Algernon Charles Swinburne published 3 novels, 7 non-fiction books, 16 poetry collections, 6 plays and 8 other books, beginning with Atalanta in Calydon (1865). The best-known is Poems and Ballads (1866).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Algernon Charles Swinburne
Standalone novels in order
Chastelard (1865)
A Year's Letters (1901)
Love's Cross-currents (1905)
Non-fiction in order
William Blake (1868)
George Chapman (1875)
A Note on Charlotte Brontë (1877)
A Study of Shakespeare (1880)
A Study of Victor Hugo (1886)
A Study of Ben Jonson (1889)
The Age of Shakespeare (1908)
Poetry in order
Laus Veneris (1866)
Poems and Ballads (1866)
The Queen-mother, and Rosamond (1866)
A Song of Italy (1867)
Songs Before Sunrise (1871)
Essays and Studies (1875)
Songs of Two Nations (1875)
Studies in Song (1880)
A Century of Roundels (1883)
Miscellanies (1886)
Studies in Prose and Poetry (1894)
The Tale of Balen (1896)
Selected Poems (1904)
The Poems of Algernon Charles Swinburne (1904)
Algernon Charles Swinburne (1917)
Plays in order
Atalanta in Calydon (1865)
Bothwell - A Tragedy (1874)
Locrine (1880)
Marino Faliero (1885)
Mary Stuart (1905)
Other books in order
Erechtheus (1876)
Chastelard, a Tragedy (1878)
Songs of the Springtides (1880)
The Heptalogia (1880)
The Sisters (1892)
Tristram of Lyonesse (1896)
The Works of Algernon Charles Swinburne (1900)
Letters (1959)
Free to read
All free classicsPoems & Ballads (First Series)
Poems & Ballads (Second Series)
Victor Hugo
Astrophel and Other Poems
A Channel Passage and Other Poems
Studies in Song, A Century of Roundels, Sonnets on English Dramatic Poets, The Heptalogia, Etc.
Sonnets, and Sonnets on English Dramatic Poets (1590-1650)
Songs of the Springtides and Birthday Ode
The Duke of Gandia
A Dark Month
About Algernon Charles Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He was a major contributor to the Pre-Raphaelite movement in poetry, along with Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Morris. His greatest works are the verse drama Atalanta in Calydon (1865), written in the form of an Ancient Greek tragedy, and his Pre-Raphaelite Poems and Ballads (1866).
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Algernon Charles Swinburne FAQ
- How many books has Algernon Charles Swinburne written?
- Algernon Charles Swinburne published 3 novels, 7 non-fiction books, 16 poetry collections, 6 plays and 8 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Algernon Charles Swinburne's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Poems and Ballads.
- What is Algernon Charles Swinburne's last book?
- The Age of Shakespeare (1908).
- What is Algernon Charles Swinburne's most famous book?
- Poems and Ballads (1866) is Algernon Charles Swinburne's most widely read book.
- Can I read Algernon Charles Swinburne's books for free?
- Yes. 26 books by Algernon Charles Swinburne are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like Algernon Charles Swinburne
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.