OutlineOutline
Score Modern
What it's about
A writer, recently divorced, flies to Athens in summer to teach a writing course. Over the following days, she listens as the people she meets, a man beside her on the plane, students, friends, other writers, tell her about their lives, marriages and failures. She says very little about herself, and through what others say, her outline slowly appears.
Why it's worth reading
Both the New York Times and the Guardian named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It's a quietly radical novel, first of a trilogy.
You'll love it if you liked
The Years
The Cost of Living
The FriendGood to know
It's almost all conversation, with no conventional plot.
By the numbers
- Readers0 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics85 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller25 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz3 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
- #1048 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1935 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
More by Rachel Cusk
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Quick answers
Is Outline worth reading?
Yes. Both the New York Times and the Guardian named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #1,935 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 64.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Outline about?
A writer, recently divorced, flies to Athens in summer to teach a writing course. Over the following days, she listens as the people she meets, a man beside her on the plane, students, friends, other writers, tell her about their lives, marriages and failures. She says very little about herself, and through what others say, her outline slowly appears.
How long does it take to read Outline?
About 6 hours (256 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Outline?
If you liked it, try The Years by Annie Ernaux, The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy or The Friend by Sigrid Nunez.