50 Must-Read 50 Beta
← The Must-Read 50
Cover of Medea by EuripidesMedea
Classic · Fiction, Classics, Fantasy

Medea

by Euripides
1703 · 256 pages · Fiction
67.6Must-Read
Score Classic
Critics' pick
≈ 6 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Medea, a foreign princess and sorceress, betrayed her family to help Jason win the Golden Fleece, and fled with him to Greece. Now Jason has left her to marry the daughter of the king of Corinth, and the king orders Medea and her children into exile. Medea plans a revenge so terrible it has shocked audiences for 2,400 years.

Why it's worth reading

It's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books. It's one of the greatest tragedies ever written, and Medea's fury is still unsettling.

You'll love it if you liked

Cover of The Iliad by HomerThe Iliad
The IliadHomer
Cover of Hamlet by William ShakespeareHamlet
HamletWilliam Shakespeare
Cover of The Metamorphoses by OvidThe Metamorphoses
The MetamorphosesOvid

Good to know

It's a short play. Medea murders her own children, offstage.

By the numbers

67.6Must-Read Score
  • Readers38 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Bestseller22 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

On the lists
Bokklubben World Library (100 greatest books)

Reads as

Moving, Epic

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

If you like this, read next

Cover of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. TolkienThe Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the RingsJ. R. R. Tolkien
Cover of Beloved by Toni MorrisonBeloved
BelovedToni Morrison
Cover of The Master and Margarita by Mikhail BulgakovThe Master and Margarita
The Master and MargaritaMikhail Bulgakov
Cover of The Tin Drum by Günter GrassThe Tin Drum
The Tin DrumGünter Grass
Cover of Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold by Stephen FryMythos: The Greek Myths Retold
Mythos: The Greek Myths RetoldStephen Fry
Cover of Soldier of the Mist by Gene WolfeSoldier of the Mist
Soldier of the MistGene Wolfe

Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedClassic booksTop 25 · 762 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 rankedHistorical novelsTop 25 · 116 ranked

Quick answers

Is Medea worth reading?

Yes. It's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books. It ranks #1,574 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.6 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Medea about?

Medea, a foreign princess and sorceress, betrayed her family to help Jason win the Golden Fleece, and fled with him to Greece. Now Jason has left her to marry the daughter of the king of Corinth, and the king orders Medea and her children into exile. Medea plans a revenge so terrible it has shocked audiences for 2,400 years.

How long does it take to read Medea?

About 6 hours (256 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Medea?

If you liked it, try The Iliad by Homer, Hamlet by William Shakespeare or The Metamorphoses by Ovid.