Portrait of John Lyly

John Lyly books in order

English playwright, poet and dramatist

Lived
1554–1606
Country
England
Books
9

John Lyly published 3 novels, 4 plays and 2 other books, beginning with Euphues the Anatomy of Wit (1580). The best-known is Euphues (1600).

Updated September 2026

Where to start with John Lyly

Standalone novels in order

  1. Euphues the Anatomy of Wit (1580)

    384 pages

  2. Euphues and His England (1597)

    227 pages

  3. Euphues (1600)

    479 pages

Plays in order

  1. Campaspe (1584)

    307 pages

  2. Sapho and Phao (1584)

    51 pages

  3. Gallathea (1592)

    55 pages

  4. Endymion (1997)

    224 pages

Other books in order

  1. Alexander and Campaspe (1584)

    60 pages

  2. Mother Bombie (1594)

    70 pages

About John Lyly

John Lyly was an English writer, playwright, courtier, and parliamentarian. He first achieved success with his two books Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit (1578) and its sequel Euphues and His England (1580), and then became a dramatist, writing eight plays which survive, at least six of which were performed before Queen Elizabeth I. Lyly's distinctive and much imitated literary style, named after the title character of his two books, is known as euphuism. He is sometimes grouped with other professional dramatists of the 1580s and 1590s like Christopher Marlowe, Robert Greene, Thomas Nashe, George Peele, and Thomas Lodge, as one of the so-called University Wits. He has been credited by some scholars with writing the first English novel, and as being 'the father of English comedy'.

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

John Lyly FAQ

How many books has John Lyly written?
John Lyly published 3 novels, 4 plays and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read John Lyly's books in?
Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Euphues.
What is John Lyly's last book?
Euphues (1600).
What is John Lyly's most famous book?
Euphues (1600) is John Lyly's most widely read book.

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