The Face of AnotherThe Face of Another
Score Classic
What it's about
A scientist hideously disfigured in a lab accident has lost his face, in a society where losing face means humiliation.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It's often compared to Kafka.
You'll love it if you liked
The Metamorphosis
The Trial
The Memory PoliceGood to know
It's chilling and philosophical.
By the numbers
- Readers19 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller6 out of 100 · counts 14%
- 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
- #307 of the 333 science fiction books we rank
- #874 of the 924 classics we rank
- #2855 of the 3,056 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Adventurous
If you like this, read next
The Lord of the Rings
Foundation
Ficciones
Rendezvous with Rama
The Left Hand of Darkness
The Gods ThemselvesExplore the best-of lists
All 47 best-of lists →
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 333 ranked
Classic booksTop 25 · 924 ranked
Books of the 1960sTop 25 · 104 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 rankedQuick answers
Is The Face of Another worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #2,855 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 56.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Face of Another about?
A scientist hideously disfigured in a lab accident has lost his face, in a society where losing face means humiliation.
How long does it take to read The Face of Another?
About 6 hours (238 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Face of Another?
If you liked it, try The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, The Trial by Franz Kafka or The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa.