SeptologySeptology
What it's about
Asle, an aging painter and widower, lives alone on the coast of Norway, with a fisherman neighbor as his only friend. Over seven days before Christmas, he drives, paints, prays and remembers his life, while also thinking about another man named Asle, a painter who drinks himself sick in the city, who may be a version of himself. The whole book is one long, hypnotic sentence.
Why it's worth reading
The New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century, and Jon Fosse won the Nobel Prize. It's a meditative masterpiece.
You'll love it if you liked
Good to know
It's around 800 pages without a single full stop, and it repeats itself on purpose. It's about faith and art.
By the numbers
- Readers95 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller9 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
Epic
More by Jon Fosse
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Quick answers
Is Septology worth reading?
Yes. The New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century, and Jon Fosse won the Nobel Prize. It ranks #300 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 81.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Septology about?
Asle, an aging painter and widower, lives alone on the coast of Norway, with a fisherman neighbor as his only friend. Over seven days before Christmas, he drives, paints, prays and remembers his life, while also thinking about another man named Asle, a painter who drinks himself sick in the city, who may be a version of himself. The whole book is one long, hypnotic sentence.
How long does it take to read Septology?
About 17 hours (672 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Septology?
If you liked it, try Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, Outline by Rachel Cusk or The Years by Annie Ernaux.