Match BookThe Descent of Man
Grayson Perry
2016 · 151 pages · Narrative nonfiction
How it reads
The Descent of Man is narrative nonfiction (cultural essay, specifically), and its dominant mood is funny. The humour is the point, not garnish. The pace is moderate — neither a page-turner nor a slow burn — so it holds up whether you read it in long sittings or short ones.
It's set in an international setting, in the present day, told in the first person by a single narrator. Its central concerns are identity, class and society and art and creativity. In weight it sits in the middle: substantial without being heavy going.
It stands alone, so there's nothing else you need to read first or after. The ending is left open, for you to argue about. At 151 pages it's a single-sitting book. It's moderately known: read by plenty of people, but not a household name.
Pick it up if…
- you're in the mood for something funny
- you want a complete story in one book
- you're drawn to stories about identity
Maybe not if…
- you need something melancholy, dark or tense
All 15 dimensions
- Genre
- narrative nonfiction
- Author gender
- male
- Author experience
- established
- Setting: place
- international
- Setting: time
- contemporary
- Mood / feeling
- funny
- Pace
- moderate
- Tone / weight
- balanced
- Length
- short
- Narrative style
- first person, one narrator
- Publication era
- recent
- Popularity
- moderately known
- Series vs standalone
- standalone
- Themes
- identity, class and society, art and creativity
- Ending style
- ambiguous
What these mean: the 15 dimensions of a book.
Books with a similar reading
The closest books in Match Book's catalogue across the same dimensions, and what they share.
- The Culture Code: An Ingenious Way to Understand Why People Around the World Live and Buy as They DoClotaire RapailleShares: narrative nonfiction, funny mood, balanced tone, moderate pace
- Imaginary JesusMatt MikalatosShares: narrative nonfiction, funny mood, balanced tone, moderate pace
- Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider WorldOlga KhazanShares: narrative nonfiction, balanced tone, moderate pace, set in international
- Bearded LadyMara AltmanShares: funny mood, balanced tone, moderate pace, ambiguous ending
- Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really AreSeth Stephens-DavidowitzShares: narrative nonfiction, balanced tone, moderate pace, set in international
- Spook: Science Tackles the AfterlifeMary RoachShares: narrative nonfiction, funny mood, moderate pace, ambiguous ending
Appears in
Find a copy
Reviews on Goodreads ↗Match Book earns a commission on purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Match Book earns from qualifying purchases.