Arthur Phillips books

Arthur Phillips is an American literary fiction author known for Prague, The Egyptologist, and The Tragedy of Arthur, writing inventive novels that play with history, identity, and narrative form.

Standalone Novels

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Prague 2002 Buy
The Egyptologist 2004 Buy
Angelica 2007 Buy
The Song Is You 2009 Buy
The Tragedy of Arthur 2011 Buy
The King at the Edge of the World 2020 Buy

Arthur Phillips writes literary fiction that treats narrative form as subject matter. Prague, his debut, is set entirely in Budapest — the title refers to the city its characters believe would have been the better destination. The Egyptologist alternates between two unreliable narrators separated by decades, each trying to make history serve their purposes.

The Tragedy of Arthur may be his most ambitious work — a novel structured as a memoir about discovering a lost Shakespeare play, with the full text of the fake play included. The King at the Edge of the World, his most recent, is a historical novel about Elizabethan espionage. Six novels over eighteen years show a writer interested in the ways people construct stories about themselves and their pasts.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Arthur Phillips written?

Arthur Phillips has written six books in one series.

What was Arthur Phillips's first book?

Arthur Phillips’s first book is Prague, published in 2002.

What is Arthur Phillips known for?

Phillips is known for formally inventive literary novels that play with historical periods and narrative structure. Prague, his debut, follows American expats in 1990s Budapest who keep comparing it unfavorably to Prague, a city none of them have visited. The Egyptologist alternates unreliable narrators across decades. The Tragedy of Arthur presents itself as the author’s memoir about discovering a lost Shakespeare play, complete with the full fake play text.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We may receive commissions for purchases made through links on this site.

Privacy Policy