Rosemary's BabyRosemary's Baby
Score Classic
What it's about
Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse move into an old Manhattan apartment building with a dark history. Their elderly neighbors are friendly, maybe too friendly, and when Rosemary becomes pregnant, she begins to suspect a terrible plot around her unborn child.
Why it's worth reading
It was one of the ten best-selling books of 1967. It's a foundational work of modern psychological horror.
You'll love it if you liked
The Other
The Exorcist
The Haunting of Hill HouseGood to know
It's short and suspenseful. The 1968 film follows it closely.
By the numbers
- Readers46 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller56 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
- #34 of the 86 horror books we rank
- #444 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1523 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Dark, Gripping
If you like this, read next
The Stand
It
The Shining
Different Seasons
Misery
The Picture of Dorian GrayExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Rosemary's Baby worth reading?
Yes. It was one of the ten best-selling books of 1967. It ranks #1,523 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 Rosemary's Baby about?
Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse move into an old Manhattan apartment building with a dark history. Their elderly neighbors are friendly, maybe too friendly, and when Rosemary becomes pregnant, she begins to suspect a terrible plot around her unborn child.
How long does it take to read Rosemary's Baby?
About 6 hours (238 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Rosemary's Baby?
If you liked it, try The Other by Tom Tryon, The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty or The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.