Theodore Dreiser books in order
American novelist and journalist
- Lived
- 1871–1945
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 31
- Series
- 1
Theodore Dreiser published 19 novels, 6 short story collections, 5 non-fiction books and 1 other book, beginning with Sister Carrie (1900). The series is Trilogy of desire (3 books, starting with The Financier). The best-known is An American Tragedy (1925).
Updated September 2026
Trilogy of desire books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Financier (1912) · 2 The Titan (1914) · 3 The Stoic (1947)
- 1.
The Financier (1912)
- 2.
The Titan (1914)
- 3.
The Stoic (1947)
Where to start with Theodore Dreiser
Start here
An American Tragedy
Theodore Dreiser's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
Sister Carrie (1900)
Jennie Gerhardt (1911)
The "Genius" (1915)
Plays of the Natural and the Supernatural (1916)
Life, Art and America (1917)
The Hand of the Potter (1918)
A Book About Myself (1922)
An American Tragedy (Dec 1925)
Moods; Cadenced & Declaimed (1926)
Twelve Men (1926)
Chains and Other Stories (1927)
A Gallery of Women (1929)
Dawn (1931)
Newspaper Days (1931)
Tragic America (1931)
The Bulwark (1946)
Short story collections in order
Great Short Stories of the World (1922)
Free, and Other Stories (1925)
Fifty Best American Short Stories (1965)
The United States in Literature (1973)
Classic American Short Stories (1978)
The Arbor House Treasury of Horror and the Supernatural (1981)
Non-fiction in order
A Traveler at Forty (1913)
A Hoosier Holiday (1916)
Hey Rub-a-dub-dub (1920)
The Color of a Great City (1923)
Dreiser Looks at Russia (1928)
Other books in order
The Aspirant (1929)
Film and TV adaptations
- An American Tragedy (1931)Film · from An American Tragedy
- A Place in the Sun (1951)Film · from An American Tragedy
Free to read
All free classics
About Theodore Dreiser
Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser was an American novelist and journalist of the naturalist school. His novels often featured main characters who succeeded at their objectives despite a lack of a firm moral code, and literary situations that more closely resemble studies of nature than tales of choice and agency. Dreiser's best-known novels include Sister Carrie (1900) and An American Tragedy (1925).
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Theodore Dreiser FAQ
- How many books has Theodore Dreiser written?
- Theodore Dreiser published 19 novels, 6 short story collections, 5 non-fiction books and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Theodore Dreiser's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Trilogy of desire with The Financier. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Theodore Dreiser's last book?
- The Stoic (1947).
- What is Theodore Dreiser's most famous book?
- An American Tragedy (1925) is Theodore Dreiser's most widely read book.
- Are Theodore Dreiser's books connected?
- 3 books belong to 1 series (Trilogy of desire); the other 28 books stand alone.
- Which Theodore Dreiser books have been adapted?
- 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including An American Tragedy (film, 1931).
- Can I read Theodore Dreiser's books for free?
- Yes. 15 books by Theodore Dreiser are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
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Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.