#15 in Drama & theatre
A Raisin in the Sun
- 160
- Pages
- about 3 h
- Reading time
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Our view
“A Raisin in the Sun” is a tense, moving play about a Black family in Chicago hoping an insurance payout will change its fortunes. Lorraine Hansberry brings racism, housing discrimination and assimilation into one crowded South Side apartment without losing sight of the people in it. Some readers find most of the characters hard to like; others recommend hearing it performed, or in a full-cast recording, over reading it on the page.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The title comes from the poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes. The story tells of a black family's experiences on the south side of Chicago, as they attempt to improve their financial circumstances with an insurance payout following the death of their father, and deals with matters of housing discrimination, racism, and assimilation. The New York Drama Critics' Circle named it the best play of 1959, and in the 21st century publications such as The Independent and Time Out have listed it among the best plays ever written.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.6 across 214 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 59% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Drama & theatre average of 7.6. That is how 7.6 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 7.4 | 18 | 8% |
| Google Books | 7.0 | 5 | 2% |
| Hardcover | 7.7 | 191 | 89% |
Frequently asked
How long is A Raisin in the Sun?
It has 160 pages — longer than 61% of the ranked books in Drama & theatre.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Drama & theatre — with scores between 7.6 and 7.7, closest to this book.
