Train DreamsTrain Dreams
Score Modern
What it's about
Robert Grainier works as a day laborer in the American West in the early 20th century, building railroads and cutting down forests in Idaho. He has a wife and a baby daughter he loves in a small cabin, and then a wildfire takes them. He lives on alone for decades, as the West changes around him and strange things happen in the woods.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Pulitzer finalist, and the New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It's a short, haunting novella about loss and a vanished America.
You'll love it if you liked
Plainsong
The Old Man and the Sea
So Long, See You TomorrowGood to know
It's barely a hundred pages. There's racist violence. It became a 2025 film.
By the numbers
- Readers17 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics72 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller40 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz1 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
- #875 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1622 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is Train Dreams worth reading?
Yes. It was a Pulitzer finalist, and the New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #1,622 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Train Dreams about?
Robert Grainier works as a day laborer in the American West in the early 20th century, building railroads and cutting down forests in Idaho. He has a wife and a baby daughter he loves in a small cabin, and then a wildfire takes them. He lives on alone for decades, as the West changes around him and strange things happen in the woods.
How long does it take to read Train Dreams?
About 3 hours (116 pages), or about 6 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Train Dreams?
If you liked it, try Plainsong by Kent Haruf, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway or So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell.