11 Best Character-Driven Books to Read

Looking for the best character driven books? These 11 are perfect for you!

Do you prefer plot-driven novels, or are you a character-driven book kind of person? I’ve heard it said that you have to be one or the other, but personally, I love both, depending on my mood!

While I love a dramatic rollercoaster ride of a novel, I also adore slow-burning, quiet, meditative books.

I love to get to know a character bit by bit, slowly learning more tidbits with each page until I feel I know them inside out and they truly get under my skin.

If that’s you too, then you’ll probably enjoy the following 11 novels. Featuring an array of interesting, complex, and sometimes unlikable characters, the following novels are absolutely worth the time investment.

They’re the kind of books that linger after you finish them, the kind of writing that you can savour, and the kind of stories that you wish you could start all over again for the first time.

Amazing book deals you don’t want to miss
Blackwells: Free delivery worldwide on books
Audible: Get 30 days free when you sign up to Audible
Kindle: Save up to 80% on Kindle book deals
Prime Reading: Unlimited access to a rotating catalogue of e-books

11 Best Character-Driven Books

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Tom Lake made a splash (pun intended!) in the summer of 2023, climbing the Sunday Times bestseller list.

Written by award-winning author Ann Patchett, it follows Lara and her three grown daughters painstakingly picking cherries on their farm in Northern Michigan.

As they work, Lara speaks of her past life, before marriage and children, and her daughters ponder what could have been.

READ MORE: 11 Books Like Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

This is a slow burn of a novel: it’s a slow retrospective of Lara’s life, with intermittent, heartwarming moments with her three daughters.

Lara’s history holds some surprises, which impact the daughters in different ways.

It’s a beautiful exploration of family dynamics, and it’s heavy with wistful longing for the past and immense gratitude for the present. It’s emotionally compelling and well worth the effort of investing time into the characters.

On top of that, the gorgeous depictions of Northern Michigan, the farm, and the hazy summers of Lara’s youth are stunning – I’d recommend it for a bit of escapism, especially as the weather turns colder.

Grab a copy of Tom Lake now!

Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Remains of the Day is the first truly character-driven novel I read, and it got under my skin to the extent that it changed my perspective on the kind of novels I love to read.

It’s a phenomenal book, winning several awards, including the Booker Prize in 1989. It was adapted into a popular film in 1993, too.

The story revolves around Stevens, a faithful butler working in the incredibly grandiose Darlington House. Stevens is taking a driving holiday, exploring the gorgeous landscapes of the South West in England.

Stevens, unused to taking time off, quietly contemplates his surroundings and contemplates his own career as a butler.

It’s difficult to describe how atmospheric this novel is: the uptight and subservient Stevens slowly reveals himself to the reader, thin layer by thin layer until you finally get to the heart of who he truly is. It’s a stunning piece of work, and the ending is quietly devastating.

It’s a slow-moving, contemplative novel, and it may feel like a lot of work to get to the emotional core of the story, but in my opinion, it’s a must-read.

Grab a copy of Remains of the Day now!

Any Human Heart by William Boyd

One of my favourite books of all time, Any Human Heart is the story of a man’s entire life, from childhood to the end.

Considered by some critics to be a masterpiece, it’s a sweeping novel, starting in the early 1900s, and ending in 1991.

It traces the life of Logan Gonzago Mounstuart, a writer, as he transforms from a kid in public school, to a young man in Oxford, and beyond.

Mountstuart goes through a lot in his lifetime. There is, in fact, a lot of plot here to enjoy: he falls in love, falls out of love again, has several setbacks and incredible achievements, and sinks into the depths of alcoholism and poverty.

A lot happens to Mounstuart, and as the reader, we get to hear the bare truth of all of it: even the ugly bits that Mounstuart might not want to admit to anyone else.

I’d point to this as an excellent, classic example of a character-driven book. It’s got heart and humanity and a lot of emotion. I’d recommend it if you want to stick with a character right through to their dying day.

Grab a copy of Any Human Heart now!

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is one of those books that was so popular it seemed that everyone was reading it at the time.

It was a popular book club choice, and it’s an interesting story to dig into. Eleanor Oliphant is a complex character: stubborn, open to the point of rudeness, and difficult to get along with, her world is full of emotional obstacles and social hazards to overcome.

The story aside, Eleanor’s character is absolutely fascinating. She’s complicated and very capable of lying to herself (and, therefore, the reader) about her past.

READ MORE: 10 Books Like Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

As the story unfolds, Eleanor lays herself bare, and by the end of the novel, you’ll feel as though you’ve truly got to know who she is.

This is one of the faster-paced character-driven novels I’ve encountered, and it’s very ‘readable’, which is nice – sometimes character-heavy novels can become a bit dry or difficult, but that’s not the case here! I’d recommend it for a light, uplifting, and interesting read.

Grab a copy of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine now!

God Spare the Girls by Kelsey McKinney

This is a fascinating insight into religious communities and the reality behind a seemingly perfect facade. God Spare the Girls follows Abigail and Caroline Nolan, two sisters who live in the shadow of their famous father.

Well-known in Evangelical Christian circles, Luke Nolan has a strong presence and a charismatic speaking style, and is keen to reinforce purity culture. Unfortunately, Luke’s life is not as pure as he lets on.

What I loved about this book were the sisters: Caroline, the youngest, is rebellious and feels suffocated by the purity culture her own father upholds, as well as the toxic undercurrent that runs through their family. Abigail, meanwhile, is the poster child, about to marry the supposed love of her life.

The sisters are under pressure, and they must decide which family bonds are worth protecting, even at great personal cost. It’s sad and meditative.

If you aren’t familiar with religious communities and the need to have a strong ‘image,’ it’s a fascinating deep dive into the reality of that. If you have ever been exposed to purity culture, this should strongly resonate with you.

Grab a copy of God Spare the Girls now!

Trust by Hernan Diaz

Set in the 1920s to the 1930s, Trust is a gorgeous novel about wealth, aristocracy, and the pressures of popularity.

Benjamin and Helen Rask are legends in the New York socialite scene: but how did they come across their fortune, and how far are they willing to go to protect it?

Trust is almost a puzzle: split into four parts, each section has a distinctive feel, and the further you progress, the more you understand about the previous chapters.

Unfolding the truth will require a dive into several different perspectives, and as time goes on, you’ll find out more about Benjamin and Helen and who they really are.

I listened to Trust on Audible, and it’s a lovely read to take your time with. The slow, steady pace of the narration allows you to ruminate on the characters.

However you enjoy this story, I’d recommend it if you love the idea of digging into a character layer by layer.

Grab a copy of Trust now!

Expectation by Anna Hope

Expectation is another slow-burning, meditative dive into a few characters. Hannah, Cate, and Lissa are best friends, but their lives have taken several unexpected turns.

The three women come to terms with the reality of being in their thirties, as opposed to how they imagined it would turn out back in their twenties.

As the three women reflect, they remember the events over the years that have caused them to drift apart.

While it’s deeply character-driven, the plot is compelling enough to keep the story moving, and there are plenty of betrayals, hurt feelings, and heartaches along the way.

This is a relatable story for anyone feeling ‘stuck’ in their life. I think most of us have an idealistic view of our future when we are young, so Hannah, Cate, and Lissa’s disappointments (and unexpected joys) will have you nodding in recognition.

Adult life is tough, and Expectation does not shy away from the complexities, the disappointments, and the happy moments, too.

Grab a copy of Expectation now!

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

The Joy Luck Club is a classic novel, earning praise from critics and readers alike for the realistic portrayal of immigrant families and the intense relationship between mothers and daughters.

It follows four Chinese women in San Francisco, drawn together to play mahjong and share worries about their daughters.

The daughters, deeply immersed in American culture, do not see the relevance of their mothers’ pasts and largely reject their wisdom and advice. This leads to some painful moments between the mothers and their daughters.

It’s a sensitive exploration of this sometimes tricky relationship, and the characters slowly develop over the course of the story.

As the daughters start to listen to their mothers, the reader gets to learn more about them, too; surprising twists and turns in their past are fascinating to unfold, and secrets are laid bare as the daughters grapple with their own heritage.

This is a lighter novel, and very readable, so I’d recommend it if you don’t want to dive into a longer, more meditative story.

Grab a copy of The Joy Luck Club now!

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

Another slow burn, The Interestings is a time-jumping story that treats the readers to glimpses of the characters’ pasts, tantalizingly drip-feeding details in a way that makes it unputdownable.

A long meditation on several characters, it begins at a summer camp in the 1970s, where a group of creative, effervescent teenagers meet and form a lifetime bond.

The story slowly uncovers the characters as they move from adolescence into adult life. Creative, driven, and sometimes difficult to get along with, the six friends go off in wildly different directions.

It explores tender topics, particularly classism, with grace and honesty, and the various joys and tragedies of The Interestings are riveting.

With an occasional flashback to the seventies, this is an interesting look at privilege (and the lack of it) and how it can impact a person’s entire life.

It takes quite a while to unfold the full story, but it’s worth the time investment as the characters grow from arrogant, over-confident teens to adults ready to take on the world (or not, in some cases).

Grab a copy of The Interestings now!

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Bell Jar is a classic American novel that often features on ‘must-read’ lists. It follows Esther, a creative and beautiful woman, as she goes through a complete breakdown.

Esther’s downward spiral is painful and bluntly honest, and it’s a haunting read to dip into.

Plath has a way of exploring the darkest parts of the human psyche, pulling out those hidden thoughts and feelings into the light, allowing us to (sometimes painfully) examine them.

The Bell Jar is an incredible example of this. It’s a semi-autobiographical journey, and while it’s not for the faint-hearted, it’s a fascinating look at one of the most celebrated writers of all time.

It’s hard to untangle the story of Esther with the story of Plath herself; knowing the writer’s history puts a different spin on things, and it’s hard to know what Plath really experienced, and what was imagined for the novel.

Either way, it’s fascinating, emotional, and harrowing. A must-read for lovers of Plath’s poetry, and one of those books that you have to encounter at some point in your life.

Grab a copy of The Bell Jar now!

The Secret History by Donna Tart

A book that inflamed an already contentious argument about trigger warnings in books, The Secret History is not an easy read. It’s a long, slow-burning book about a group of misfits studying at a top college in New England.

Under the tutelage of their professor, they find themselves sucked into a strange kind of existence that pushes the boundaries and ends in tragedy.

READ MORE: The Secret History Book Review

It’s a sad book. Heartbreaking, in fact. It’s not a straightforward read, and because the characters are given enough time to get under your skin, their ‘lows’ feel extra painful.

If you are sensitive to certain triggers, I’d recommend looking up some warnings online and going steady.

Having said that, I think this is absolutely worth a read because of the depth of the characters. They’re not always likeable (in fact, sometimes they are downright unlikable), and they make some head-scratching decisions.

It’s a phenomenal book and one you’ll remember for a long time to come. But it might be one you need to take a break from every now and then!

I hope this has helped you to find your next character-driven novel! As I get older, I appreciate complex, deeply layered characters more and more.

As much as I love a fast-paced plot, something about slower novels sticks with me after I’ve finished them.

Grab a copy of The Secret History now!

Hopefully, there’s something on this list for everyone, from lighter reads like Eleanor Oliphant to long, deep dives like The Secret History.

If you liked this post, check out these:
33 Best Modern Books of All Time
10 Life Changing Books to Read
15 Books About Self-Discovery
10 Best Memoirs of All Time
13 Best Holiday Reads
11 Best Audible Originals