John Banville books in order
Irish writer
- Born
- 1945
- Country
- Ireland
- Books
- 35
- Series
- 2
- Also writes as
- Benjamin Black
John Banville has published 28 novels, 2 novellas, 1 non-fiction book, 2 plays and 2 other books, beginning with Kepler, a Novel (1981). The 2 series include Quirke (12 books, starting with Christine Falls) and Alexander and Cass Cleave Trilogy (4 books, starting with The Sea). The best-known is The Sea (2005). The latest is The Drowned (2024).
Updated September 2026
Quirke books in order (12)Series page
Reading order: 1 Christine Falls (2006) · 2 The Silver Swan (2008) · 3 Prague Nights (2017) · 4 A Death in Summer (2011) · 5 Vengeance (2012) · 6 Holy Orders (2013) · 7 Even the Dead (2016) · 8 April in Spain (2021) · 9 Lock-Up (2023) · 10 The Drowned (2024) · … all 12 below
- 1.
Christine Falls (2006), also published as Mrs. Osmond
- 2.
The Silver Swan (2008), also published as The Black Eyed Blonde
- 3.
Prague Nights (2017), also published as Elegy for April
- 4.
A Death in Summer (2011), also published as Venetian Vespers
- 5.
Vengeance (2012)
- 6.
Holy Orders (2013)
- 7.
Even the Dead (2016)
- 8.
April in Spain (2021)
- 9.
Lock-Up (2023)
- 10.
The Drowned (2024)
- 11.
Snow (2020)
- 12.
The Secret Guests (2020)
Alexander and Cass Cleave Trilogy books in order (4)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Sea (2005) · 2 The Infinities (2009) · 3 The Blue Guitar (2015) · 5 The Singularities (2022)
- 1.
The Sea (Jun 2005)
- 2.
The Infinities (Sep 2009)
- 3.
The Blue Guitar (2015)
- 5.
The Singularities (2022)
Where to start with John Banville
Start here
The Sea
John Banville's most-read book and the first of the 4 Alexander and Cass Cleave Trilogy books.
Newest
The Drowned
Published 2024.
Standalone novels in order
Kepler, a Novel (1981)
Birchwood (1984)
Doctor Copernicus (1984)
Mefisto (1986)
The Book of Evidence (1989)
Ghosts (1993)
Athena (1995)
The Untouchable (1997)
Dr Copernicus (1999)
Eclipse (2000)
Frames (2001)
Shroud (2002)
Ancient Light (2012)
Wolf on a String (2017)
Elizabeth Bowen (2019)
Novellas in order
The Newton Letter (1982)
Non-fiction in order
Prague Pictures (2003)
Plays in order
The Broken Jug (1994)
God's Gift (2000)
About John Banville
William John Banville is an Irish novelist, adapter of dramas, and screenwriter. A former member of Aosdána, he voluntarily relinquished the financial stipend in 2001 to another, more impoverished, writer.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
John Banville FAQ
- How many books has John Banville written?
- John Banville has published 28 novels, 2 novellas, 1 non-fiction book, 2 plays and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read John Banville's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Quirke with Christine Falls and Alexander and Cass Cleave Trilogy with The Sea. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is John Banville's latest book?
- The Drowned (2024).
- What is John Banville's most famous book?
- The Sea (2005) is John Banville's most widely read book.
- Are John Banville's books connected?
- 16 books belong to 2 series (Quirke and Alexander and Cass Cleave Trilogy); the other 19 books stand alone.
- Does John Banville write under a pen name?
- Yes: John Banville has also published as Benjamin Black.
Authors like John Banville
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.