Open CityOpen City
Score Modern
What it's about
Julius, a young Nigerian doctor doing his residency in Manhattan, takes long, aimless walks through the city, a release from work and a way to process his relationships, a recent breakup, his present and his past.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.
You'll love it if you liked
Tremor
Americanah
Lost Children ArchiveGood to know
It's reflective, built on walks rather than plot.
By the numbers
- Readers27 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller6 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz1 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
- #1481 of the 1,647 modern books we rank
- #2779 of the 3,056 books we rank
Why it made the list
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Explore the best-of lists
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Modern booksTop 25 · 1,647 ranked
Books of the 2010sTop 25 · 751 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 504 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 623 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 325 ranked
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelsTop 25 · 63 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 333 rankedQuick answers
Is Open City worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. It ranks #2,779 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 57.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Open City about?
Julius, a young Nigerian doctor doing his residency in Manhattan, takes long, aimless walks through the city, a release from work and a way to process his relationships, a recent breakup, his present and his past.
How long does it take to read Open City?
About 6 hours (241 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Open City?
If you liked it, try Tremor by Teju Cole, Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie or Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli.