literature by year - 19th century

1804

the play upon which an opera featuring a famous overture was based, which tells the story of a legendary Swiss marksman

1813

a novel of manners about the second of five sisters and her romance with a man she initially dislikes

1818

considered the origin of science fiction, it follows a young scientist who creates artificial life

1831

a Gothic novel about the physically deformed bell-ringer of a cathedral in 15th century Paris

1838

the tale of an eponymous orphan who joins a gang of pickpockets

1843

the story of an elderly miser who is convinced by three ghosts to change his ways

1847

a Bildungsroman following a woman who becomes a governess and eventually falls in love with her employer

1851

the tale of a sea captain's quest for vengeance against a giant whale

1855

a poetry collection about its creator's idealized self, known for its focus on the body and material world, which was reworked and republished many times until the poet's death

1864

excerpts from the fictional memoir of a bitter and isolated retired civil servant in Saint Petersburg

1865

a children's novel about the fantasy world that lies through a rabbit hole

1883

one of the most significant influences on modern pirate media, it follows a search for buried gold

1890

the tale of a man who loses his morals but keeps his beauty and youth, with a portrait of him aging in his stead as a record of his sins

1898

a horror novella, originally published in serial form, about a governess on a remote estate who becomes convinced the grounds are haunted

1899

a precursor of modern literature, it follows a woman in Louisiana and her struggle with the gender roles of the time