Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the DeadDrive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
Score Modern
What it's about
Janina Duszejko is an eccentric older woman living in a remote village in the mountains of southern Poland, looking after summer homes, studying astrology and translating the poetry of William Blake. When local hunters start turning up dead, she has a theory: the animals are taking revenge. Nobody listens to her.
Why it's worth reading
The Guardian named it one of the best books of the 21st century, and Tokarczuk won the Nobel Prize. It's a darkly funny murder mystery about animal rights and outsiders.
You'll love it if you liked
The Thursday Murder Club
The Vegetarian
Olive KitteridgeGood to know
Janina is a wonderful, unreliable narrator. There's animal cruelty in hunting scenes.
By the numbers
- Readers28 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics64 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller32 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz10 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
- #227 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #805 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1501 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping, Moving
More by Olga Tokarczuk
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Quick answers
Is Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead worth reading?
Yes. The Guardian named it one of the best books of the 21st century, and Tokarczuk won the Nobel Prize. It ranks #1,501 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 68.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead about?
Janina Duszejko is an eccentric older woman living in a remote village in the mountains of southern Poland, looking after summer homes, studying astrology and translating the poetry of William Blake. When local hunters start turning up dead, she has a theory: the animals are taking revenge. Nobody listens to her.
How long does it take to read Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead?
About 7 hours (274 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead?
If you liked it, try The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, The Vegetarian by Han Kang or Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.