The Adventures of Augie MarchThe Adventures of Augie March
Score Classic
What it's about
Augie March grows up poor in Chicago in the 1920s and 30s with his mother, his ambitious brother and his disabled younger brother. Charming and open to everything, he is taken up by one mentor after another, a crippled businessman, a rich woman who wants to adopt him, a union organizer, and a heiress who takes him to Mexico to hunt iguanas with an eagle, without ever letting anyone decide who he will be.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award and is on both the TIME and Modern Library lists of the best novels. Its opening line is famous, and the book bursts with energy.
You'll love it if you liked
Herzog
The Catcher in the Rye
The Great GatsbyGood to know
It's long and episodic, with dense, exuberant prose. There isn't a tight plot.
By the numbers
- Readers15 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics97 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
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
More by Saul Bellow
Herzog
Humboldt's Gift
Henderson the Rain KingIf you like this, read next
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
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1984
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Quick answers
Is The Adventures of Augie March worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Award and is on both the TIME and Modern Library lists of the best novels. It ranks #1,393 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Adventures of Augie March about?
Augie March grows up poor in Chicago in the 1920s and 30s with his mother, his ambitious brother and his disabled younger brother. Charming and open to everything, he is taken up by one mentor after another, a crippled businessman, a rich woman who wants to adopt him, a union organizer, and a heiress who takes him to Mexico to hunt iguanas with an eagle, without ever letting anyone decide who he will be.
How long does it take to read The Adventures of Augie March?
About 15 hours (586 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Adventures of Augie March won?
National Book Award (Fiction) winner (1954).
What should I read after The Adventures of Augie March?
If you liked it, try Herzog by Saul Bellow, The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger or The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.