In the Country of Last ThingsIn the Country of Last Things
Score Classic
What it's about
In an unsettling future, most people are homeless, theft is so common it's no longer a crime, and death is the only way out.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It's a bleak, haunting vision of collapse.
You'll love it if you liked
The Road
Blindness
The New York TrilogyGood to know
It's bleak.
By the numbers
- Readers44 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller2 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
- #234 of the 333 science fiction books we rank
- #361 of the 504 fantasy books we rank
- #730 of the 924 classics we rank
- #2328 of the 3,057 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Adventurous, Dark
More by Paul Auster
4 3 2 1The New York Trilogy
City of GlassIf you like this, read next
The Lord of the Rings
Hyperion
The Dispossessed
Foundation
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
FiccionesExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is In the Country of Last Things worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #2,328 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is In the Country of Last Things about?
In an unsettling future, most people are homeless, theft is so common it's no longer a crime, and death is the only way out.
How long does it take to read In the Country of Last Things?
About 5 hours (188 pages), or about 10 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after In the Country of Last Things?
If you liked it, try The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Blindness by José Saramago or The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster.