The HoursThe Hours
Score Modern
What it's about
One day in three women's lives. In 1923, Virginia Woolf, in the London suburbs, begins writing Mrs. Dalloway. In 1949, Laura Brown, a Los Angeles housewife, reads that novel and wants to escape her life. And at the end of the century in New York, Clarissa Vaughan buys flowers for a party for her old friend Richard, a poet dying of AIDS. Their stories turn out to be connected.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize. It's a beautiful, intricate tribute to Woolf, and the 2002 film won Nicole Kidman an Oscar.
You'll love it if you liked
Mrs. Dalloway
Atonement
The Great BelieversGood to know
Suicide is a central theme. You don't have to have read Mrs. Dalloway, though it adds depth.
By the numbers
- Readers34 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics75 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller27 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
- #90 of the 233 romances we rank
- #618 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1173 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Uplifting
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The God of Small Things
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The Brothers KaramazovExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Hours worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize. It ranks #1,173 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 71.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Hours about?
One day in three women's lives. In 1923, Virginia Woolf, in the London suburbs, begins writing Mrs. Dalloway. In 1949, Laura Brown, a Los Angeles housewife, reads that novel and wants to escape her life. And at the end of the century in New York, Clarissa Vaughan buys flowers for a party for her old friend Richard, a poet dying of AIDS. Their stories turn out to be connected.
How long does it take to read The Hours?
About 6 hours (244 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Hours won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (1999).
What should I read after The Hours?
If you liked it, try Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, Atonement by Ian McEwan or The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai.