What a Carve Up!What a Carve Up!
Score Modern
What it's about
Jonathan Coe's novel tells the stories of the wealthy and powerful Winshaw family. It's a social satire of the British upper classes.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It's an angry, funny and intricate satire.
You'll love it if you liked
Money
Decline and Fall
The Line of BeautyGood to know
It's long but very readable.
By the numbers
- Readers73 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller2 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
- #169 of the 325 literary novels we rank
- #758 of the 1,648 modern books we rank
- #1467 of the 3,057 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
Americanah
Pachinko
The Help
Shuggie Bain
Half of a Yellow Sun
Infinite JestExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →Quick answers
Is What a Carve Up! worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #1,467 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is What a Carve Up! about?
Jonathan Coe's novel tells the stories of the wealthy and powerful Winshaw family. It's a social satire of the British upper classes.
How long does it take to read What a Carve Up!?
About 12 hours (500 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after What a Carve Up!?
If you liked it, try Money by Martin Amis, Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh or The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst.


















