The Shipping NewsThe Shipping News
Score Modern
What it's about
Quoyle is a big, clumsy, unlucky newspaperman in upstate New York. After his cheating wife dies in a car crash, he moves with his two small daughters and his aunt to their family's old house on a rocky point in Newfoundland. There he gets a job writing the shipping news for a tiny local paper, and in a harsh, beautiful place full of odd people, he slowly starts to heal.
Why it's worth reading
It won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Proulx's prose is unlike anyone's, and it's a story of second chances that is both funny and tender.
You'll love it if you liked
Gilead
Lonesome Dove
AmericanahGood to know
The writing is clipped and full of odd, compressed sentences, which takes a few pages to adjust to. Each chapter begins with a knot from a sailor's guide.
By the numbers
- Readers22 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics91 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller42 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
- #538 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1039 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is The Shipping News worth reading?
Yes. It won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. It ranks #1,039 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Shipping News about?
Quoyle is a big, clumsy, unlucky newspaperman in upstate New York. After his cheating wife dies in a car crash, he moves with his two small daughters and his aunt to their family's old house on a rocky point in Newfoundland. There he gets a job writing the shipping news for a tiny local paper, and in a harsh, beautiful place full of odd people, he slowly starts to heal.
How long does it take to read The Shipping News?
About 8 hours (337 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Shipping News won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (1994); National Book Award (Fiction) winner (1993).
What should I read after The Shipping News?
If you liked it, try Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry or Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.