Peter Handke has published 16 novels, 9 novellas, 1 short story collection, 1 poetry collection, 1 play and 4 other books, beginning with The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick (1970). The latest is Second Sword: A Tale from the Merry Month of May, and My Day in the Other Land (2025).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Peter Handke
Start here
The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick
Peter Handke's most-read book.
Newest
Second Sword: A Tale from the Merry Month of May, and My Day in the Other Land
Published 2025.
Standalone novels in order
Offending the Audience (1966)
Short Letter, Long Farewell (1972)
The Weight of the World (1977)
Three by Peter Handke (1977)
History of the Pencil (1982)
Repetition (1986)
Absence (1987)
3 X Handke (1988)
My Year in the No-Man's-Bay (Nov 1994)
On a Dark Night I Left My Silent House (1997)
Don Juan (2004)
Crossing the Sierra De Gredos (2007)
The Moravian Night (2008)
The Fruit Thief (2022)
Ballad of the Last Guest (2025)
Second Sword: A Tale from the Merry Month of May, and My Day in the Other Land (2025)
Novellas in order
The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick (1970)
A Sorrow Beyond Dreams (1972)
The Left-Handed Woman (Aug 1976)
A Moment of True Feeling (1977)
Across (1983)
The Afternoon of a Writer (1987)
Once Again for Thucydides (1990)
A Journey to the Rivers (1997)
Storm Still (2013)
Short story collections in order
Slow Homecoming (1979)
Poetry in order
The Innerworld of the Outerworld of the Innerworld (1969)
Plays in order
Kaspar (1967)
Other books in order
The Ride Across Lake Constance (1973)
They Are Dying Out (1975)
Nonsense and Happiness (1976)
Goalkeeper's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick (2020)
Film and TV adaptations
- The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty (1972)Film · from The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick
- The Left-Handed Woman (1977)Film · from The Left-Handed Woman
- The Absence (1992)Film · from Absence
About Peter Handke
Peter Handke is an Austrian novelist, playwright, translator, poet, film director, and screenwriter. He was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature "for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience." Handke is considered to be one of the most influential and original German-language writers in the second half of the 20th century.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Peter Handke FAQ
- How many books has Peter Handke written?
- Peter Handke has published 16 novels, 9 novellas, 1 short story collection, 1 poetry collection, 1 play and 4 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Peter Handke's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick.
- What is Peter Handke's latest book?
- Second Sword: A Tale from the Merry Month of May, and My Day in the Other Land (2025).
- What is Peter Handke's most famous book?
- The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick (1970) is Peter Handke's most widely read book.
- Which Peter Handke books have been adapted?
- 3 books have been adapted for film or TV, including The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick (as The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty, film, 1972), The Left-Handed Woman (film, 1977) and Absence (as The Absence, film, 1992).
Authors like Peter Handke
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.