The prize-winning books of 1985
In 1985, the prizes ReadingRate follows named 11 winners. The most approachable is Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie (difficulty 51/100, about 4.9 hours); the hardest is The Bone People by Keri Hulme (76/100).
- Nobel Prize in Literature: Claude Simon — difficulty 66/100
- Booker Prize: The Bone People by Keri Hulme — difficulty 76/100, about 21 hours
- Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie — difficulty 51/100, about 4.9 hours
- National Book Award for Fiction: White Noise by Don DeLillo — difficulty 65/100, about 9.4 hours
- Hugo Award for Best Novel: Neuromancer by William Gibson — difficulty 56/100, about 5.8 hours
- Nebula Award for Best Novel: Neuromancer by William Gibson — difficulty 56/100, about 5.8 hours
- Prix Goncourt: The Wedding by Yann Queffélec
- PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction: The Barracks Thief by Tobias Wolff — difficulty 66/100, about 2.2 hours
- National Book Award for Nonfiction: Common Ground by J. Anthony Lukas
- Costa Novel Award: Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd — difficulty 64/100, about 9.4 hours
- Albert J. Beveridge Award: Maya Society under Colonial Rule by Nancy M. Farriss
Earlier: 1984 · Every year · Later: 1986
Other prizes: Nobel Prize in Literature, Booker Prize, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, International Booker Prize, National Book Award for Fiction, Women's Prize for Fiction, Hugo Award for Best Novel, Nebula Award for Best Novel, Prix Goncourt, Dublin Literary Award, PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, National Book Award for Nonfiction, Costa Novel Award, Albert J. Beveridge Award, Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction. Every literary prize; every winner of 2026.