A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories
The central short-story collection published during O'Connor's lifetime and an accessible introduction to her characteristic themes and style.
Author guide
Flannery O'Connor Books in Order
Flannery O'Connor (1925–1964) was an American novelist and short-story writer from Georgia. Her fiction, essays, reviews, letters, and journal writings explore grace, morality, disability, race, and religious belief through sharply comic and often violent encounters in the American South. She published two novels and two story collections during her lifetime; substantial posthumous collections expanded her literary record.
novelsshort storiesessaysliterary criticismlettersdiarygraphic works
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Wise Blood
Her first novel and a concise introduction to her Southern Gothic fiction, religious concerns, and grotesque comedy.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (2)
- Wise Blood
novel · 1952
Wise Blood, Flannery O'Connor's astonishing and haunting first novel, is a classic of twentieth-century literature. It is the story of Hazel Motes, a twenty-two-year-old caught in an unending struggle against his inborn, desperate fate.…
- The Violent Bear It Away
novel · 1960
First published in 1955, The Violent Bear It Away is now a landmark in American literature. It is a dark and absorbing example of the Gothic sensibility and bracing satirical voice that are united in Flannery O'Conner's work. In it, the…
Nonfiction (2)
- The Presence of Grace and Other Book Reviews
literary-criticism · 1983
- A Prayer Journal
diary · 2013
Short fiction (3)
- A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories
short-story-collection · 1955
The collection that established O’Connor’s reputation as one of the American masters of the short story. The volume contains the celebrated title story, a tale of the murderous fugitive The Misfit, as well as “The Displaced Person” and…
- Everything That Rises Must Converge
short-story-collection · 1965
The death of Flanner O'Connor at thirty-nine marked the loss of one of America's most gifted contemporary writers at the height of her powers. This volume is the collection on which she was working at the time of her death. Each of the…
- The Complete Stories
short-story-collection · 1971
Featuring all of American author Flannery O’Connor’s short stories, this collection reveals the author’s contemplations on religion, morality, and fate, set against the backdrop of the American South. The collection contains O’Connor’s…
Essays and speeches (1)
- Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose
essay-collection · 1969
Other (4)
- The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O'Connor
letters · 1979
This book is a collection of letter sent by the American novellist and writer Flannery O'Connor to various persons incl. notable figures of the literary world at the time. The book is particularly significant, as the author was confined…
- Flannery O'Connor: The Cartoons
graphic-work · 2012
Frequently asked questions about Flannery O'Connor
Who was Flannery O’Connor?
Flannery O’Connor (1925–1964) was an American novelist and short-story writer from Georgia, widely regarded as one of the major fiction writers of the twentieth century. Her Southern Gothic fiction is known for grotesque humor, violence, and religious themes.
Sources: georgiaencyclopedia.org (opens in a new tab)georgiahistory.com (opens in a new tab)
Where was Flannery O’Connor born, and where did she live?
She was born in Savannah, Georgia, on March 25, 1925. After being diagnosed with lupus in 1951, she returned to Milledgeville and lived at the family farm, Andalusia, until her death in 1964.
Sources: georgiahistory.com (opens in a new tab)georgiaencyclopedia.org (opens in a new tab)
How did Flannery O’Connor become a writer?
She studied at Georgia State College for Women and then entered the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop after receiving a journalism scholarship. The workshop introduced her to influential writers and critics and helped launch her literary career.
Sources: georgiaencyclopedia.org (opens in a new tab)georgiahistory.com (opens in a new tab)
Was Flannery O’Connor Catholic, and did her faith influence her writing?
Yes. O’Connor was a devout Roman Catholic, and her faith shaped fiction concerned with grace, sin, salvation, and the search for God, even when her characters and settings were largely drawn from the Protestant South.
Sources: georgiaencyclopedia.org (opens in a new tab)georgiahistory.com (opens in a new tab)
What awards did Flannery O’Connor receive, and what is her literary legacy?
She received the National Book Award for Fiction posthumously in 1972 for The Complete Stories. Her influence is commemorated by the University of Georgia Press’s Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction and by her induction into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame.
Sources: nationalbook.org (opens in a new tab)ugapress.org (opens in a new tab)georgiaencyclopedia.org (opens in a new tab)