The Director
What it's about
G. W. Pabst, one of the great film directors of the 20th century, flees the Nazis for Hollywood, where, under the California sun, the famous director suddenly looks like a nobody. When his elderly mother falls ill, he returns to Austria, now absorbed into the Reich, and finds himself trapped. Soon he faces the choice of whether to make films for the regime.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the 2026 International Booker Prize. Daniel Kehlmann's novel is a gripping, unsettling story about art, ambition and complicity.
You'll love it if you liked
The Safekeep, Taiwan Travelogue or All the Light We Cannot See
Good to know
It's based on the real Pabst, and appearances by Greta Garbo and other stars are part of the fun. It was published in German as Lichtspiel.
Quick answers
Is The Director worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the 2026 International Booker Prize. It ranks #635 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Director about?
G. W. Pabst, one of the great film directors of the 20th century, flees the Nazis for Hollywood, where, under the California sun, the famous director suddenly looks like a nobody. When his elderly mother falls ill, he returns to Austria, now absorbed into the Reich, and finds himself trapped. Soon he faces the choice of whether to make films for the regime.
How long does it take to read The Director?
About 8 hours (333 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Director?
If you liked it, try The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden, Taiwan Travelogue by Yang Shuang-zi or All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
By the numbers
- Readers76 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics27 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller13 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.
International Booker Prize finalist (2026).
Where it ranks
- #73 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #116 of the 481 new books we rank
- #635 of the 2,819 books we rank
Shortlisted
- International Booker Prize finalist (2026)
Reads as
Moving
