ScoopScoop
Score Classic
What it's about
Lord Copper, the pompous owner of the Daily Beast newspaper, wants to send a celebrated novelist named John Boot to cover a war in an African country called Ishmaelia. By mistake, his staff send William Boot, a shy young man who writes the paper's nature column. Out of his depth, William blunders through the war and the press corps, and somehow gets the scoop.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and is the funniest novel ever written about journalism.
You'll love it if you liked
A Handful of Dust
Brideshead Revisited
Catch-22Good to know
It's short and satirical. Its portrayal of Africans reflects 1930s prejudice.
By the numbers
- Readers9 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics80 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller10 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
Adventurous, Funny
More by Evelyn Waugh
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To Kill a Mockingbird
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
The Color Purple
1984
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Quick answers
Is Scoop worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and is the funniest novel ever written about journalism. It ranks #1,971 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 64.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Scoop about?
Lord Copper, the pompous owner of the Daily Beast newspaper, wants to send a celebrated novelist named John Boot to cover a war in an African country called Ishmaelia. By mistake, his staff send William Boot, a shy young man who writes the paper's nature column. Out of his depth, William blunders through the war and the press corps, and somehow gets the scoop.
How long does it take to read Scoop?
About 8 hours (304 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Scoop?
If you liked it, try A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh or Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.