On Earth as It Is BeneathOn Earth as It Is Beneath
What it's about
Ana Paula Maia's unsettling novel follows an isolated group of men whose bonds break down in ways that are hard to comprehend and impossible to look away from.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the International Booker Prize. It's a short, powerful and disturbing work by a leading Brazilian writer.
You'll love it if you liked
The Road
Blindness
Lord of the FliesGood to know
It's translated from Portuguese. It's bleak and violent.
By the numbers
- Readers44 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics27 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller8 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz100 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
- #141 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #234 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #262 of the 481 new books we rank
- #1522 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping, Thought-provoking, Dark
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Quick answers
Is On Earth as It Is Beneath worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the International Booker Prize. It ranks #1,522 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 68.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is On Earth as It Is Beneath about?
Ana Paula Maia's unsettling novel follows an isolated group of men whose bonds break down in ways that are hard to comprehend and impossible to look away from.
How long does it take to read On Earth as It Is Beneath?
About 3 hours (112 pages), or about 6 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after On Earth as It Is Beneath?
If you liked it, try The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Blindness by José Saramago or Lord of the Flies by William Golding.