How many books has Claude Lévi-Strauss written?

Claude Lévi-Strauss published 1 novel, 16 non-fiction books and 8 other books that we list, as of September 2026.

What order should I read Claude Lévi-Strauss's books in?

Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Tristes Tropiques.

What is Claude Lévi-Strauss's most famous book?

Tristes Tropiques (1955) is Claude Lévi-Strauss's most widely read book.

Claude Lévi-Strauss books in order

French anthropologist and ethnologist

Lived: 1908–2009
Country: France
Books: 25

Claude Lévi-Strauss published 1 novel, 16 non-fiction books and 8 other books, beginning with Tristes Tropiques (1955).

Updated September 2026

Where to start with Claude Lévi-Strauss

Start here
Tristes Tropiques
Claude Lévi-Strauss's most-read book.

Standalone novels in order

Structural Anthropology - Claude Lévi-Strauss (1958)
433 pages
Buy

Non-fiction in order

Tristes Tropiques (1955)
416 pages
Buy
Race and History (1958)
127 pages
Buy
Conversations with Claude Lévi-Strauss (1961)
160 pages
Buy
The Savage Mind (1962)
290 pages
Buy
Totemism (1963)
116 pages
Buy
The Raw and the Cooked (1964)
387 pages
Buy
From Honey to Ashes (1966)
512 pages
Buy
Myth and Meaning (1978)
54 pages
Buy
The Origin of Table Manners (1978)
551 pages
Buy
The Naked Man (1981)
746 pages
Buy
The Way of the Masks (1981)
249 pages
Buy
The View from Afar (1985)
311 pages
Buy
The Jealous Potter (1988)
250 pages
Buy
Look, Listen, Read (1993)
202 pages
Buy
Saudades Do Brasil (1994)
223 pages
Buy
Wild Thought (2021)
328 pages
Buy

Other books in order

Elementary Structures of Kinship (1967)
541 pages
Buy
The Scope of Anthropology (1967)
55 pages
Buy
Claude Lévi-Strauss (1970)
215 pages
Buy
Anthropologie Structurale Deux (1973)
Buy
Anthropology and Myth (1987)
232 pages
Buy
Introduction to the Work of Marcel Mauss (1987)
104 pages
Buy
The Story of Lynx (1995)
276 pages
Buy
Other Face of the Moon (2013)
192 pages
Buy

About Claude Lévi-Strauss

Claude Lévi-Strauss was a Belgian-born French anthropologist and ethnologist whose work was key in the development of the theories of structuralism and structural anthropology. He held the chair of Social Anthropology at the Collège de France between 1959 and 1982, was elected a member of the Académie française in 1973 and was a member of the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences in Paris. He received numerous honors from universities and institutions throughout the world.

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Claude Lévi-Strauss FAQ

How many books has Claude Lévi-Strauss written?: Claude Lévi-Strauss published 1 novel, 16 non-fiction books and 8 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read Claude Lévi-Strauss's books in?: Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Tristes Tropiques.
What is Claude Lévi-Strauss's last book?: Saudades Do Brasil (1994).
What is Claude Lévi-Strauss's most famous book?: Tristes Tropiques (1955) is Claude Lévi-Strauss's most widely read book.

Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.