Remainder by Tom McCarthy

After a traumatic accident leaves him with a large settlement and no memory of his past, the protagonist becomes obsessed with reenacting and reconstructing fragments of memories and events that he can't fully remember. He uses his newfound wealth to recreate these scenes in exact detail, hiring actors and building sets, in a desperate attempt to regain a sense of authenticity and reality. As his obsession escalates, the boundary between the recreated experiences and actual reality begins to blur, leading to a shocking climax.

The 6188th greatest book of all time


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Total Points: 116

Since this book was first published in 2005, there is a penalty of 49.6%. The age adjusted score is 58.46.

This is to prevent newer books from reaching super high on the ranked list of the greatest books of all time. The greatest books should also stand the test of time.