RunawayRunaway
Score Modern
What it's about
Eight stories by Alice Munro: a young wife tries to escape her husband and returns; a teacher meets a fisherman on a train and goes to find him; three linked stories follow a woman named Juliet through her love, motherhood and the daughter who disappears from her life; and others explore chance, betrayal and passion in small-town Canada.
Why it's worth reading
The New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century, and Munro won the Nobel Prize. The three Juliet stories became Almodóvar's film Julieta.
You'll love it if you liked
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
Olive Kitteridge
Unaccustomed EarthGood to know
Munro's daughter later revealed abuse by Munro's husband that Munro knew of, which has changed how some readers see her.
By the numbers
- Readers34 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller11 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
- #204 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #926 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1713 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
More by Alice Munro
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
Dear LifeIf you like this, read next
Americanah
The Help
Pachinko
Shuggie Bain
Half of a Yellow Sun
Infinite JestExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Runaway worth reading?
Yes. The New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century, and Munro won the Nobel Prize. It ranks #1,713 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 66.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Runaway about?
Eight stories by Alice Munro: a young wife tries to escape her husband and returns; a teacher meets a fisherman on a train and goes to find him; three linked stories follow a woman named Juliet through her love, motherhood and the daughter who disappears from her life; and others explore chance, betrayal and passion in small-town Canada.
How long does it take to read Runaway?
About 8 hours (335 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Runaway?
If you liked it, try Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout or Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri.