Sorrow and BlissSorrow and Bliss
Score Modern
What it's about
Meg Mason's novel follows a woman whose life and marriage have been shaped by a mental illness, as she looks back to understand what went wrong and how to go on. It's spiky, sharp, darkly funny and tender.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the Women's Prize for Fiction and became an international bestseller. Readers love its mix of humor and heartbreak.
You'll love it if you liked
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
The Bell Jar
Normal PeopleGood to know
It deals frankly with mental illness. It's funnier than its subject suggests.
By the numbers
- Readers76 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller22 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz26 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
- #531 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1027 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is Sorrow and Bliss worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the Women's Prize for Fiction and became an international bestseller. It ranks #1,027 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Sorrow and Bliss about?
Meg Mason's novel follows a woman whose life and marriage have been shaped by a mental illness, as she looks back to understand what went wrong and how to go on. It's spiky, sharp, darkly funny and tender.
How long does it take to read Sorrow and Bliss?
About 9 hours (352 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Sorrow and Bliss?
If you liked it, try Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath or Normal People by Sally Rooney.