Thornton Wilder books in order
American playwright and novelist
- Lived
- 1897–1975
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 22
Thornton Wilder published 6 novels, 2 novellas, 1 poetry collection, 9 plays and 4 other books, beginning with The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Thornton Wilder
Standalone novels in order
The Cabala (1926)
Heaven's My Destination (1934)
The Ides of March (1948)
Three Plays (1955)
The Eight Day (1967)
Theophilus North (1973)
Novellas in order
The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927)
The Woman of Andros (1930)
Poetry in order
American Characteristics and Other Essays (1979)
Plays in order
The Angel That Troubled the Waters (1928)
The Long Christmas Dinner & Other Plays in One Act (1931)
Our Town (1938)
The Skin of Our Teeth (1942)
The Matchmaker (1955)
Three Plays: Our Town, the Skin of Our Teeth, the Matchmaker (1965)
The Alcestiad (1977)
Our Town, a Play in Three Acts (1985)
Collected Short Plays of Thornton Wilder (1997)
Other books in order
A Thornton Wilder Trio: The Cabala, the Bridge of San Luis Rey, the Woman of Andros (1934)
Queens of France (1959)
Three Plays by Thornton Wilder (1961)
Our Town and the Bridge of San Luis Rey: And Other Works (1985)
Film and TV adaptations
- The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1929)Film · from The Bridge of San Luis Rey
- The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1944)Film · from The Bridge of San Luis Rey
- The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004)Film · from The Bridge of San Luis Rey
- The Big Time (2002)TV · from Our Town
- Mr. North (1988)Film · from Theophilus North
About Thornton Wilder
Thornton Niven Wilder was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, for the novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey and for the plays Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth, and a U.S. National Book Award for the novel The Eighth Day.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Thornton Wilder FAQ
- How many books has Thornton Wilder written?
- Thornton Wilder published 6 novels, 2 novellas, 1 poetry collection, 9 plays and 4 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Thornton Wilder's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Bridge of San Luis Rey.
- What is Thornton Wilder's last book?
- Theophilus North (1973).
- What is Thornton Wilder's most famous book?
- The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927) is Thornton Wilder's most widely read book.
- Which Thornton Wilder books have been adapted?
- 3 books have been adapted for film or TV, including The Bridge of San Luis Rey (film, 1929), Our Town (as The Big Time, TV, 2002) and Theophilus North (as Mr. North, film, 1988).
- Can I read Thornton Wilder's books for free?
- Yes. 3 books by Thornton Wilder are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like Thornton Wilder
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.