Which Wendell Berry book should I read first? A guide to his novels, poetry, and essays

There are certain authors that I have latched onto deeply in my life, devouring every word they write, following their work closely, and finding myself impacted immensely by their writing. Wendell Berry is near the top of that list for me, and he is somebody I have come to admire and respect for the way that he cares about the world, appreciates beauty, and crafts such rich stories. His life is fascinating to me, and his work is lovely and important. He's always the person I say I'd most like to have dinner with in this world, so that's really saying something!

If you've never read Wendell Berry, or if you just want to know more about his body of work, here are my best recommendations for where to start.

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Which Wendell Berry book should you read first?

if you want to read wendell berry’s poetry: The Peace of Wild Things

if you want to read wendell berry’s essays: Our Only World: Ten Essays

if you want to read wendell berry’s fiction: Hannah Coulter

Overall, my top recommendation is:

This Day: Collected and New Sabbath Poems

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wendell berry’s poetry:

wendell berry Poetry i’ve read and recommend:

Leavings: Poems // This collection was the first thing I read from Berry. His simple yet intricate words struck deep chords in me as he tackled topics I feel strongly about with such elegance. 

A Timbered Choir // These are Berry's Sabbath poems from 1979-1997, so they are the oldest of his poetry collections. The way Berry observes life, nature, and beauty through these poems is deeply moving, incredibly meaningful, and worshipful, too. I love them so much, and have found them to linger with me long after I've finished reading.

A Small Porch: Sabbath Poems 2014 and 2015 // Obviously these are the poems from just two years, and this book also includes a longfkrm essay called The Presence of Nature in the Natural World: A Long Conversation (which I wasn't expecting, but found to be a deep and thorough read). If you want just a taste of Berry's poetry and a taste of his nonfiction reading, this is a great one to start with.

This Day: Collected and New Sabbath Poems // This is the largest book of Berry's poetry in my collection, and I haven't made my way through it all yet. If you're wanting one book to be a comprehensive collection of his poems, this is the one to grab! It includes his Sabbath poetry from 1979 through to 2012, while the other books are smaller collections of just a handful of years at a time.

The Peace of Wild Things // wendell berry will forever and always be one of my favorite writers and heroes. this was the perfect collection to read during my getaway in the woods, and such a grounding reminder of what to prioritize, especially with the world the way it is these days. truly, i want to keep that whole manifesto in front of me every day because WOW yes please and thank you.

all wendell berry’s published poetry:

• 1964: The Broken Ground

• 1969: Findings

• 1973: Country of Marriage

• 1998: A Timbered Choir: The Sabbath Poems 1979–1997

• 1998: The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry

• 2005: Given

• 2010: Leavings

• 2012: New Collected Poems

• 2013: This Day: Collected & New Sabbath Poems

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wendell berry’s nonfiction/essays:

wendell berry Essays i’ve read and recommend:

Our Only World: Ten Essays // These area all about taking action in the world today, focusing on a variety of different environmental, social, and slightly political issues -- he really is advocating for the planet in all of them, and they're really convicting.

all wendell berry’s published nonfiction/essays:

• 1969: The Long-Legged House

• 1970: The Hidden Wound

• 1977: The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture

• 1981: The Gift of Good Land

• 1983: Standing by Words

• 1987: Home Economics

• 1990: What Are People For?

• 2000: Life Is a Miracle

• 2002: The Art of the Commonplace

• 2005: The Way of Ignorance

• 2009: Bringing It to the Table

• 2022: The Need to Be Whole

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wendell berry’s fiction:

bought a used copy and found it signed with this note… amazing

wendell berry Fiction i’ve read and recommend:

Hannah Coulter // This is one of his Port William series, and, surprisngly, the only longform fiction I’ve read from Berry so far. you can read them in any order really, but I loved starting with this one. Jayber Crow is another one (which most people start with, I’d say!), Andy Catlett, Nathan Coulter, The Memory of Old Jack, etc are others. They're basically all different characters in the same town, so the stories tie together but aren't a strict series.

Watch With Me: and Six Other Stories of the Yet-Remembered Ptolemy Proudfoot and His Wife, Miss Minnie, Née Quinch // The short stories of this country couple were well-written and charming and just felt like days in the real life of a slow-paced small town.

Fidelity // These are both collections of a few stories from his Port William. If you just want a sample of his fiction, this or Watch With Me might be a good place to start.

all wendell berry’s published fiction:

• 1960: Nathan Coulter (Novel)

• 1967: A Place on Earth (Novel)

• 1974: The Memory of Old Jack (Novel)

• 1986: The Wild Birds (Short Stories)

• 1988: Remembering (Novel)

• 1994: Watch with Me (Short Stories)

• 1996: A World Lost (Novel)

• 2000: Jayber Crow (Novel)

• 2002: That Distant Land (Short Stories)

• 2004: Hannah Coulter (Novel)

• 2006: Andy Catlett: Early Travels (Novel)

• 2012: A Place in Time (Short Stories)

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a complete list of wendell berry’s published books:

• 1960: Nathan Coulter (Novel)

• 1964: The Broken Ground (Poetry)

• 1967: A Place on Earth (Novel)

• 1969: The Long-Legged House (Non-Fiction)

• 1969: Findings (Poetry)

• 1970: The Hidden Wound (Non-Fiction)

• 1973: Country of Marriage (Poetry)

• 1974: The Memory of Old Jack (Novel)

• 1977: The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture (Non-Fiction)

• 1981: The Gift of Good Land (Non-Fiction)

• 1983: Standing by Words (Non-Fiction)

• 1986: The Wild Birds (Short Stories)

• 1987: Home Economics (Non-Fiction)

• 1988: Remembering (Novel)

• 1990: What Are People For? (Non-Fiction)

• 1994: Watch with Me (Short Stories)

• 1996: A World Lost (Novel)

• 1998: A Timbered Choir: The Sabbath Poems 1979–1997 (Poetry)

• 1998: The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry (Poetry)

• 2000: Jayber Crow (Novel)

• 2000: Life Is a Miracle (Non-Fiction)

• 2002: That Distant Land (Short Stories)

• 2002: The Art of the Commonplace (Non-Fiction)

• 2004: Hannah Coulter (Novel)

• 2005: The Way of Ignorance (Non-Fiction)

• 2005: Given (Poetry)

• 2006: Andy Catlett: Early Travels (Novel)

• 2009: Bringing It to the Table (Non-Fiction)

• 2010: Leavings (Poetry)

• 2012: A Place in Time (Short Stories)

• 2012: New Collected Poems (Poetry)

• 2013: This Day: Collected & New Sabbath Poems (Poetry)

• 2022: The Need to Be Whole (Non-Fiction)

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JUST snagged this arc at my local indie!