GileadGilead
Score Modern
What it's about
In 1956, the Reverend John Ames, an old preacher in a small Iowa town, knows his heart is failing. He writes a long letter to his young son, who will grow up without him, telling him about his own father and grandfather, both preachers, about his town, his faith and the beauty of ordinary things, and about the troubled son of his best friend, who has come home.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It's quiet, luminous and deeply wise.
You'll love it if you liked
The Shipping News
Death Comes for the Archbishop
A Grief ObservedGood to know
It has almost no plot and is best read slowly. It's the first of four novels set in the same town; Home tells the same story from another family's side.
By the numbers
- Readers17 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics97 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller44 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
- #120 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #537 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1037 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Marilynne Robinson
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Quick answers
Is Gilead worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #1,037 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Gilead about?
In 1956, the Reverend John Ames, an old preacher in a small Iowa town, knows his heart is failing. He writes a long letter to his young son, who will grow up without him, telling him about his own father and grandfather, both preachers, about his town, his faith and the beauty of ordinary things, and about the troubled son of his best friend, who has come home.
How long does it take to read Gilead?
About 7 hours (289 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Gilead won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (2005); NBCC Award (Fiction) winner (2004).
What should I read after Gilead?
If you liked it, try The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx, Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather or A Grief Observed by CS Lewis.