MilkmanMilkman
Score Modern
What it's about
In a city that is clearly Belfast in the 1970s, an eighteen-year-old woman known as 'middle sister' is being stalked by a married paramilitary known as the Milkman. She has done nothing, but in a community where gossip is dangerous, everyone assumes they're having an affair. She tells her story in a rushing, funny, claustrophobic voice.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. It's a startling portrait of life under surveillance and rumor.
You'll love it if you liked
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
Normal People
The Handmaid’s TaleGood to know
No one has a name, the sentences are long and looping, and there are few paragraph breaks, which some readers find hard.
By the numbers
- Readers0 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics89 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller35 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz10 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
- #132 of the 233 romances we rank
- #916 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1702 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Uplifting
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Quick answers
Is Milkman worth reading?
Yes. It won the Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. It ranks #1,702 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 66.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Milkman about?
In a city that is clearly Belfast in the 1970s, an eighteen-year-old woman known as 'middle sister' is being stalked by a married paramilitary known as the Milkman. She has done nothing, but in a community where gossip is dangerous, everyone assumes they're having an affair. She tells her story in a rushing, funny, claustrophobic voice.
How long does it take to read Milkman?
About 9 hours (352 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Milkman won?
Booker Prize winner (2018); NBCC Award (Fiction) winner (2018).
What should I read after Milkman?
If you liked it, try Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe, Normal People by Sally Rooney or The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.