John Ruskin books in order
English writer and art critic
- Lived
- 1819–1900
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Books
- 77
- Also writes as
- Kata Phusin
John Ruskin published 7 novels, 2 novellas, 34 non-fiction books, 1 children's book, 2 poetry collections and 31 other books, beginning with The King of the Golden River (1842). The best-known is The Stones of Venice (1850).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with John Ruskin
Standalone novels in order
Unto This Last (1860)
The Ethics of the Dust (1865)
Fors Clavigera (1871)
Dame Wiggins of Lee and Her Seven Wonderful Cats (1885)
The Bible of Amiens (1885)
The Ethics of the Dust: Fiction (1890)
Novellas in order
The King of the Golden River (1842)
Three Letters and an Essay, 1836-1841 (1893)
Non-fiction in order
The Stones of Venice (1850)
letters from Venice, 1851-1852 (1852)
Lectures on Architecture and Painting (1853)
The Elements of Drawing (1857)
The Political Economy of Art (1857)
True and Beautiful (1858)
Modern Painters (1860)
Pre-Raphaelitism (1860)
The Crown of Wild Olive (1867)
Time and Tide (1867)
Catalogue of Examples Arranged for Elementary Study in the University Galleries (1870)
Lectures on Art (1870)
Sesame and Lillies (1870)
Munera Pulveris (1871)
The Eagle's Nest (1872)
Mornings in Florence (1873)
St. Mark's Rest (1877)
Letters to the Clergy on the Lord's Prayer and the Church (1879)
Arrows of the Chace (1880)
Of Queens' Gardens (1880)
Our Fathers Have Told Us: Part I. the Bible of Amiens. Chapter Iv. Interpretations-- (1880)
The Art of England (1880)
The Pleasures of England (1884)
Praeterita (1885)
Art and Life (1886)
Hortus Inclusus: Messages from the Wood to the Garden, Sent in Happy Days to the Sister Ladies (1887)
Proserpina (1897)
Deucalion; Also, the King of the Golden River; the Eagle's Nest; Arrows of the Chace (1898)
The Art of England and the Pleasures of England (1898)
The Two Paths (1898)
Sesame and Lilies, Unto This Last-the Queen of the Air, the Storm Cloud of the Nineteenth Century (1899)
The Harbours of England (1902)
Giotto and His Works in Padua (1906)
Children's books in order
The Laws Of Fesole (1877)
Poetry in order
The True and the Beautiful in Nature, Art, Morals, and Religion (1858)
The Poetry of Architecture (1877)
Other books in order
Letters Addressed to a College Friend During the Years 1840-1845 (1844)
Modern Painters Vol Iii (1849)
The Elements of Perspective (1859)
Precious Thoughts, Moral and Religious (1865)
Queen of the Air (1869)
Ariadne Florentina: Six Lectures on Wood and Metal Engraving, with Appendix (1872)
[Works.] (1873)
Art Culture (1873)
Love's Meinie (1873)
Love's Meinie: Lectures on Greek and English Birds (1873)
Frondes Agrestes (1874)
Bibliotheca Pastorum (1876)
Guide to the Principal Pictures in the Academy of Fine Arts at Venice (1877)
Notes by Mr. Ruskin (1878)
Pearls for Young Ladies (1878)
Crown of Wild Olives (1880)
Elements of English Prosody for Use in St. George's Schools. Explanatory of the Various Terms (1880)
Catalogue Of The Drawings And Sketches By J. M. W. Turner At Present Exhibited In The National Gallery (1881)
On the Old Road: A Collection of Miscellaneous Essays, Pamphlets, Etc., Etc (1885)
Dilecta (1886)
Hortus Inclusus (1887)
Modern Painters. General Index, Bibliography, and Notes: General Index (1888)
Aratra Pentelici (1890)
Sesame and Lilies (1890)
Val D'Arno (1890)
Letters to William Ward (1893)
Verona And Other Lectures (1894)
Writings (Little Masterpieces) (1898)
The Nature of Gothic (1899)
Sesame and Lilies, and the King of the Golden River (1900)
The Two Boyhoods and Other Select Passages (1900)
Free to read
All free classicsModern Painters, Volume 1 (of 5)
The Elements of Drawing, in Three Letters to Beginners
The Stones of Venice, Volume 2 (of 3)
The Stones of Venice, Volume 1 (of 3)
On the Old Road, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Modern Painters, Volume 4 (of 5)
Modern Painters, Volume 2 (of 5)
Lectures on Architecture and Painting, Delivered at Edinburgh in November 1853
Modern Painters, Volume 5 (of 5)
Selections From the Works of John Ruskin
The Stones of Venice, Volume 3 (of 3)
Modern Painters, Volume 3 (of 5)
Aratra Pentelici, Seven Lectures on the Elements of Sculpture
Ariadne Florentina
About John Ruskin
John Ruskin was an English polymath – a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as art, architecture, political economy, education, museology, geology, botany, ornithology, literature, history, and myth.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
John Ruskin FAQ
- How many books has John Ruskin written?
- John Ruskin published 7 novels, 2 novellas, 34 non-fiction books, 1 children's book, 2 poetry collections and 31 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read John Ruskin's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Stones of Venice.
- What is John Ruskin's last book?
- The Harbours of England (1902).
- What is John Ruskin's most famous book?
- The Stones of Venice (1850) is John Ruskin's most widely read book.
- Does John Ruskin write under a pen name?
- Yes: John Ruskin has also published as Kata Phusin.
- Can I read John Ruskin's books for free?
- Yes. 39 books by John Ruskin are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like John Ruskin
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.