Winesburg, OhioWinesburg, Ohio
Score Classic
What it's about
Linked stories about the people of a small Ohio town around 1900: lonely, odd and secretive people Anderson calls 'grotesques'. A former teacher hides his hands, a woman waits years for a lover who never returns, a doctor writes his thoughts on scraps of paper. Many of them confide in George Willard, a young reporter who will eventually leave town.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and changed the American short story, influencing Hemingway and Faulkner.
You'll love it if you liked
Olive Kitteridge
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
GileadGood to know
It's quiet and episodic. Some stories touch on abuse.
By the numbers
- Readers15 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller14 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
- #157 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #633 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2201 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The Great Gatsby
Go Tell It on the Mountain
The Confessions of Nat Turner
My Name Is Asher Lev
The HelpExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Winesburg, Ohio worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and changed the American short story, influencing Hemingway and Faulkner. It ranks #2,201 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 61.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Winesburg, Ohio about?
Linked stories about the people of a small Ohio town around 1900: lonely, odd and secretive people Anderson calls 'grotesques'. A former teacher hides his hands, a woman waits years for a lover who never returns, a doctor writes his thoughts on scraps of paper. Many of them confide in George Willard, a young reporter who will eventually leave town.
How long does it take to read Winesburg, Ohio?
About 6 hours (257 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Winesburg, Ohio?
If you liked it, try Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers or Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.