The Cost of LivingThe Cost of Living
Score Modern
What it's about
In her fifties, after her marriage ended, Deborah Levy moved with her daughters into a shabby apartment block in London, borrowed a friend's garden shed to write in, and started a new life. She writes about what it means for a woman to rebuild her life, about her mother's death, and about the small freedoms and joys she finds along the way.
Why it's worth reading
The Guardian named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It's short, witty and wise, a feminist memoir that reads like a novel.
You'll love it if you liked
The Year of Magical Thinking
The Years
Gift From the SeaGood to know
It's the second of three short memoirs, but it stands on its own. It's more reflective than plotted.
By the numbers
- Readers76 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 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
- #32 of the 85 self-help and business books we rank
- #133 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #398 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #782 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by Deborah Levy
If you like this, read next
Becoming
Greenlights
Tuesdays with Morrie
Shoe Dog
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
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Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Self-help and business booksTop 25 · 85 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 2010sTop 25 · 736 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is The Cost of Living worth reading?
Yes. The Guardian named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #782 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 75.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Cost of Living about?
In her fifties, after her marriage ended, Deborah Levy moved with her daughters into a shabby apartment block in London, borrowed a friend's garden shed to write in, and started a new life. She writes about what it means for a woman to rebuild her life, about her mother's death, and about the small freedoms and joys she finds along the way.
How long does it take to read The Cost of Living?
About 3 hours (104 pages), or about 6 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Cost of Living?
If you liked it, try The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, The Years by Annie Ernaux or Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh.