Waiting for GodotWaiting for Godot
Score Classic
What it's about
Two homeless men, Vladimir and Estragon, wait by a tree for someone, or something, called Godot. As they wait, they talk, quarrel, joke and despair, in a play of comic wordplay, poetry and nonsense that has been read as humanity's endless search for meaning.
Why it's worth reading
It's on Le Monde's list of the 100 books of the century. It's one of the most important plays of the 20th century.
You'll love it if you liked
The Stranger
Notes From Underground
MurphyGood to know
It's a short play. Godot never arrives; that's the point.
By the numbers
- Readers26 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller42 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
Reads as
Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
The Color Purple
1984
The Lord of the Rings
A Brief History of TimeExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is Waiting for Godot worth reading?
Yes. It's on Le Monde's list of the 100 books of the century. It ranks #1,807 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Waiting for Godot about?
Two homeless men, Vladimir and Estragon, wait by a tree for someone, or something, called Godot. As they wait, they talk, quarrel, joke and despair, in a play of comic wordplay, poetry and nonsense that has been read as humanity's endless search for meaning.
How long does it take to read Waiting for Godot?
About 3 hours (109 pages), or about 6 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Waiting for Godot?
If you liked it, try The Stranger by Albert Camus, Notes From Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky or Murphy by Samuel Beckett.