The Greatest Literature of Latin America
The selection of the Greatest Literature of Latin America—including works from South America, Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico—is based on the same extensive research and surveys carried out over the past two decades for our Greatest Literature of All Time list, with special attention paid to the views of Latin American readers, writers, critics and scholars.
All possible genres, cultures and periods in the literature of that area have been taken into account.
As with the Greatest Literature list, preference is given on this list to major forms of creative literature, such as novels, plays, story collections, epic poems and poetry collections.
Latest update: March 29, 2024
The 111 greatest works of Latin American literature
In chronological order
1769
O Uraguai
José Basilio de Gama,
Brazil,
poem
1841
Sab
Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda,
Cuba,
novel
1845
La Quena
Juana Manuela Gorrito,
Argentina,
novella
1862
Martin Rivas
Alberto Blest Gana,
Chile,
novel
1865
Iracema
José de Alencar,
Brazil,
novel
1867
Maria
Jorge Isaacs,
Colombia,
Novell
1871
The Slaughter Yard
Esteban Echeverria,
Argentina,
story
1872–1879
Martín Fierro
José Hernández,
Argentina,
poem
1877
Cumandá
Juan Léon Mera,
Ecuador,
novel
1881
The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cuba
Joaquin Maria Machado de Assis,
Brazil,
novel
1882
The Alienist
Joaquin Maria Machado de Assis,
Brazil,
novella
Ismaelillo
José Martí,
Cuba,
poetry collection
1888
Azul...
Rubén Darío,
Nicaragua,
Prose and poetry
1888–1894
Blanca Sol
Mercedes Cabello de Carbonera,
Nicaragua,
Prose and poetry
1889
The Golden Age
José Martí,
Cuba,
novel
Birds Without a Nest
Clorinda Matto de Turner,
Peru,
novel
1895
Santa Evita
Tomás Eloy Martínez,
Argentina,
novel
1899
Dom Casmurro
Joaquin Maria Machado de Assis,
Brazil,
novel
1900
El Moto
Joaquín García Monge,
Costa Rica,
novel
1905
Songs of Life and Hope
Rubén Darío,
Nicaragua,
poetry collection
1916
Ther Underdogs
Mariano Azuela,
Mexico,
novel
1922
Despair
Gabriela Mistral,
Chile,
poetry collection
1925
Residence on Earth and Other Poems
Pablo Nerudae,
Chile,
poetry collection
1927
Treasure of the Sierra Madre
B. Traven,
Mexico,
novel
1929
Doña Bárbara
Rómulo Gallegos,
Venezuela,
novel
1931
The Carreta
B. Traven,
Mexico,
novel
1938
Harvesting
Gabriela Mistral,
Chile,
poetry collection
Human Poems
César Vallejo,
Peru,
poetry collection
1940
The Invention of Morel
Adolfo Bioy Casares,
Argentina,
novel
1941
Broad and Alien is the World
Ciro Allegra,
El Salvador,
novel
1941–1956
Fictions
Jorge Luis Borges,
Argentina,
story collection
1946
Mr. President
Miguel Angel Asturias,
Guatemala,
novel
1948
The Tunnel
Ernesto Sabato,
Argentina,
story collection
1949
The Kingdom of This World
Alejo Carpentier,
Cuba,
novel
Men of Maize
Miguel Angel Asturias,
Guatemala,
novel
The Aleph and Other Stories
Jorge LUis Borges,
Argentina,
story collection
1953
The Lost Steps
Alejo Carpentier,
Cuba,
novel
The Burning Plain and Other Stories
Juan Rulfo,
Mexico,
story collection
1955
Pedro Páramo
Juan Rulfo,
Mexico,
novella
1956
The Devil to Pay in the Backlandso
João Guimarães FRosa,
Brazil,
novel
1957
Sunstone
Octavio Paz,
Mexico,
poem
1958
Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon
Jorge Amado,
Brazil,
novel
Where the Air Is Clear
Carlos Fuentes,
Peru,
novel
Deep Rivers
José María Aguedas,
Mexico,
novel
A World for Julius
Alfredo Bryce Echenique,
Peru,
novel
1961
No One Writes to the Colonel
Gabriel García Márquez,
Colombia,
novella
House for Mr Biswas
V.S. Naipaul,
Trinidad,
novel
The Shipyard
Juan Carlos Onetti,
Uruguay,
novel
1962
The Book of Lamentations
Rosario Castellanos,
Mexico,
novel
The Death of Artemio Cruz
Carlos Fuentes,
Mexico,
novel
The Green House
Mario Vargas Llosa,
Peru,
novel
1962–1983
Labyrinths
Jorge Luis Borges,
Argentina,
story collection
1963
Hopscotch
Julio Cortázar,
Argentina,
novel
Selected Poems
Octavio Paz,
Mexico,
poetry collection
Time of the Hero
Mario Vargas Llosa,
Peru,
novel
1964
The Passion According to GH
Clarice Lispector,
Brazil,
novel
1966
All the Fires the Fires
Julio Cortázar,
Argentina,
story collection
1967
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Gabriel García Márquez,
Colombia,
novel
Three Trapped Tigers
Guillermo Cabrera Infante,
Cuba,
novel
Mimic Men
V.S. Naipaul,
Trinidad,
novel
1968
Betrayed by Rita Hayworth
Manuel Puig,
Argentina,
novel
Tent of Miracles
Jorge Amado,
Brazil,
novel
1969
Here's to You, Jesusa
Elena Poniatowska,
Argentina,
nonfiction novel
Heartbreak Tango
Manuel Puig,
Argentina,
novel
1971
In a Free State
V.S. Naipaul,
Trinidad,
novel
1975
Terra Nostra
Carlos Fuentes,
Mexico,
novel
The Autumn of the Patriarch
Gabriel García Márquez,
Colombia,
novel
1976—1979
The Kiss of the Spiderwoman
Manuel Puig,
Argentina,
novel
1977
Hour of the Star
Clazrice Lispector,
Brazil,
novel
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter
Mario Vargas Llosa,
Peru,
novel
1979
A Bend in the River
V.S. Naipaul,
Trinidad,
novel
1980
America and Other Poems
Raúl Otero Reiche,
Bolivia,
novel
1981
Chronicle of a Death Foretold
Gabriel García Márquez,
Colombia,
novella
The War of the End of the World
Mario Vargas Llosa,
Peru,
novel
1982
The House of the Spirits
Isabel Allende,
Chile,
novel
1982–1986
Memory of the Fire
Eduardo Galeano,
Uruguay,
novel series
1984
Real Life of Alejandro Mayta
Mario Vargas Llosa,
Peru,
novel
1985
Annie John
Jamaica Kincaid,
Antigua,
novel
Gabriel García Márquez,
Colombia,
novel
The Old Gringo
Carlos Fuentes,
Mexico,
novel
Tear This Heart Out
Ángeles Mastretta,
Peru,
novel
1986
Who Killed Palomino Molero?
Mario Vargas Llosa,
Peru,
novel
1987
The Enigma of Arrival
V.S. Naipaul,
Trinidad,
novel
1988
The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho,
Brazil,
novel
1989
Like Water for Chocolate
Laura Esquivel,
Mexico,
novel
The Storyteller
Mario Vargas Llosa,
Peru,
novel
1990
The Witness
Juan José Saer,
Argentina,
novel
Death and the Maiden
Ariel Dorfman,
Chile,
novel
Omeros
Derek Walcott,
Argentina,
poem
1993
Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll
Álvaro Mutis,
Colombia,
novella series
Before Night Falls
Reinaldo Arenas,
Cuba,
memoir
Death in the Andes
Mario Vargas Llosa,
Peru,
novel
1994
Of Love and Shadows
Isabel Allende,
Chile,
novel
Our Lady of the Assassins
Fernando Vallejo,
Colombia,
novel
Breath, Eyes, Memory
Edwidge Danticat,
Haiti,
novel
1997
Money to Burn
Ricardo Piglia,
Argentina,
novel
1998
Veronika Decides to Die
Paulo Coelho,
Brazil,
novel
The Savage Detectives
Roberto Bolaño,
Chile,
novel
Dirty Havana Trilogy
Pedroi Juan Gutiérrez,
Cuba,
novel
1999
The Years With Laura Diaz
Carlos Fuentes,
Mexico,
novel
In Search of Klingsor
Jorge Volpi,
Mexico,
novel
2000
The Devil and Miss Prym
Paulo Coelho,
Brazil,
novel
The Feast of the Goat
Mario Vargas Llosa,
Peru,
novel
2002
City of the Beasts
Isabel Allende,
Chile,
novel
2004
2666
Roberto Bolaño,
Chile,
novel
Memories of My Melancholy Whores
Gabriel García Márquez,
Colombia,
novella
2006
Inés of My Soul
Isabel Allende,
Chile,
novel
2009
Signs Preceding the End of the World
Yuri Herrera,
Mexico,
novel
2014
A Brief History of Seven Killings
Marlon James,
Jamaica,
poetry collection
The Poetry of Derek Walcott
Derek Walcott,
St. Lucia,
poetry collection
2016
Tell Me How It Ends
Valeria Luisella,
Mexico,
novel
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