Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
The novel explores the life of two sisters, Ruth and Lucille, who are raised by a series of relatives in a small, secluded town in Idaho after their mother's suicide. The girls' lives are profoundly affected by the eccentric and transient lifestyle of their aunt Sylvie, who becomes their guardian. The narrative delves deeply into themes of family, identity, womanhood, and the impermanence of life, ultimately leading to a divide between the sisters as they choose different paths in life.
The 331st greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 1026
This book was first published in 1980
25 Lists
- score: 159 -- The 50 best books of the past 100 years - 2022 (Weight: 167)
- score: 159 -- The Great American Novels - 2024 (Weight: 166)
- score: 156 -- The 100 Best Novels Of All Time In English - 2026 (Weight: 160)
- score: 117 -- The Great Books Podcast from John J. Miller - 2025 (Weight: 120)
- score: 97 -- The 75 Best Books of the Past 75 Years - 2016 (Weight: 118)
- score: 89 -- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature - 2021 (Weight: 105)
- score: 86 -- What Is the Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years? - 2006 (Weight: 140)
- score: 36 -- Books of the Decade (1980s) - 1989 (Weight: 107)
- score: 23 -- Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books - 2011 (Weight: 33)
- score: 22 -- 500 Great Books by Women - 1994 (Weight: 50)
- score: 20 -- In Which These Are the 100 Greatest Novels - 2011 (Weight: 30)
- score: 16 -- NY Times Editors Choice 1980-1989 - Yearly Book Award (Weight: 79)
- score: 13 -- 100 Best Books to Read by Women Authors - 2021 (Weight: 16)
- score: 10 -- TIME Magazine All Time 100 Novels - 2005 (Weight: 16)
- score: 6 -- The 100 Greatest Novels of All Time: The List - 2003 (Weight: 10)
- score: 1 -- Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 100 Best Novels Written in English - 2015 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 125 Books We Love for Adults - 2020 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- One Hundred Best American Novels, 1770 to 1985 - 2014 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction - 1999 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 100 Greatest American Novels, 1893 – 1993 - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Modern Library: The Two Hundred Best Novels in English Since 1950 - 2011 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 50 Most Influential Books by Women - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Best Of The 1980s - 1989 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 100 Great 20th Century English-language Works of Fiction by Women - 1998 (Weight: 1)