The Ghost RoadThe Ghost Road
Score Modern
What it's about
In the closing months of the First World War, millions of men in the trenches are ghosts in the making. In England, psychologist William Rivers treats soldiers' mental wounds so they can go back to the front, while his former patient, Billy Prior, returns to France for the last time.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Booker Prize. It completes Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy, one of the great works of fiction about the war.
You'll love it if you liked
The Silence of the Girls
All Quiet on the Western Front
BirdsongGood to know
It's the third of the trilogy; start with Regeneration. It's frank about sex and violence.
By the numbers
- Readers59 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller7 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
- #467 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #901 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking, Dark
More by Pat Barker
If you like this, read next
Americanah
The Help
Pachinko
Shuggie Bain
Half of a Yellow Sun
Infinite JestExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Ghost Road worth reading?
Yes. It won the Booker Prize. It ranks #901 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 74.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Ghost Road about?
In the closing months of the First World War, millions of men in the trenches are ghosts in the making. In England, psychologist William Rivers treats soldiers' mental wounds so they can go back to the front, while his former patient, Billy Prior, returns to France for the last time.
How long does it take to read The Ghost Road?
About 5 hours (212 pages), or about 10 days at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Ghost Road won?
Booker Prize winner (1995).
What should I read after The Ghost Road?
If you liked it, try The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque or Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks.