Philip Roth books in order
American novelist
- Lived
- 1933–2018
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 36
- Series
- 3
Philip Roth published 29 novels, 2 novellas, 2 short story collections, 2 non-fiction books and 1 other book, beginning with Goodbye, Columbus (1959). The 3 series include "Nemeses" (4 books, starting with Everyman), David Kepesh (3 books, starting with The Breast) and American trilogy (3 books, starting with American Pastoral). 7 feature Nathan Zuckerman. The best-known is The Plot Against America (2004).
Updated September 2026
"Nemeses" books in order (4)Series page
Reading order: 1 Everyman (2006) · 2 Indignation (2008) · 3 The Humbling (2009) · 4 Nemesis (2010)
- 1.
Everyman (May 2006)
- 2.
Indignation (Sep 2008)
- 3.
The Humbling (2009)
- 4.
Nemesis (2010)
David Kepesh books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Breast (1972) · 2 The Professor of Desire (1977) · 3 The Dying Animal (2001)
- 1.
The Breast (1972)
- 2.
The Professor of Desire (1977)
- 3.
The Dying Animal (2001)
American trilogy books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 American Pastoral (1997) · 2 I Married a Communist (1998) · 3 The Human Stain (2000)
- 1.
American Pastoral (1997)
- 2.
I Married a Communist (1998)
- 3.
The Human Stain (2000)
Where to start with Philip Roth
Start here
The Plot Against America
Philip Roth's most-read book.
Shortest way in
Everyman
One of the most-read, at about 182 pages.
Standalone novels in order
Letting Go (Jun 1962)
When She Was Good (May 1967)
Portnoy's Complaint (Jan 1969)
Our Gang (1971)
The Great American Novel (1973)
My Life As a Man (1974)
Reading Myself and Others (Jan 1975)
The Facts (1988)
Deception (1990)
Patrimony: A True Story (1991)
Operation Shylock (1993)
Sabbath's Theater (1995)
The Plot Against America (Sep 2004)
Novellas in order
The Prague Orgy (1985)
Short story collections in order
Goodbye, Columbus (1959)
A Philip Roth Reader (1980)
Non-fiction in order
Shop Talk (Sep 2001)
Why Write?: Collected Nonfiction, 1960-2013 (2017)
Other books in order
Patrimony (2010)
Film and TV adaptations
- Goodbye, Columbus (1969)Film · from Goodbye, Columbus
- Portnoy's Complaint (1972)Film · from Portnoy's Complaint
- Deception (2021)Film · from Deception
- American Pastoral (2016)Film · from American Pastoral
- The Human Stain (2003)Film · from The Human Stain
- Elegy (2008)Film · from The Dying Animal
- The Plot Against AmericaTV · from The Plot Against America
- Indignation (2016)Film · from Indignation
- The Humbling (2014)Film · from The Humbling
About Philip Roth
Philip Milton Roth was an American novelist and short-story writer. Roth's fiction—often set in his birthplace of Newark, New Jersey—is known for its intensely autobiographical character, for philosophically and formally blurring the distinction between reality and fiction, for its "sensual, ingenious style" and for its provocative explorations of Jewish and American identity. He first gained attention with the 1959 short story collection Goodbye, Columbus, which won the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction. Ten years later, he published the bestseller Portnoy's Complaint. Nathan Zuckerman, Roth's literary alter ego, narrates several of his books. A fictionalized Roth narrates some of his others, such as the alternate history The Plot Against America.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Philip Roth FAQ
- How many books has Philip Roth written?
- Philip Roth published 29 novels, 2 novellas, 2 short story collections, 2 non-fiction books and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Philip Roth's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start "Nemeses" with Everyman, David Kepesh with The Breast and American trilogy with American Pastoral. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Philip Roth's last book?
- Why Write?: Collected Nonfiction, 1960-2013 (2017).
- What is Philip Roth's most famous book?
- The Plot Against America (2004) is Philip Roth's most widely read book.
- Are Philip Roth's books connected?
- 10 books belong to 3 series ("Nemeses", David Kepesh and American trilogy); the other 26 books stand alone.
- Which Philip Roth books have been adapted?
- 9 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Goodbye, Columbus (film, 1969), Portnoy's Complaint (film, 1972), Deception (film, 2021) and American Pastoral (film, 2016).
Authors like Philip Roth
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.