The Sheltering SkyThe Sheltering Sky
Score Classic
What it's about
After the Second World War, Port and Kit Moresby, a sophisticated married couple from New York, travel into North Africa with their friend Tunner, wandering ever deeper into the Sahara. They hope the journey will repair their marriage. Instead, the desert, illness and their own emptiness lead them toward disaster.
Why it's worth reading
It's on both the TIME and Modern Library lists of the best novels. It's a haunting, unsettling story about Westerners lost in a world they don't understand, and the 1990 Bertolucci film is striking.
You'll love it if you liked
The Stranger
The English Patient
To Kill a MockingbirdGood to know
It's bleak and slow, and the last part, following Kit, includes sexual captivity.
By the numbers
- Readers23 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics83 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller13 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
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Moving
If you like this, read next
Lonesome Dove
Pride and Prejudice
Sophie's Choice
Rebecca
The Brothers Karamazov
The Thorn BirdsExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Sheltering Sky worth reading?
Yes. It's on both the TIME and Modern Library lists of the best novels. It ranks #1,450 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 68.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Sheltering Sky about?
After the Second World War, Port and Kit Moresby, a sophisticated married couple from New York, travel into North Africa with their friend Tunner, wandering ever deeper into the Sahara. They hope the journey will repair their marriage. Instead, the desert, illness and their own emptiness lead them toward disaster.
How long does it take to read The Sheltering Sky?
About 9 hours (349 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Sheltering Sky?
If you liked it, try The Stranger by Albert Camus, The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje or To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.