The Ghost WriterThe Ghost Writer
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1956, Nathan Zuckerman, a young writer, visits his hero, the reclusive novelist E. I. Lonoff, at his isolated farmhouse in New England. During one snowy night there, he meets a mysterious young woman who lives with the Lonoffs, and becomes convinced she might be Anne Frank, who survived the war in secret.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. It's a short, brilliant novel about writing, ambition and Jewish identity, and the first Zuckerman book.
You'll love it if you liked
American Pastoral
Goodbye, Columbus
The Diary of a Young GirlGood to know
It's very short. Nathan's Anne Frank fantasy is deliberately provocative.
By the numbers
- Readers12 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics52 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller4 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
- #281 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #699 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2472 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
More by Philip Roth
American Pastoral
Portnoy's Complaint
The Plot Against America
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East of Eden
I, Claudius
A Room of One's Own
Angle of ReposeExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Ghost Writer worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. It ranks #2,472 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 58.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Ghost Writer about?
In 1956, Nathan Zuckerman, a young writer, visits his hero, the reclusive novelist E. I. Lonoff, at his isolated farmhouse in New England. During one snowy night there, he meets a mysterious young woman who lives with the Lonoffs, and becomes convinced she might be Anne Frank, who survived the war in secret.
How long does it take to read The Ghost Writer?
About 5 hours (192 pages), or about 10 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Ghost Writer?
If you liked it, try American Pastoral by Philip Roth, Goodbye, Columbus by Philip Roth or The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.