Rainer Maria Rilke published 3 novels, 1 short story collection, 2 non-fiction books, 10 poetry collections and 8 other books, beginning with Poems (1900).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Rainer Maria Rilke
Highest rated
Letters to a Young Poet
Rated 4.2 out of 5 by 29 readers.
Standalone novels in order
The Love and Death of Cornet Christopher Rilke (1906)
Die Aufzeichnungen Des Malte Laurids Brigge (1910)
The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge (1949)
Short story collections in order
Stories of God (1900)
Non-fiction in order
Auguste Rodin (1919)
Letters to a Young Poet (1929)
Poetry in order
Offerings to Lares (1895)
Poems (1900)
The Book of Images (1902)
The Book of Hours (1905)
New Poems (1907)
Neue Gedichte (1920)
Duino Elegies (1923)
Sonnets to Orpheus (1923)
The Life of the Virgin Mary (1947)
Rainer Maria Rilke, Selected Poems (1974)
Other books in order
Wartime Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke, 1914-1921 (1940)
Letters (1945)
Duineser Elegien (1948)
Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke, 1910-1926 (1948)
Letters to Merline, 1919-1922 (1951)
Letters to Benvenuta (1953)
Duino Elegies, Bilingual Edition (University of North Carolina Studies in the Germanic Languages & Literatures, No. 81) (1961)
Rilke on Love and Other Difficulties (1975)
About Rainer Maria Rilke
René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke, known as Rainer Maria Rilke, was an Austrian poet. Acclaimed as an idiosyncratic and expressive poet, he is widely recognized as a significant writer in the German language. His work is viewed by critics and scholars as possessing undertones of mysticism, exploring themes of subjective experience and disbelief. His writings include one novel, several collections of poetry, several volumes of correspondence and a few early novellas.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Rainer Maria Rilke FAQ
- How many books has Rainer Maria Rilke written?
- Rainer Maria Rilke published 3 novels, 1 short story collection, 2 non-fiction books, 10 poetry collections and 8 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Rainer Maria Rilke's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Poems.
- What is Rainer Maria Rilke's last book?
- Auguste Rodin (1919).
- What is Rainer Maria Rilke's most famous book?
- Poems (1900) is Rainer Maria Rilke's most widely read book.
- Can I read Rainer Maria Rilke's books for free?
- Yes. 2 books by Rainer Maria Rilke are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like Rainer Maria Rilke
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.