When We Cease to Understand the World
Chilean and Dutch novelist, born 1980.
When We Cease to Understand the World is a 2020 novel by Benjamin Labatut, translated from Spanish. It was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2021.
On 2 of the 9 lists it was eligible for.
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At a glance
- Author
- Benjamin Labatut
- First published
- 2020
- Length
- 192 pages (UK paperback)
- Original language
- Translated from Spanish
- Awards
- International Booker Prize shortlist, 2021
- Genre
- Literary fiction, Philosophical, Speculative, Historical setting
Is When We Cease to Understand the World worth reading?
2 of the 9 best-of lists it could have made include it: the International Booker Prize and The 100 best books of the 21st century (The New York Times).
| List | Place | Original |
|---|---|---|
| International Booker Prize (winners and shortlists) (Booker Prize Foundation, 2021) | Shortlist | See the list |
| The 100 best books of the 21st century (The New York Times, 2024) | No. 83 | See the list |
Best edition of When We Cease to Understand the World
The edition we link to is the Pushkin Press paperback (2021), 192 pages, translated by Benjamín Labatut.
- Publisher
- Pushkin Press (paperback, 2021)
- Pages
- 192
- Translator
- Benjamín Labatut
- ISBN
- 9781782276142
How critics, prizes and readers rate When We Cease to Understand the World
Critics and prize juries rate it about equally: it earned 33% on critics' lists and 33% on prize lists, against 0% on readers' and booksellers' lists.
Share of the available points it earned on each kind of list it was eligible for. How the scores work
Books like When We Cease to Understand the World
If you liked When We Cease to Understand the World, try Wolf Hall, Midnight's Children or Beloved.
