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Cover of The Radetzky March by Joseph RothThe Radetzky March
Classic · Fiction, Classics, War

The Radetzky March

by Joseph Roth
1932 · 319 pages · Fiction
64.4Must-Read
Score Classic
Critics' pick
≈ 8 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

When Captain Joseph Trotta saves Emperor Franz Joseph from a bullet, his act shapes the lives of the generations of Trotta sons who follow. The novel spans three generations in the waning days of the Habsburg Empire.

Why it's worth reading

It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It's considered Joseph Roth's greatest achievement.

You'll love it if you liked

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Good to know

It's a translation from German. Its irony is subtle and slow-building.

By the numbers

64.4Must-Read Score
  • Readers52 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics30 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

Why it made the list

On the lists
Guardian 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read

Reads as

Epic

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Classic booksTop 25 · 924 rankedBooks of the 1930sTop 25 · 59 rankedFantasy booksTop 25 · 504 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 623 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 325 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 333 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 246 ranked

Quick answers

Is The Radetzky March worth reading?

Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #2,078 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 64.4 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Radetzky March about?

When Captain Joseph Trotta saves Emperor Franz Joseph from a bullet, his act shapes the lives of the generations of Trotta sons who follow. The novel spans three generations in the waning days of the Habsburg Empire.

How long does it take to read The Radetzky March?

About 8 hours (319 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Radetzky March?

If you liked it, try Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann, The Leopard by Giuseppi di Lampedusa or The Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil.