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Quick answer: If you loved Don Quixote, read Voltaire's Candide, Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy, Henry Fielding's Tom Jones, Gulliver's Travels and The Master and Margarita. All are classic satires with wandering heroes and sharp humour.
Miguel de Cervantes published Don Quixote in two parts in 1605 and 1615. It follows a retired gentleman who reads so many chivalric romances that he sets out as a knight-errant, accompanied by Sancho Panza. It is often called the first modern novel. The books below offer similar satirical adventures and comic classics.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tristram Shandy | Laurence Sterne | Adult | experimental comedy |
| Tom Jones | Henry Fielding | Adult | comic picaresque |
| Gulliver's Travels | Jonathan Swift | Adult | satire |
| Three Men in a Boat | Jerome K. Jerome | Adult | comic travel |
| The Pickwick Papers | Charles Dickens | Adult | comic serial |
| The Good Soldier Svejk | Jaroslav Hasek | Adult | war satire |
| Candide | Voltaire | Adult | satirical adventure |
| Dead Souls | Nikolai Gogol | Adult | Russian satire |
| Robinson Crusoe | Daniel Defoe | Adult | readers who like survival |
| The Master and Margarita | Mikhail Bulgakov | Adult | surreal classics |
| A Confederacy of Dunces | John Kennedy Toole | Adult | comic classic |
| Catch-22 | Joseph Heller | Adult | war satire |
| A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court | Mark Twain | Adult | satirical time travel |
| The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | Mark Twain | Teen and adult | classic American novels |
| Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell | Susanna Clarke | Adult | historical magic |
1. Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne
A narrator tries to tell his life story and keeps getting distracted. Playful and strange.
Best for: experimental comedy.
2. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding
A foundling's adventures across eighteenth-century England. Funny and sprawling.
Best for: comic picaresque.
3. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
A ship's surgeon visits strange lands. Sharp and imaginative.
Best for: satire.
4. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
Three friends and a dog take a boat trip on the Thames. Light and funny.
Best for: comic travel.
5. The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
Mr Pickwick and his friends tour the countryside. Warm and funny.
Best for: comic serial.
6. The Good Soldier Svejk by Jaroslav Hasek
A cheerfully foolish soldier in the First World War. Absurd and biting.
Best for: war satire.
7. Candide by Voltaire
A naive young man is told that all is for the best. Short, funny and sharp.
Best for: satirical adventure.
8. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol
A swindler buys dead serfs. Comic and dark.
Best for: Russian satire.
9. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
A shipwrecked man builds a life on an island. The classic survival novel.
Best for: readers who like survival.
10. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
The Devil visits Moscow, and a writer's love story unfolds alongside. Satirical, strange and unforgettable.
Best for: surreal classics.
11. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Ignatius J. Reilly stumbles through New Orleans. Outrageous and unforgettable.
Best for: comic classic.
12. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Captain Yossarian tries to survive a war and a maddening bureaucracy. A classic of absurd comedy.
Best for: war satire.
13. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
A modern engineer is thrown back to Camelot. Funny and sharp.
Best for: satirical time travel.
14. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
A boy and a runaway slave float down the Mississippi. Funny, and controversial.
Best for: classic American novels.
15. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Two magicians revive English magic in the Napoleonic era. Long, witty and rich.
Best for: historical magic.
How to Choose
For satire choose Candide, Gulliver's Travels or Catch-22. For comic travelling heroes pick Tom Jones, The Pickwick Papers or Huckleberry Finn. For Russian humour read Dead Souls or The Master and Margarita. Don Quixote is long, so a modern translation helps. Many readers find a modern translation by Edith Grossman or John Rutherford easier than older versions. The novel is also a good one to read in parts, as the two volumes have different tones.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Don Quixote about?
A man who thinks he is a knight and sets out with his squire.
Who wrote it?
Miguel de Cervantes.
When was it published?
1605 and 1615.
Is it funny?
Yes, though it is also sad and thoughtful.
Is it hard to read?
It is long, though a modern translation helps.
Why is it important?
It is often considered the first modern novel.
Which translation should I pick?
Edith Grossman's and John Rutherford's are popular.
What should I read next?
Try Candide or Tom Jones.
Which book here is best for comic travel?
Try Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome, which suits readers looking for comic travel.
Which book here is best for satirical adventure?
Try Candide by Voltaire, which suits readers looking for satirical adventure.
Which book here is best for surreal classics?
Try The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, which suits readers looking for surreal classics.
Which book here is best for satirical time travel?
Try A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain, which suits readers looking for satirical time travel.
Which book here is best for comic picaresque?
Try Tom Jones by Henry Fielding, which suits readers looking for comic picaresque.
Which book here is best for comic serial?
Try The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens, which suits readers looking for comic serial.