HomeLiterary FictionThe Great Believers

Cover of The Great Believers

Literary Fiction · 2018 · PG-13

The Great Believers

by Rebecca Makkai

Chicago, 1985. The AIDS crisis is here. And these are the people living through it.

For14+GenreLiterary FictionLength421 pagesRead time~11 hours

This analysis was generated by AI from publicly available reader reviews, literary criticism, and book discussions. It has not been verified by a BookLens community reviewer and may contain errors. Be the first to verify →

Content snapshot

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

Some

Deaths from AIDS; some violent incidents

Language

Some

Strong language

Sexual Content

Some

Adult sexual content; gay relationships depicted frankly

Substance Use

Some

Drug and alcohol use in the 1980s gay community

Emotional Intensity

A lot

Grief, survivor's guilt, and the psychological weight of watching a generation die

What this book is about

Yale Tishman is a young gay man working at a Chicago art gallery in 1985 as the AIDS epidemic sweeps through his community. Interwoven is a 2015 storyline following Fiona, the sister of one of Yale's friends who died, as she searches for her estranged daughter in Paris. Makkai's Pulitzer Prize finalist is heartbreaking and essential.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

AIDS crisis deaths (many)

Adult gay content

Drug use

Sustained grief themes

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