Let the Great World SpinLet the Great World Spin
Score Modern
What it's about
One morning in August 1974, a man walks on a tightrope between the Twin Towers in New York. Below, a dozen lives cross: an Irish monk living among prostitutes in the Bronx, a mother and daughter working the streets, a rich Park Avenue woman grieving a son killed in Vietnam, a judge, a pair of young artists after a car crash. Their stories ripple out from that day.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award. It's a tender, many-voiced portrait of New York and of grief and connection.
You'll love it if you liked
Cloud Cuckoo Land
The Hours
Olive KitteridgeGood to know
It's made of linked stories in different voices, so it takes a while to see how they connect. There's drug use and prostitution.
By the numbers
- Readers34 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics63 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller61 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
- #127 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #591 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1125 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is Let the Great World Spin worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Award. It ranks #1,125 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 71.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Let the Great World Spin about?
One morning in August 1974, a man walks on a tightrope between the Twin Towers in New York. Below, a dozen lives cross: an Irish monk living among prostitutes in the Bronx, a mother and daughter working the streets, a rich Park Avenue woman grieving a son killed in Vietnam, a judge, a pair of young artists after a car crash. Their stories ripple out from that day.
How long does it take to read Let the Great World Spin?
About 9 hours (351 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Let the Great World Spin won?
National Book Award (Fiction) winner (2009).
What should I read after Let the Great World Spin?
If you liked it, try Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, The Hours by Michael Cunningham or Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.