The Egg and IThe Egg and I
Score Classic
What it's about
In the 1920s, Betty MacDonald's new husband decided he wanted to be a chicken farmer, so they moved to a remote mountain farm on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, with no electricity or running water. She describes, with great comic exasperation, the stove, the chickens, the rain, the isolation and their eccentric neighbors, including Ma and Pa Kettle.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 42 weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and made Ma and Pa Kettle famous in films.
You'll love it if you liked
If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries—What Am I Doing in the Pits?
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
Out of AfricaGood to know
Its portrayal of Native Americans is offensive by modern standards.
By the numbers
- Readers23 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller49 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- 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
- #258 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #654 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2308 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Funny, Uplifting
If you like this, read next
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
Breakfast of Champions
Infinite Jest
Good Omens
Making Money
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and DenimExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Egg and I worth reading?
Yes. It spent 42 weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and made Ma and Pa Kettle famous in films. It ranks #2,308 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 60.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Egg and I about?
In the 1920s, Betty MacDonald's new husband decided he wanted to be a chicken farmer, so they moved to a remote mountain farm on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, with no electricity or running water. She describes, with great comic exasperation, the stove, the chickens, the rain, the isolation and their eccentric neighbors, including Ma and Pa Kettle.
How long does it take to read The Egg and I?
About 7 hours (287 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Egg and I?
If you liked it, try If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries—What Am I Doing in the Pits? by Erma Bombeck, A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson or Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen.