Samuel Butler Books in Order
Samuel Butler has written 22 books, published between 1872 and 1962. The first book is Erewhon (1872) and the newest is The Correspondence of Samuel Butler with His Sister May (1962). Publication order is the reading order below.
- Books
- 22
- Published
- 1872–1962
- Pages on record
- 1,341 in 8 of 22 books
The English novelist and critic Samuel Butler (1835-1902) wrote Erewhon (1872), a satirical utopian novel, and the semi-autobiographical The Way of All Flesh, published after Butler's death in 1903. Butler also studied Christian orthodoxy, evolution and Italian art, with works such as Life and Habit (1878) and Evolution, Old and New (1879). Butler's prose translations of the Iliad and Odyssey remain in use. The 22 catalogued titles close with correspondence published in 1962.
How many Samuel Butler books are there?
Samuel Butler has 22 books, released between 1872 and 1962. They include 2 series and 18 titles listed outside any series.
Samuel Butler Books in Publication Order
The table lists all 22 Samuel Butler books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.
- 118722291/4
- 2The Fair Haven1873 · confirmed 1/41873–1/4
- 3Life and Habit1878 · confirmed 1/41878–1/4
- 4Evolution, Old and New1879 · confirmed 1/41879–1/4
- 5Unconscious Memory1880 · confirmed 1/41880–1/4
- 6Alps and Sanctuaries of Piedmont and the Canton Ticino1881 · confirmed 1/41881–1/4
- 7Luck, or Cunning, as the Main Means of Organic Modification?1887 · confirmed 1/41887–1/4
- 8The Life and Letters of Dr. Samuel Butler, Head-Master of Shrewsbury School1896 · confirmed 1/41896–1/4
- 9Ex Voto1896 · confirmed 1/41896–1/4
- 111898–1/4
- 12Shakespeare's Sonnets Reconsidered1899 · confirmed 1/41899–1/4
- 13The Odyssey of Homer, Rendered into English ProseSamuel Butler Translations #21900 · 220 pages · confirmed 1/419002201/4
- 1419011681/4
- 15The Way of All Flesh1903 · confirmed 1/41903–1/4
- 16God the Known and God the Unknown1909 · 56 pages · confirmed 1/41909561/4
- 17The Note-Books of Samuel Butler1912 · 264 pages · confirmed 1/419122641/4
- 18The Humour of Homer and Other Essays1913 · 164 pages · confirmed 1/419131641/4
- 19A First Year in Canterbury Settlement1914 · 132 pages · confirmed 1/419141321/4
- 20Further Extracts from the Note-Books of Samuel Butler1934 · confirmed 1/41934–1/4
- 21The Family Letters of Samuel Butler, 1841-18861962 · confirmed 1/41962–1/4
- 22The Correspondence of Samuel Butler with His Sister May1962 · confirmed 1/41962–1/4
Samuel Butler books grouped by series
Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. None of these groups has a reading-order page of its own on this site.
Erewhon in order
2 books- 1. Erewhon
- 2. Erewhon Revisited
Samuel Butler Translations in order
2 booksStandalone books
18 books18 Samuel Butler titles here are not listed as part of any series.
Do you have to read Samuel Butler books in order?
You only need to read Samuel Butler books in order within each series: the books listed here span 2 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.
Where to start with Samuel Butler
Start with Erewhon (1872), the earliest published title.
What is the newest Samuel Butler book?
The Correspondence of Samuel Butler with His Sister May (1962) is the newest Samuel Butler book released so far.
Is there a new Samuel Butler book coming?
No next Samuel Butler book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.
Samuel Butler at a glance
- No recent titles
- The newest Samuel Butler title on record dates from 1962, 64 years ago. No later title is catalogued.
- Release pace
- Samuel Butler books have appeared about one every 4 years on average.
- Length
- 1,341 pages across the 8 of 22 books with a recorded length, a median of 166 pages each.
- Busiest decade
- Most Samuel Butler books, 5 of 22, were published in the 1890s.
What the Samuel Butler books are about
5 of the 22 Samuel Butler books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: utopian fiction is tagged on 2 of 5. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.
- Utopian fiction 2 of 5 books
- Utopias 2 of 5 books
- Authorship 1 of 5 books
- Church buildings 1 of 5 books
- Classic literature 1 of 5 books
- Classical literature 1 of 5 books
- Ecology 1 of 5 books
- Evolution 1 of 5 books
- Gods 1 of 5 books
- Great_books_of_the_western_world 1 of 5 books
- Greek Epic poetry 1 of 5 books
- History 1 of 5 books