One of OursOne of Ours
Score Classic
What it's about
Claude Wheeler is a restless, sensitive young man on a Nebraska farm, unhappy at college, trapped in a cold marriage and sure there must be something more to life. When America enters the First World War, he enlists, and in France, among soldiers and ruined villages, he finds the sense of purpose he has always longed for.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize. Cather based Claude on her cousin, killed in France in 1918, and the book captures the hopes of a whole generation.
You'll love it if you liked
Death Comes for the Archbishop
Testament of Youth: One Woman's Haunting Record of the First World War
The Sun Also RisesGood to know
The first half on the farm is slow; the war half is more dramatic. Some critics thought its view of war too romantic.
By the numbers
- Readers40 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller1 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
Reads as
Dark
More by Willa Cather
If you like this, read next
The Color Purple
The Caine Mutiny
East of Eden
I, Claudius
A Room of One's Own
Angle of ReposeExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is One of Ours worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize. It ranks #1,462 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 68.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is One of Ours about?
Claude Wheeler is a restless, sensitive young man on a Nebraska farm, unhappy at college, trapped in a cold marriage and sure there must be something more to life. When America enters the First World War, he enlists, and in France, among soldiers and ruined villages, he finds the sense of purpose he has always longed for.
How long does it take to read One of Ours?
About 10 hours (382 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has One of Ours won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (1923).
What should I read after One of Ours?
If you liked it, try Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather, Testament of Youth: One Woman's Haunting Record of the First World War by Vera Brittain or The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway.