Bag of BonesBag of Bones
Score Modern
What it's about
Four years after his wife's death, a novelist with severe writer's block retreats to their isolated lake house, where delusions and the past close in. Stephen King's 1998 novel borrows plot elements from Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca.
Why it's worth reading
It was a #1 New York Times bestseller and one of the ten best-selling books of 1998.
You'll love it if you liked
Rebecca
The Shining
The Dead ZoneGood to know
It's a ghost story with a love story at its core.
By the numbers
- Readers14 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller58 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- 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
- #75 of the 87 horror books we rank
- #1344 of the 1,647 modern books we rank
- #2543 of the 3,056 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Dark, Gripping
More by Stephen King
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
The StandThe Shining
11/22/63If you like this, read next
The Road
Acheron
Silver Borne
The Truth
House of Leaves
Empire of the VampireExplore the best-of lists
All 47 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Bag of Bones worth reading?
Yes. It was a #1 New York Times bestseller and one of the ten best-selling books of 1998. It ranks #2,543 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 59.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Bag of Bones about?
Four years after his wife's death, a novelist with severe writer's block retreats to their isolated lake house, where delusions and the past close in. Stephen King's 1998 novel borrows plot elements from Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca.
How long does it take to read Bag of Bones?
About 16 hours (660 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Bag of Bones?
If you liked it, try Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, The Shining by Stephen King or The Dead Zone by Stephen King.