Queer Classics
Books featuring LGBTQ+ characters and/or themes considered to be classics in one way or another
created by ezrac
last updated March, 2026
Comments
Such a cool list! If I may, I think "Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit" (Jeanette Winterson) and "Death in Venice" (Thomas Mann) would also be fitting! I don't know if "Einer sucht den Freund" (Hugo Marcus) has been translated into English, but it might also go well. Oscar Wilde's "De Profundis" is one of his prison letters to his lover/friend, and might also fit well in this list! Edit: AFAIK Proust's "In the Search of Lost Time" also has a couple of queer characters and thematicizes homosexuality, too, though I'm not sure in which book(s) đ
ezracOP
Thank you! Unfortunately I couldn't find an English translation for "Einer sucht den Freund" and I'll look into the different volumes of "In the Search of Lost Time" later but I added the others to the list
Sorry, didn't want to overload you đ I think this list is really cool, and I can't wait to see what other works will be added!
If you're okay with suggestions I also suggest: Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig The Epic of Gilgamesh The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez
ezracOP
Yes and thank you!
