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A title holds immense significance in the realm of literature. Whether it’s the directness of Dracula, the mystery of Lord of the Flies, or the haunting resonance of The Waste Land, a title serves as the gateway into the world of a literary work.
Many of the celebrated literary works we cherish today might have faded into obscurity if their authors had stuck with their original title choices. Countless poems, plays, and novels that are now globally revered once bore entirely different names—titles favored by the authors but ultimately rejected by editors, publishers, or the whims of fate. After all, who would have been drawn to Whacking Off, Trimalchio in West Egg, or He Do the Police in Different Voices?
10. James M. Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice
James M. Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice revolutionized the crime novel genre in the 1930s, setting a benchmark for future works. The story follows a drifter who arrives in a small town, takes a job at a diner, and becomes entangled in a passionate affair with the owner’s wife, leading to a meticulously planned murder. Despite the novel’s flawless execution, Cain struggled with the title. Initially named “Bar-B-Q,” it was met with disapproval from his publisher, Alfred Knopf. A conversation with playwright Vincent Lawrence, who mentioned how the postman always rang twice when he was home, inspired Cain to adopt the now-iconic title.
Knopf found the awkward phrasing unappealing and proposed his own alternative: For Love Or Money. Cain, however, remained steadfast in his choice, and Knopf eventually relented, acknowledging that they had each vetoed one of the other’s suggestions. This decision proved fortunate, as the new title went on to become one of the most iconic in 20th-century literature.
9. Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice stands as one of the most beloved novels not only of the 19th century but in the entire history of literature. Its timeless appeal has captivated readers across generations, inspiring countless adaptations, parodies, and unwavering admiration from its devoted fanbase.
The story revolves around Elizabeth Bennett, whose parents are determined to secure her a suitable marriage in Regency-era England. Her path crosses with Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a wealthy and reserved landowner. Despite Elizabeth’s initial aversion to him, she gradually finds herself drawn to his complex character.
Jane Austen initially wrote the novel as a series of letters in 1796, but it remained unpublished until 1813. Despite her and her father’s efforts to pitch it under the title First Impressions, publishers showed little interest. It wasn’t until after the success of Sense and Sensibility and a title change that the novel gained traction. The title Pride and Prejudice perfectly encapsulates the central themes, as Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy must confront their own pride and prejudices to achieve their romantic resolution.
8. T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land
T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land is a cornerstone of 20th-century poetry, vividly portraying life in post-World War I London through diverse perspectives. Structured into five sections, the poem intertwines personal narratives with the broader themes of war’s aftermath, exploring tragedy, disillusionment, and profound despair.
No title could be more apt than The Waste Land. It’s almost unimaginable that Eliot initially considered naming the poem “He Do the Police in Different Voices.”
Eliot’s draft title, though awkward, had a meaningful literary connection. It references Charles Dickens’s Our Mutual Friend, where the character Betty Higden remarks, “You mightn’t think it, but Sloppy is a beautiful reader of a newspaper. He do the police in different voices.” While this aligns with Eliot’s use of multiple voices and narrators in
7. Jon Robin Baitz’s Other Desert Cities
Jon Robin Baitz, a prominent contemporary playwright, has contributed to numerous plays and films since the late 20th century. Among his works, Other Desert Cities stands out for its poignant portrayal of modern middle-class life. The play centers on a fractured family reuniting in Palm Springs for Christmas, only to unravel under the pressure of hidden truths and strained relationships.
The play delves into themes of generational conflict, patriarchy, emotional breakdowns, alcoholism, and the everyday struggles of American families. After earning critical acclaim off-Broadway, it transitioned to Broadway, where it further solidified its reputation. Director Roland Emmerich, who both read and watched the play, was so captivated that he enlisted Baitz to write the screenplay for Stonewall (2015).
Originally, Baitz had titled his magnum opus Love and Mercy, a bland and uninspiring choice. It wasn’t until the final stages of writing that he settled on Other Desert Cities, a phrase embedded in the script that references a sign on Interstate 10 pointing to destinations beyond Palm Springs. This title, which had gone unnoticed until then, ultimately became the perfect fit.
6. Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Bram Stoker’s Dracula rivals Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as one of the most celebrated epistolary and gothic novels ever written. The novel introduced the iconic character of Dracula, reimagined the vampire mythos, and sparked a cultural obsession with vampires that has endured for over a century and shows no signs of fading.
Spanning the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania to the coastal town of Whitby in England, Dracula introduces an Eastern European menace to Britain as Count Dracula searches for a new home filled with unsuspecting victims. The novel captivated Victorian society, tapping into its deepest fears and leaving a lasting impact that extended far beyond the UK. Its influence has inspired countless adaptations and reimaginings of its titular character. However, one wonders if the novel would have achieved such fame under a different title. A
In 1980, a 500-page manuscript of the novel was found in a Pennsylvania barn, revealing Stoker’s original handwritten title: The Un-Dead. This generic and forgettable name would likely have consigned the story to obscurity, regardless of its gripping narrative.
5. Philip Roth’s Portnoy’s Complaint
Although Philip Roth is now celebrated as one of the most significant authors of the 20th century, he was relatively unknown in the 1960s. His breakthrough came with the publication of Portnoy’s Complaint in 1969, which earned him critical acclaim and a vast readership.
The novel is a bold and explicit work of fiction, framed as the humorous monologue of a sexually driven young Jewish man speaking to his psychoanalyst. The title is introduced on the first page, defined as a fictional disorder where “strongly felt ethical and altruistic impulses are perpetually at odds with extreme sexual desires.” While fitting, it’s a stark departure from Roth’s initial title choice.
Though not strictly autobiographical, Roth drew heavily from his experiences as a young Jewish man in New Jersey, initially titling the work The Jewboy in early drafts. He experimented with several lackluster titles, including Whacking Off, before ultimately choosing Portnoy’s Complaint after deciding to structure the narrative as a psychotherapy session.
4. Ford Madox Ford’s The Good Soldier
A cornerstone of Modernist literature, Ford Madox Ford’s The Good Soldier recounts the life of Edward Ashburnham (the “good soldier”) through the fragmented and unreliable recollections of narrator John Dowell. The novel explores the disintegration of marriages, infidelity, deceit, and the tragic deaths of key characters.
Ford’s novel has endured as a literary classic, but its original title could have jeopardized its success. He intended to name it The Saddest Story, but due to its release during World War I, his editor insisted on a more optimistic and relevant title. Ford reluctantly proposed The Good Soldier as a sarcastic alternative, which ultimately became the final choice.
Despite the title change, the novel’s opening line reads, “This is the saddest story I have ever heard.” It’s uncertain whether Ford included this as a nod to his rejected title or if it inspired the original name. Either way, Ford managed to subtly honor his initial vision.
3. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby epitomizes the 1920s Jazz Age in America. The novel delves into the opulent life of Jay Gatsby, a Long Island millionaire who strives to rekindle a past romance, only to spiral into tragedy.
The title is succinct and perfectly encapsulates the protagonist’s grandeur and eventual downfall. However, Fitzgerald considered numerous alternatives before settling on it, including Under the Red, White and Blue, Gold-Hatted Gatsby, and his personal favorite, Trimalchio in West Egg.
West Egg refers to the Long Island area where Gatsby resides, while Trimalchio is a more obscure reference to a character from Gaius Petronius’s The Satyricon: a wealthy yet crass former slave known for his extravagance and lack of refinement. Fitzgerald was fond of the Trimalchio allusion, but his publisher objected, arguing that most readers wouldn’t grasp its meaning. It’s hard to dispute their reasoning—Trimalchio in West Egg is an unwieldy title unlikely to attract readers.
2. Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire
Tennessee Williams, already a renowned playwright, reached unparalleled fame with A Streetcar Named Desire. The play chronicles the journey of Blanche DuBois, a faded Southern belle with no money, as she moves to working-class New Orleans. There, she clashes with her brutish brother-in-law while striving to rebuild her life.
The play’s adaptation into a film by Elia Kazan, starring Marlon Brando, brought Streetcar to a global audience far beyond the theater. The title itself is rich in symbolism, referencing both the literal streetcar that brings Blanche to New Orleans and the tragic consequences of her desires.
Williams’s diaries and letters reveal his struggle to title his masterpiece. He considered a variety of options, such as The Moth, The Primary Colors, and Blanche’s Chair in the Moon, before settling on the iconic and evocative title that has since become legendary.
1. William Golding’s Lord of the Flies
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is a unique coming-of-age story that strands a group of boys on a deserted island, documenting their descent into savagery as they struggle to uphold the thin line between order and chaos. The title, a direct translation of the biblical demon Beelzebub, symbolizes the pig’s head on a stick that one of the boys hallucinates and converses with.
Golding initially titled his work Strangers from Within, a far less evocative choice. Correspondence with his editors reveals their dissatisfaction with this title, sparking a series of discussions to find a more suitable alternative.
The editorial team proposed several alternatives, many of which were arguably worse than Strangers from Within, such as Island Refuge, Island Trouble, My Island, and Coral Island Renewed. Fortunately, editor Charles Monteith stepped in and suggested the now-iconic title, which was inspired by a phrase within the book itself.
