Our Lady of the FlowersOur Lady of the Flowers
Score Classic
What it's about
Jean Genet's debut, written in prison and published in 1943, is a free-flowing, poetic and largely autobiographical journey through the Parisian underworld, drawing its characters from real-life figures, mostly gay men living on the fringes of society.
Why it's worth reading
It's on Le Monde's list of the 100 books of the century. It's a groundbreaking, transgressive work of French literature.
You'll love it if you liked
Giovanni's Room
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Notes From UndergroundGood to know
It's sexually explicit and dreamlike, with little conventional plot.
By the numbers
- Readers76 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller16 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
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is Our Lady of the Flowers worth reading?
Yes. It's on Le Monde's list of the 100 books of the century. It ranks #1,603 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Our Lady of the Flowers about?
Jean Genet's debut, written in prison and published in 1943, is a free-flowing, poetic and largely autobiographical journey through the Parisian underworld, drawing its characters from real-life figures, mostly gay men living on the fringes of society.
How long does it take to read Our Lady of the Flowers?
About 8 hours (320 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Our Lady of the Flowers?
If you liked it, try Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin, The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera or Notes From Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky.