Friedrich Dürrenmatt books in order
Swiss author and dramatist
- Lived
- 1921–1990
- Country
- Switzerland
- Books
- 22
Friedrich Dürrenmatt published 11 novels, 5 novellas, 1 short story collection, 4 plays and 1 other book, beginning with A Dangerous Game (1956). The best-known is The Physicists (1962).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Start here
The Physicists
Friedrich Dürrenmatt's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
Romulus the Great (1949)
Suspicion (1952)
The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi (1952)
Once a Greek (1955)
The Pledge: Requiem for the Detective Novel (1958)
Die Stadt (1959)
The Pledge (1959)
The Quarry (1962)
An Angel Comes to Babylon (1964)
Das Versprechen (1966)
The Execution of Justice (1985)
Novellas in order
The Judge and His Hangman (1952)
A Dangerous Game (1956)
Traps (1960)
The Meteor (1966)
The Assignment: Or, on Observing the Observer of the Observer (1986)
Short story collections in order
Panne (Clarendon German) (1967)
Plays in order
The Visit (1956)
The Physicists (1962)
Problems of the Theatre (1966)
Play Strindberg (1969)
Other books in order
Conversation at Night with a Despised Character (1957)
Film and TV adaptations
- End of the Game (1975)Film · from The Judge and His Hangman
- The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi (1961)Film · from The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi
- The Most Wonderful Evening of My Life (1972)Film · from A Dangerous Game
- The Visit (1964 film) (1964)Film · from The Visit
- Hyènes (1992)Film · from The Visit
- Vana daami visiit (2006)Film · from The Visit
- It Happened in Broad Daylight (1958)Film · from The Pledge: Requiem for the Detective Novel
- Twilight (1990)Film · from The Pledge: Requiem for the Detective Novel
- The Pledge (film) (2001)Film · from The Pledge: Requiem for the Detective Novel
About Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Friedrich Dürrenmatt was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant-garde dramas, philosophical crime novels, and macabre satire. Dürrenmatt was a member of the Gruppe Olten, a group of left-wing Swiss writers who convened regularly at a restaurant in the city of Olten.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Friedrich Dürrenmatt FAQ
- How many books has Friedrich Dürrenmatt written?
- Friedrich Dürrenmatt published 11 novels, 5 novellas, 1 short story collection, 4 plays and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Friedrich Dürrenmatt's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Physicists.
- What is Friedrich Dürrenmatt's last book?
- The Assignment: Or, on Observing the Observer of the Observer (1986).
- What is Friedrich Dürrenmatt's most famous book?
- The Physicists (1962) is Friedrich Dürrenmatt's most widely read book.
- Which Friedrich Dürrenmatt books have been adapted?
- 5 books have been adapted for film or TV, including The Judge and His Hangman (as End of the Game, film, 1975), The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi (film, 1961), A Dangerous Game (as The Most Wonderful Evening of My Life, film, 1972) and The Visit (as The Visit (1964 film), film, 1964).
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.