All That Man IsAll That Man Is
Score Modern
What it's about
Nine men, each at a different stage of life, each away from home, from the suburbs of Prague to an Alpine village, a Belgian motorway and a Cypriot hotel, struggle to understand what it means to be alive. Together their stories form a portrait of contemporary manhood and Europe.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Booker Prize finalist. It's vivid, funny and full of pathos.
You'll love it if you liked
Flesh
Olive Kitteridge
The Tsar of Love and TechnoGood to know
It's a novel in nine linked stories, arranged from youngest to oldest.
By the numbers
- Readers44 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics32 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller5 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz4 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
- #1116 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2058 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
More by David Szalay
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Quick answers
Is All That Man Is worth reading?
Yes. It was a Booker Prize finalist. It ranks #2,058 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 63.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is All That Man Is about?
Nine men, each at a different stage of life, each away from home, from the suburbs of Prague to an Alpine village, a Belgian motorway and a Cypriot hotel, struggle to understand what it means to be alive. Together their stories form a portrait of contemporary manhood and Europe.
How long does it take to read All That Man Is?
About 11 hours (441 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after All That Man Is?
If you liked it, try Flesh by David Szalay, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout or The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra.