Enlightenment

c. 1660-1800· 14 works

Swift to Goethe. Reason, satire, and the birth of the modern novel. Literature becomes a tool for social criticism.

Enlightenment, Ranked

According to Groblé

  1. 12The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling1749Henry FieldingEasy·Epic·1,386 pagesInfluence61Popularity27EnlightenmentNovelEnglish
  2. 45Confessions1782Jean-Jacques RousseauModerate·Epic·1,080 pagesInfluence69Popularity39EnlightenmentBiography & MemoirFrench
  3. 46Candide1759VoltaireBreezy·Medium·135 pagesInfluence71Popularity86EnlightenmentSatireFrench
  4. 62Robinson Crusoe1719Daniel DefoeBreezy·Long·486 pagesInfluence73Popularity81EnlightenmentAdventureEnglish
  5. 66Leviathan1651Thomas HobbesHard·Epic·736 pagesInfluence82Popularity38EnlightenmentTreatiseEnglish
  6. 86Common Sense1776Thomas PaineBreezy·Short·80 pagesInfluence46Popularity57EnlightenmentTreatiseEnglish
  7. 87The Pilgrim's Progress1678John BunyanBreezy·Long·433 pagesInfluence62Popularity53EnlightenmentAllegoryEnglish
  8. 99The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin1791Benjamin FranklinBreezy·Medium·180 pagesInfluence46Popularity56EnlightenmentBiography & MemoirEnglish
  9. 101Pensées1670Blaise PascalHard·Long·333 pagesInfluence69Popularity36EnlightenmentMeditation & AphorismFrench
  10. 102Meditations on First Philosophy1641René DescartesHard·Short·88 pagesInfluence82Popularity37EnlightenmentTreatiseLatin
  11. 104An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding1748David HumeHard·Medium·200 pagesInfluence70Popularity37EnlightenmentTreatiseEnglish
  12. 160The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman1759Laurence SterneGrueling·Epic·752 pagesInfluence62Popularity46EnlightenmentSatireEnglish
  13. 163Gulliver’s Travels1726Jonathan SwiftBreezy·Long·418 pagesInfluence72Popularity84EnlightenmentSatireEnglish
  14. 178Ethics1677Baruch SpinozaHard·Long·260 pagesInfluence70Popularity36EnlightenmentTreatiseLatin
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