little underwhelmed at the lack of story despite Verne being somewhat prophetic with the inventions?

    Anyway luckily for me, nobody would publish it when it was written in the 1860s. It wasn’t actually published until the 1990s when the ‘lost novel’ was found by a family member. So given that it was published long after Verne had died, I’d say it fits into your topic this week.

    So, one little book that I didn’t even like isn’t much of an offering from me. But I am VERY happy that I was completely wrong about what I thought your topic was this week. When the picture came up on my phone for a split second heart attack moment, I thought this was YOUR final blog! Relief isn’t a big enough word 🙂

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    • Thank you very much, Sue! 🙂

      I thought “Paris in the Twentieth Century” was an interesting, decent read, but far from Jules Verne’s best. As you note, it did certainly have some dead-on predictions for modern life!

      Sorry about that “Final” scare. I can see how the graphic at the top of this week’s post could make a person think I was ending this blog. I guess visitors to this blog are stuck with me for the foreseeable future. 🙂

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      • Whether it’s Verne’s lack of art and literature, or Orwell’s Big Brother, Bradbury’s book burning, or Huxley’s shiny happy drug addicts, I’m very glad to be ‘stuck’ in a future that has your blog in it 🙂

        I grew up with a lot of Stephen King books. He’s still my go to author when I’m desperate for a comfort read. Though it hasn’t happened yet, I’ll be very sad when his final book is published

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        • Ha, Sue! 😂 Thank you! I guess my blog’s future is not TOO dystopian. 🙂

          Stephen King is so prolific it’s hard to imagine no more books from him. But I just looked up his age (76); time marches on… 😦

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  7. Hello Dave!

    I was going to mention “The Last Tycoon”, which I should read. I did work on that movie about F. Scott (Jeremy Irons) when he was working on said book. It was a great peek into that time of the last of his life. Sissy Spacek played Zelda.

    Then I wondered what Lucy Maude Montgomery’s last book was. After all, I figure I’ve read all of her books. NOT!

    Her last book was “The Blythes Are Quoted”, which was not published in its entirety until 2009.

    So I popped over to the Toronto Library site to reserve both books.

    NOT … again. I guess. the Toronto Library system can’t afford the ransom, so they are staring over. Last I read they had begun to re-shelve over one million books.

    What a stupid thing. The hacking, not your post. Your post is terrific!

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  8. Persuasion by Jane Austen was the last completed novel by the author and published six months after her death. I think it is her best work. It shows her maturity as a writer. The main character, Anne Elliot, is older than her previous main characters, and the overall message is that it’s never too late to find happiness.

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  9. A great post and a wonderful follow-up discussion.

    I think that the expectation that last novels should be the best often stems from my assumption that writers have honed their skills over time, culminating in their final work being the pinnacle of their craft. And then there is the thought that writers, knowing that this is their hurrah, may put extra effort into their last novel, wanting to leave a lasting impression on their readers and solidify their legacy in the literary world.

    As you know, I read many novels by Leon Uris. His last book was “O’Hara’s Choice” published in 2003, three months after he died. I never read the book but understand that it is a historical novel set during the American Civil War. The story follows the life of Stephen O’Hara, an Irish immigrant who becomes involved in the conflict. The novel provides a vivid portrayal of the challenges faced by immigrants during this tumultuous period in American history

    The sentiment that came through the reviews was that the book was “spellbinding” and a page turner. Others were disappointed, using the words “contrived” and had too much romance.

    Was this his greatest work? Probably not. But here is a thought – was it because the readership of contemporary historical storytelling had changed. I think Leon Uris says it best:

    “You can try to reach an audience, but you just write what comes out of you and you just hope that it is accepted. You do not write specifically to a generation.”

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  10. A sober post, Dave. I’ve had several favorite novelists over the years who have since passed on. Yet, I cannot recall reading their final novel. I suppose the quality of the final novel would depend upon the condition of their health, as in the case of Charlotte Bronte.

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  11. I learned a lot with this post – although I’m sad to say I don’t think I’ve ready any of them. Looks like I have some stuff to add to my list! 🙂 I haven’t read too many “final novels” as a lot of them are unfinished and the thought of that bothers me for some reason. I think because I don’t want to leave behind an unfinished work for people to read haha. 🙂 Hope all is well with you Dave!

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    • Thank you, M.B.!

      I hear you about the frustration involved in reading unfinished novels. I tend to mostly avoid them, but have made a few exceptions (“The Last Tycoon,” “Weir of Hermiston,” Alexandre Dumas’ “The Last Cavalier,” etc.). And, yes, the thought of leaving something undone would be irksome to most authors. 🙂 😦

      Hope all is well with you, too!

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  14. Many thanks for another excellent post, Dave. I haven’t yet got around to Dostoyevsky, but he’s on my list. I’ve read Daniel Deronda, and agree that it’s not Eliot’s finest. You’ve got me thinking, as usual, so I’ll have to come back when I’ve found a few examples of literary ‘Last hurrahs’ – even if they are a whimper rather than a bang. 😊

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    • Thank you, Laura! You’re in for a (disturbing) treat when you read Dostoevsky. 🙂 I realize “Daniel Deronda” is not George Eliot’s best novel, but it definitely kept me glued to the pages, and, as I said in the post, I found it to be her most emotionally powerful novel. And, yes, some whimpers or near-whimpers among last books — the ones by Erich Maria Remarque, Willa Cather, and Jack Finney come to mind.

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      • Hi again Dave. Yes, I agree that Daniel Deronda is an important novel, just not my favourite of Eliot’s. No time like the present though, I just found a free ebook of The Brothers Karamazov, although with my TBR list I don’t know when I’ll get to it. I guess it’s cheating to mention Wuthering Heights–both first and last for Emily Bronte, if you discount her poems and childhood writing. The same goes for Harper Lee and her one book–but what a book To Kill a Mockingbird it! Go Set a Watchman doesn’t count, from what I’ve heard, it seems to have just been an early draft of Mockingbird, shamelessly used after her death to try to make more money–the bane of our existence. I’m currently reading Keep the Aspidistra Flying by Orwell, and Gordon Comstock has very fixed views on the matter! Excuse me, I’ve gone off-subject, but what a fascinating subject and the thoughts to which it leads. I’ll be back if I think of anything else, but for now many thanks again. 🙂

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  15. Arthur C. Clarke wrote The Last Theorem in 2008 but had to ask for help to finish it due to his ill health (Frederik Pohl). It was not well received and I did not get around to reading it. August Strindberg, one of Sweden’s best known authors, wrote his last novel Inferno in 1897, which was somewhat well received. Well he wrote a novella and a biography after that. Wilhelm Moberg, another of Sweden’s best known authors, wrote his last novel The Last Letter Home in 1959. It was very well received. I did not read the book but I saw the movie, and it was great.

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    • Thank you, Thomas, for those interesting examples of last novels! Definitely shows that some can be very good and some not-so-good. I suppose it doesn’t help when an author needs a collaborator due to ill health, as was the case with Clarke.

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  16. I thought of Funeral Games, the final book in Mary Renault’s trilogy about Alexander the Great. It seems it was in fact her last novel.

    Although I greatly enjoyed the first two books, I must say that without Alexander as a character (since it’s set after his death), this book dims by comparison. It’s also pretty grim, describing the disintegration of Alexander’s empire and a scramble for revenge and self-preservation by those he left behind.

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  17. Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy of crime novels, all published posthumously. I really hated his passing since I consider him an immense talent. Susi

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  19. Have you read Nicholas Evans’ books Dave? I reread his last novel The Brave when died at the of 72 in August 2022. The Horse Whisperer was his best. I have yet to find his other books, I have five of them.

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  20. The only book I read of Fyodor Dostoevsky was Crime and Punishment when I was in college. I was then looking for Brothers Karamasov but I didn’t find a copy.

    I read those memoirs by Peter Mayle and wheh he died, I read one more.🥰

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    • “Crime and Punishment” is an incredible book, Arlene. One of my three or four favorite novels ever. I like it better overall than “The Brothers Karamazov,” but parts of the “TBK” are out-of-this-world good.

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  21. Another interesting topic, Dave. I’ll pop back later to check the comments. I like the examples you gave, particularly Billy Budd. I’ve followed a couple authors through their careers, but in most cases, their final books aren’t the ones I remember.

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