Motherless BrooklynMotherless Brooklyn
Score Modern
What it's about
Lionel Essrog grew up in a Brooklyn orphanage and has Tourette's syndrome, which fills his head and mouth with tics and wordplay. He and three other orphans were taken under the wing of Frank Minna, a small-time hustler who runs a shady detective agency. When Minna is murdered, Lionel sets out to find the killer.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Critics Circle Award. It's a funny, inventive detective story with an unforgettable narrator, and became a film with Edward Norton.
You'll love it if you liked
The Big Sleep
The Yiddish Policemen's Union
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-TimeGood to know
Lionel's tics include swearing and wordplay. There's violence.
By the numbers
- Readers18 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics56 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller18 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
- #376 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #1153 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2132 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping, Moving
More by Jonathan Lethem
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Quick answers
Is Motherless Brooklyn worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award. It ranks #2,132 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Motherless Brooklyn about?
Lionel Essrog grew up in a Brooklyn orphanage and has Tourette's syndrome, which fills his head and mouth with tics and wordplay. He and three other orphans were taken under the wing of Frank Minna, a small-time hustler who runs a shady detective agency. When Minna is murdered, Lionel sets out to find the killer.
How long does it take to read Motherless Brooklyn?
About 9 hours (370 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Motherless Brooklyn won?
NBCC Award (Fiction) winner (1999).
What should I read after Motherless Brooklyn?
If you liked it, try The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon or The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon.