The OverstoryThe Overstory
Score Modern
What it's about
Nine strangers each have a life shaped by trees. An artist inherits a century of photographs of one chestnut tree; a paralyzed video game designer builds worlds inspired by them; a scientist discovers that trees communicate with one another and is laughed out of her field; a college student is electrocuted, dies briefly and comes back hearing voices. Slowly their stories come together in the timber wars of the Pacific Northwest, where some of them take extreme action to save the last old-growth forests.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize, was a Booker finalist, and is on the New York Times list of the century's best books. Many readers say it changed how they see the natural world.
You'll love it if you liked
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around UsGood to know
The first section is a series of separate short stories before the characters come together, so give it time. It's long and ambitious.
By the numbers
- Readers63 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics91 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller70 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
- #15 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #69 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #127 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic, Moving
More by Richard Powers
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Quick answers
Is The Overstory worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize, was a Booker finalist, and is on the New York Times list of the century's best books. It ranks #127 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 85.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Overstory about?
Nine strangers each have a life shaped by trees. An artist inherits a century of photographs of one chestnut tree; a paralyzed video game designer builds worlds inspired by them; a scientist discovers that trees communicate with one another and is laughed out of her field; a college student is electrocuted, dies briefly and comes back hearing voices. Slowly their stories come together in the timber wars of the Pacific Northwest, where some of them take extreme action to save the last old-growth forests.
How long does it take to read The Overstory?
About 13 hours (502 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Overstory won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (2019).
What should I read after The Overstory?
If you liked it, try Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard, The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert or An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong.