The Great BelieversThe Great Believers
Score Modern
What it's about
Chicago, 1985. Yale Tishman is on the verge of landing a major art collection for the gallery where he works, just as the AIDS epidemic begins tearing through his circle of friends. In 2015, Fiona, the younger sister of Yale's late friend Nico, travels to Paris to search for her estranged daughter, still carrying the weight of everyone she cared for and lost. The two stories, thirty years apart, slowly converge.
Why it's worth reading
It's a deeply moving novel about friendship, loss and what it means to survive when those around you don't, and it was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Readers fall for its characters completely.
You'll love it if you liked
A Little Life
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Shuggie BainGood to know
It's heartbreaking, as books about the AIDS crisis are. The alternating timelines take a few chapters to settle into.
By the numbers
- Readers90 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics80 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller28 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz10 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
- #10 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #11 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #53 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #94 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is The Great Believers worth reading?
Yes. It's a deeply moving novel about friendship, loss and what it means to survive when those around you don't, and it was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. It ranks #94 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 86.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Great Believers about?
Chicago, 1985. Yale Tishman is on the verge of landing a major art collection for the gallery where he works, just as the AIDS epidemic begins tearing through his circle of friends. In 2015, Fiona, the younger sister of Yale's late friend Nico, travels to Paris to search for her estranged daughter, still carrying the weight of everyone she cared for and lost. The two stories, thirty years apart, slowly converge.
How long does it take to read The Great Believers?
About 11 hours (432 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Great Believers?
If you liked it, try A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon or Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart.