G.G.
Score Classic
What it's about
John Berger's novel follows G., the illegitimate son of a rich Italian merchant and an American woman, from his childhood in the 1880s to the First World War. G. becomes a kind of modern Don Juan, drifting from one seduction to the next, while around him Europe moves through workers' riots in Milan, the first flight across the Alps and the outbreak of war.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Booker Prize in 1972, and Berger famously gave half his prize money to the Black Panthers. It's an experimental, philosophical novel about sex, power and history.
You'll love it if you liked
The Magus
The Alexandria Quartet
The Magic MountainGood to know
It's fragmentary and essayistic, with frank sexual content. Berger is better known for his art book Ways of Seeing, which is a different book.
By the numbers
- Readers35 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller32 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
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
Middlemarch
Howards End
The French Lieutenant's Woman
The Red and the Black
Jude the Obscure
Sentimental EducationExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is G. worth reading?
Yes. It won the Booker Prize in 1972, and Berger famously gave half his prize money to the Black Panthers. It ranks #1,279 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is G. about?
John Berger's novel follows G., the illegitimate son of a rich Italian merchant and an American woman, from his childhood in the 1880s to the First World War. G. becomes a kind of modern Don Juan, drifting from one seduction to the next, while around him Europe moves through workers' riots in Milan, the first flight across the Alps and the outbreak of war.
How long does it take to read G.?
About 8 hours (336 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has G. won?
Booker Prize winner (1972).
What should I read after G.?
If you liked it, try The Magus by John Fowles, The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell or The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann.