Mao IIMao II
Score Modern
What it's about
Bill Gray is a reclusive, famous novelist who hasn't published in years and hasn't been photographed in decades. When he lets a photographer take his picture, he's drawn out of hiding, and into an attempt to free a young poet held hostage by terrorists in Beirut. DeLillo explores the idea that terrorists have replaced novelists as the people who shape how we see the world.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Pulitzer finalist and won the PEN/Faulkner Award. It's a short, unsettling novel about crowds, images and terror.
You'll love it if you liked
White Noise
Underworld
The Ghost WriterGood to know
It's a novel of ideas, with fragmented scenes.
By the numbers
- Readers0 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics32 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller7 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
- #308 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #1561 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2796 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Don DeLillo
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Quick answers
Is Mao II worth reading?
Yes. It was a Pulitzer finalist and won the PEN/Faulkner Award. It ranks #2,796 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 52.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Mao II about?
Bill Gray is a reclusive, famous novelist who hasn't published in years and hasn't been photographed in decades. When he lets a photographer take his picture, he's drawn out of hiding, and into an attempt to free a young poet held hostage by terrorists in Beirut. DeLillo explores the idea that terrorists have replaced novelists as the people who shape how we see the world.
How long does it take to read Mao II?
About 6 hours (256 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Mao II?
If you liked it, try White Noise by Don DeLillo, Underworld by Don DeLillo or The Ghost Writer by Philip Roth.