Call It SleepCall It Sleep
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1907, David Schearl, a young boy, arrives in New York with his mother from Eastern Europe to join his violent, paranoid father. The novel follows David's childhood in the Jewish slums of Brownsville and the Lower East Side, seen through his frightened, imaginative eyes, as he searches for safety and meaning.
Why it's worth reading
It's on TIME's list of the 100 best novels. It's a modernist masterpiece about immigrant childhood.
You'll love it if you liked
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
World's Fair
The Adventures of Augie MarchGood to know
It's written in dialect and has disturbing scenes.
By the numbers
- Readers11 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it doesn't have enough readers yet for us to rank it alongside the Must-Read 50 pool. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
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The Brothers Karamazov
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The Robe
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Quick answers
Is Call It Sleep worth reading?
It's on TIME's list of the 100 best novels. Its Must-Read Score is 59.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Call It Sleep about?
In 1907, David Schearl, a young boy, arrives in New York with his mother from Eastern Europe to join his violent, paranoid father. The novel follows David's childhood in the Jewish slums of Brownsville and the Lower East Side, seen through his frightened, imaginative eyes, as he searches for safety and meaning.
How long does it take to read Call It Sleep?
About 12 hours (480 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Call It Sleep?
If you liked it, try A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, World's Fair by E. L. Doctorow or The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow.