Thomas Bernhard books in order
Austrian playwright and novelist
- Lived
- 1931–1989
- Country
- Austria
- Books
- 28
- Also writes as
- Thomas Fabian
Thomas Bernhard published 15 novels, 5 novellas, 2 short story collections, 1 non-fiction book, 3 plays and 2 other books, beginning with Yes (1978). The best-known is The Loser (1983).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Thomas Bernhard
Start here
The Loser
Thomas Bernhard's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
Frost (1963)
Gargoyles (1967)
Gehen (1971)
The Lime Works (1973)
Correction (1975)
The Voice Impersonator (1978)
Concrete (1982)
The Loser (1983)
Woodcutters (1984)
Gathering Evidence (1985)
Old Masters (1985)
Extinction (1986)
Histrionics (1990)
Korrektur (1990)
Loser, The (1991)
Novellas in order
Yes (1978)
Wittgenstein's Nephew (1982)
The Cheap-Eaters (1990)
On the Mountain (1991)
The World-fixer (2004)
Short story collections in order
The Voice Imitator (1997)
Three Novellas (2003)
Non-fiction in order
My Prizes (2010)
Plays in order
Am Ziel (1981)
Der Theatermacher (1984)
Heldenplatz (1988)
Other books in order
The Force of Habit (1976)
The President and Eve of Retirement (1991)
About Thomas Bernhard
Nicolaas Thomas Bernhard was an Austrian novelist, playwright, poet and polemicist who is considered one of the most important German-language authors of the postwar era. He explored themes of death, isolation, obsession and illness in controversial literature that was pessimistic about the human condition and highly critical of post-war Austrian and European culture. He developed a distinctive prose style often featuring multiple perspectives on characters and events, idiosyncratic vocabulary and punctuation, and long monologues by protagonists on the verge of insanity.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Thomas Bernhard FAQ
- How many books has Thomas Bernhard written?
- Thomas Bernhard published 15 novels, 5 novellas, 2 short story collections, 1 non-fiction book, 3 plays and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Thomas Bernhard's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Loser.
- What is Thomas Bernhard's last book?
- On the Mountain (1991).
- What is Thomas Bernhard's most famous book?
- The Loser (1983) is Thomas Bernhard's most widely read book.
- Does Thomas Bernhard write under a pen name?
- Yes: Thomas Bernhard has also published as Thomas Fabian.
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.