What order should I read John O'Hara's books in?

Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Appointment in Samarra.

What is John O'Hara's most famous book?

Appointment in Samarra (1934) is John O'Hara's most widely read book.

Which John O'Hara books have been adapted?

1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including BUtterfield 8 (film, 1960).

John O'Hara books in order

American journalist and writer

Lived: 1905–1970
Country: United States
Books: 31

Literary fiction

John O'Hara published 18 novels, 2 novellas, 9 short story collections and 2 other books, beginning with Appointment in Samarra (1934).

Updated September 2026

Where to start with John O'Hara

Start here
Appointment in Samarra
John O'Hara's most-read book.

Standalone novels in order

Appointment in Samarra (1934)
301 pages
Buy
BUtterfield 8 (1935)
268 pagesAdapted for film
Buy
Pal Joey (1940)
195 pages
Buy
Pipe Night (1945)
205 pages
Buy
Here's O'Hara (1946)
440 pages
Buy
Hellbox (1947)
200 pages
Buy
Sweet and Sour (1954)
162 pages
Buy
Ten North Frederick (1955)
408 pages
Buy
From the Terrace (1958)
897 pages
Buy
Ourselves to Know (1960)
408 pages
Buy
Sermons and Soda-water (1960)
244 pages
Buy
The Big Laugh (1962)
279 pages
Buy
The Cape Cod Lighter (1962)
368 pages
Buy
Elizabeth Appleton (1963)
310 pages
Buy
The Lockwood Concern (1965)
407 pages
Buy
Waiting for Winter (1966)
466 pages
Buy
The Instrument (1967)
297 pages
Buy
The Ewings (1972)
311 pages
Buy

Novellas in order

A Family Party (1956)
72 pages
Buy
Sermons & Soda Water (1960)
110 pages
Buy

Short story collections in order

Selected Short Stories (1956)
303 pages
Buy
Selected Short Stories of John O'Hara (1956)
265 pages
Buy
Assembly (1961)
371 pages
Buy
The Hat on the Bed (1963)
405 pages
Buy
The Horse Knows the Way (1964)
408 pages
Buy
And Other Stories (1968)
336 pages
Buy
Collected Stories of John O'Hara (1984)
414 pages
Buy
Gibbsville, Pa (1992)
864 pages
Buy
The New York Stories (2013)
400 pages
Buy

Other books in order

The Farmers Hotel (1960)
119 pages
Buy
Imagine Kissing Pete (1961)
Buy

Film and TV adaptations

BUtterfield 8 (1960)Film · from BUtterfield 8

About John O'Hara

John Henry O'Hara was an American writer. He was one of America's most prolific writers of short stories, credited with helping to invent The New Yorker magazine short story style. He became a best-selling novelist before the age of 30 with Appointment in Samarra and BUtterfield 8. While O'Hara's legacy as a writer is debated, his work was praised by such contemporaries as Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his champions rank him highly among the major under-appreciated American writers of the 20th century. Few college students educated after O'Hara's death in 1970 have discovered him, chiefly because he refused to allow his work to be reprinted in anthologies used to teach literature at the college level.

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

John O'Hara FAQ

How many books has John O'Hara written?: John O'Hara published 18 novels, 2 novellas, 9 short story collections and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read John O'Hara's books in?: Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Appointment in Samarra.
What is John O'Hara's last book?: The Ewings (1972).
What is John O'Hara's most famous book?: Appointment in Samarra (1934) is John O'Hara's most widely read book.
Which John O'Hara books have been adapted?: 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including BUtterfield 8 (film, 1960).