The Ides of MarchThe Ides of March
Score Classic
What it's about
Thornton Wilder tells the story of the last months of Julius Caesar's life through invented letters, diaries and documents written by Caesar, his friends, his enemies and his lovers, including Cleopatra and the poet Catullus, as the conspiracy to murder him takes shape.
Why it's worth reading
It hit #1 on the New York Times list. It's a clever, philosophical historical novel.
You'll love it if you liked
I, Claudius
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
Memoirs of HadrianGood to know
It's told through documents and is out of chronological order.
By the numbers
- Readers41 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller23 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.
On our reserve shelf: it doesn't have enough readers yet for us to rank it alongside the Must-Read 50 pool. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
More by Thornton Wilder
If you like this, read next
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
The Lord of the Rings
A Brief History of Time
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era
CosmosExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Ides of March worth reading?
It hit #1 on the New York Times list. Its Must-Read Score is 60.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Ides of March about?
Thornton Wilder tells the story of the last months of Julius Caesar's life through invented letters, diaries and documents written by Caesar, his friends, his enemies and his lovers, including Cleopatra and the poet Catullus, as the conspiracy to murder him takes shape.
How long does it take to read The Ides of March?
About 8 hours (308 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Ides of March?
If you liked it, try I, Claudius by Robert Graves, The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder or Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar.