SontagSontag
Score Modern
What it's about
Susan Sontag was one of the most famous intellectuals of the 20th century: a brilliant critic, novelist, filmmaker and activist, known for essays on photography, illness and camp. Benjamin Moser tells her life in full, including the private side she hid, her relationships with women, her cruelty and insecurity, and her long struggle with cancer.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize for biography. It's a vivid portrait of a complicated genius.
You'll love it if you liked
Against Interpretation
James Joyce
The White AlbumGood to know
It's long and some readers find it too critical of her.
By the numbers
- Readers85 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics63 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz14 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.
On our reserve shelf: it doesn't have enough readers yet for us to rank it alongside the Must-Read 50 pool. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Educated: A Memoir
When Breath Becomes Air
The Passage of Power
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Quick answers
Is Sontag worth reading?
It won the Pulitzer Prize for biography. Its Must-Read Score is 79.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Sontag about?
Susan Sontag was one of the most famous intellectuals of the 20th century: a brilliant critic, novelist, filmmaker and activist, known for essays on photography, illness and camp. Benjamin Moser tells her life in full, including the private side she hid, her relationships with women, her cruelty and insecurity, and her long struggle with cancer.
How long does it take to read Sontag?
About 21 hours (832 pages), or about 6 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Sontag won?
Pulitzer Prize (Biography) winner (2020).
What should I read after Sontag?
If you liked it, try Against Interpretation by Susan Sontag, James Joyce by Richard Ellmann or The White Album by Joan Didion.