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Cover of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher StoweUncle Tom's Cabin
Classic · Fiction, Classics

Uncle Tom's Cabin

by Harriet Beecher Stowe
1852 · 480 pages · Fiction
Critics' pick
≈ 12 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Tom, a devout Christian slave, chooses not to escape, then is sold down the Mississippi and endures brutal treatment.

Why it's worth reading

It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It helped solidify the North's anti-slavery sentiment.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

It's a classic about the cruelty of slavery.

By the numbers

55.0Must-Read Score
  • Readers8 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Bestseller27 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

Thought-provoking

How we rank

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Explore the best-of lists

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Quick answers

Is Uncle Tom's Cabin worth reading?

Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #2,920 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 55.0 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Uncle Tom's Cabin about?

Tom, a devout Christian slave, chooses not to escape, then is sold down the Mississippi and endures brutal treatment.

How long does it take to read Uncle Tom's Cabin?

About 12 hours (480 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Uncle Tom's Cabin?

If you liked it, try The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, Beloved by Toni Morrison or The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron.