Small Things Like TheseSmall Things Like These
What it's about
In the weeks before Christmas in 1985, Bill Furlong, a coal and timber merchant in a small Irish town, is busy with deliveries. He's a decent man with a wife and five daughters, and he grew up the son of an unmarried mother. One morning, delivering to the local convent, he discovers a young woman locked in the coal shed, and begins to understand what the nuns, and the whole town, have been hiding.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Booker finalist and is on the New York Times list of the century's best books. It's barely a hundred pages, and it became a film with Cillian Murphy.
You'll love it if you liked
The Remains of the Day
Hamnet
AtonementGood to know
It's about Ireland's Magdalene laundries, where unmarried mothers were confined and forced to work. It's short enough to read in one sitting.
By the numbers
- Readers50 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics72 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller53 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz26 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
- #49 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #57 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #92 of the 481 new books we rank
- #511 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
If you like this, read next
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The Underground Railroad
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Quick answers
Is Small Things Like These worth reading?
Yes. It was a Booker finalist and is on the New York Times list of the century's best books. It ranks #511 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 78.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Small Things Like These about?
In the weeks before Christmas in 1985, Bill Furlong, a coal and timber merchant in a small Irish town, is busy with deliveries. He's a decent man with a wife and five daughters, and he grew up the son of an unmarried mother. One morning, delivering to the local convent, he discovers a young woman locked in the coal shed, and begins to understand what the nuns, and the whole town, have been hiding.
How long does it take to read Small Things Like These?
About 3 hours (112 pages), or about 6 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Small Things Like These?
If you liked it, try The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell or Atonement by Ian McEwan.