Scandinavian ClassicsAuthors
📱 Track your child's reading — free Scan a book to log it. Kids earn streaks 🔥 & badges 🏅. Free on iOS & Android.
Home › Authors › Scandinavian Classics › Søren Kierkegaard

Søren Kierkegaard: Biography, Books & Where to Start

1813–1855 · Copenhagen, Denmark · also known as Kierkegaard, Soren Kierkegaard

Søren Kierkegaard booksSøren Kierkegaard biographyEither/OrFear and TremblingThe Sickness unto DeathKierkegaardSoren Kierkegaard

Who was Søren Kierkegaard?

Søren Kierkegaard, often called the father of existentialism, wrote about anxiety, faith and the individual’s choices under a series of playful pen names. Either/Or and Fear and Trembling (both 1843) and The Sickness unto Death (1849) influenced philosophers and writers from Sartre to Kafka.

Where to start

Begin with Fear and Trembling.

Søren Kierkegaard’s books, in order

  1. Either/Or (1843)
    Free at: Project Gutenberg · Standard Ebooks · LibriVox · Wikisource · Internet Archive · Open Library Find a free edition →
  2. Fear and Trembling (1843)
    Free at: Project Gutenberg · Standard Ebooks · LibriVox · Wikisource · Internet Archive · Open Library Find a free edition →

Part of our Scandinavian Classics reading list — print it, email it to yourself or share it.

More Scandinavian authors

Hans Christian Andersen · Henrik Ibsen · August Strindberg · Selma Lagerlöf · Knut Hamsun · Sigrid Undset · Astrid Lindgren

Frequently asked questions

Who was Søren Kierkegaard?

Søren Kierkegaard, often called the father of existentialism, wrote about anxiety, faith and the individual’s choices under a series of playful pen names. Either/Or and Fear and Trembling (both 1843) and The Sickness unto Death (1849) influenced philosophers and writers from Sartre to Kafka.

What is Søren Kierkegaard’s most famous book?

Either/Or is usually considered Søren Kierkegaard’s best-known work, followed by Fear and Trembling, The Sickness unto Death.

Which Søren Kierkegaard book should I read first?

Most readers start with Fear and Trembling.

Is it Søren Kierkegaard or Soren Kierkegaard?

Both refer to the same writer. Other spellings and names include Kierkegaard, Soren Kierkegaard.

Can I read Søren Kierkegaard’s books free online?

Many of Søren Kierkegaard’s works are in the public domain; we link to free editions below.

📰 From our blog: reading tips

📝

What to Read: A Guide to the World’s Classics, Country by Country

Read →
📝

What to Read for Russian Classics: Where to Start, Reading Order & Free Books

Read →
📝

What to Read for British Classics: Where to Start, Reading Order & Free Books

Read →
📝

What to Read for American Classics: Where to Start, Reading Order & Free Books

Read →

All reading tips & book lists →

📚 Get the free Pagine app — 20,000+ books to read free Turn reading into a habit kids love — read online, set goals, earn badges.