Cold Comfort FarmCold Comfort Farm
Score Classic
What it's about
When Flora Poste is orphaned at nineteen with an education and no money, she decides to live with relatives, and picks the Starkadders of Cold Comfort Farm in Sussex. The farm is gloomy, the family is doomed and full of brooding passions, and old Aunt Ada Doom hasn't left her room since she saw something nasty in the woodshed. Flora, who believes in tidiness, sets out to fix everyone.
Why it's worth reading
It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It's a hilarious parody of gloomy rural novels, and still one of the funniest English books.
You'll love it if you liked
Good to know
It's short. It's set in a vaguely imagined near future, with some odd touches.
By the numbers
- Readers21 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller33 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.
Where it ranks
- #24 of the 35 humor books we rank
- #586 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2041 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Funny, Moving, Uplifting
If you like this, read next
Breakfast of Champions
The Bonfire of the Vanities
A Confederacy of Dunces
Infinite Jest
Money
Lucky JimExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Cold Comfort Farm worth reading?
Yes. It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It ranks #2,041 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 63.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Cold Comfort Farm about?
When Flora Poste is orphaned at nineteen with an education and no money, she decides to live with relatives, and picks the Starkadders of Cold Comfort Farm in Sussex. The farm is gloomy, the family is doomed and full of brooding passions, and old Aunt Ada Doom hasn't left her room since she saw something nasty in the woodshed. Flora, who believes in tidiness, sets out to fix everyone.
How long does it take to read Cold Comfort Farm?
About 6 hours (256 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Cold Comfort Farm?
If you liked it, try Emma by Jane Austen, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith or Scoop by Evelyn Waugh.