HerzogHerzog
Score Classic
What it's about
Moses Herzog, a scholar in his forties, has just been divorced by his second wife, who left him for his best friend. Half mad with grief and humiliation, he spends days writing letters he'll never send, to friends, enemies, famous philosophers, God and himself, while traveling between New York, Massachusetts and Chicago, where his daughter lives.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award, spent 29 weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and is on TIME's list of the best novels. It's brilliant, funny and full of ideas.
You'll love it if you liked
The Adventures of Augie March
American Pastoral
A Confederacy of DuncesGood to know
There's little plot; much of it takes place in Herzog's head, with long digressions on philosophy.
By the numbers
- Readers6 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics85 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller59 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
More by Saul Bellow
The Adventures of Augie March
Humboldt's Gift
Henderson the Rain KingIf you like this, read next
The Brothers Karamazov
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
The Robe
A Grief Observed
The Fixer
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Quick answers
Is Herzog worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Award, spent 29 weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and is on TIME's list of the best novels. It ranks #1,457 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 68.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Herzog about?
Moses Herzog, a scholar in his forties, has just been divorced by his second wife, who left him for his best friend. Half mad with grief and humiliation, he spends days writing letters he'll never send, to friends, enemies, famous philosophers, God and himself, while traveling between New York, Massachusetts and Chicago, where his daughter lives.
How long does it take to read Herzog?
About 10 hours (401 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Herzog won?
National Book Award (Fiction) winner (1965).
What should I read after Herzog?
If you liked it, try The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow, American Pastoral by Philip Roth or A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.