Literary fiction · Similar reads
Books like The Trial
The best books like The Trial are 1984, The Myth of Sisyphus, and Man's Search for Meaning. The Trial by Franz Kafka is about bureaucratic absurdity, guilt and innocence, power and helplessness. If that's what drew you in, here are 12 books that share its DNA — each summarized on Superbook, and ready to chat with in the app.
- 1984
01
George Orwell · Philosophy
Nineteen Eighty-Four is George Orwell's 1949 novel about a future England called Airstrip One, governed by the totalitarian Party under the figurehead Big Brother.
A kindred literary fiction read.
Read the summary → - The Myth of Sisyphus
02
Albert Camus · Philosophy
The Myth of Sisyphus begins with what Camus calls the only truly serious philosophical question: why not commit suicide?
A kindred literary fiction read.
Read the summary → - Man's Search for Meaning
03
Viktor E. Frankl · Psychology
Man's Search for Meaning is Viktor Frankl's account of his years as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, and the psychological theory he developed from that experience.
A kindred literary fiction read.
Read the summary →
- The Metamorphosis
04
Franz Kafka · Literary fiction
The Metamorphosis begins with one of the most famous sentences in world literature: Gregor Samsa wakes one morning to find he has been transformed into a giant insect.
A kindred literary fiction read.
Read the summary → - In Cold Blood
05
Truman Capote · Memoir
Truman Capote's account of the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas — and of the investigation, capture, trial, and execution of the killers Perry Smith and Richard Hickock — is the founding document of the true crime genre and one of the most admired works of American nonfiction of the twentieth century.
A kindred literary fiction read.
Read the summary → - Notes from Underground
06
Fyodor Dostoevsky · Literary fiction
The Underground Man speaks directly to you from his damp St.
Both dig into modern alienation.
Read the summary → - Alias Grace
07
Margaret Atwood · Historical fiction
Alias Grace is based on the historical case of Grace Marks, a young Irish immigrant servant who was convicted in 1843, along with stable hand James McDermott, of the murders of her employer Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery in Upper Canada.
Both dig into guilt and innocence.
Read the summary → - Fourth Wing
08
Rebecca Yarros · Fantasy
Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribes Quadrant — small, physically fragile, the daughter of a general who knows the odds.
Both dig into identity under pressure.
Read the summary → - Mystic River
09
Dennis Lehane · Mystery
Three boys play together on a Boston street in 1975.
Both dig into guilt and innocence.
Read the summary → - Presumed Innocent
10
Scott Turow · Thriller
Rusty Sabich is the chief deputy prosecutor in a fictional Midwestern city, a competent, serious man trusted by his boss and respected by his colleagues.
Both dig into guilt and innocence.
Read the summary → - Raven Black
11
Ann Cleeves · Mystery
Raven Black is the first book in Ann Cleeves's Shetland series, set on the Scottish island archipelago at the very edge of British territory.
Both dig into guilt and innocence.
Read the summary → - The Black Echo
12
Michael Connelly · Mystery
Harry Bosch is a Los Angeles homicide detective who finds a body in a drainage pipe in the Hollywood Hills.
Both dig into identity under pressure.
Read the summary →
Books like The Trial: quick answers
What are the best books like The Trial?
The best books like The Trial by Franz Kafka are 1984 by George Orwell, The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus, Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, plus 7 more below. Each was chosen for themes it shares with The Trial, such as bureaucratic absurdity, guilt and innocence, power and helplessness.
What should I read after The Trial?
A natural next read after The Trial is 1984 by George Orwell. A kindred literary fiction read. Other strong choices are The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus, Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka.
What books are similar to The Trial by Franz Kafka?
The Trial centers on bureaucratic absurdity, guilt and innocence, power and helplessness. Books with a similar feel include 1984 by George Orwell, The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus, Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky — all free to read and chat with on Superbook.
