How long is it?
571 pages in the Literary Guild 1932 hardcover edition.
Fiction · Novel · Historical Fiction · Literary Fiction
The Store
Highly regardedPulitzer Prize for Novel (pre-1948), 1933Reading facts
✓ Checked- Reading effort
- 43 / 100Moderate
- Length
- 571 pagesLiterary Guild · 1932
- Reading time
- 11 h 30 minat 50 pages an hour ·
- Pace
- Measured
- Emotional intensity
- 4 / 5
About 11 h 30 min · at 30 minutes a day, about 23 days
Estimated from the page count of this edition. Dense books can take longer than the estimate.
About the book
In Florence, Alabama, in 1884, Colonel Miltiades “Milt” Vaiden, a former Confederate officer and plantation overseer, seeks to recover the standing he lost after the Civil War. He turns to commerce, where merchants command opportunities once tied to land and enslaved labor. His pursuit of wealth unfolds among white townspeople defending their position and Black residents working to secure livelihoods and education after emancipation.
Reader notes
The second Vaiden Trilogy novel takes a panoramic approach to historical fiction, following business dealings, political gatherings and everyday conversations across the town. Personal ambition belongs to a wider portrait of racial hierarchy and economic change, including serious violence and abuse.
How it reads
- Writing style
- Descriptive
- Tone
- Dark · Reflective
- Structure
- Linear
- Driven by
- Character · Ideas
- Setting
- Florence, Alabama
Reading complexity
- Writing
- 3 / 5
- Ideas
- 3 / 5
- Structure
- 2 / 5
- Background knowledge
- 1 / 5
About this profile
Collected’s assessment, not reader ratings. Complexity runs from 1 (least demanding) to 5 (most demanding).
- Writing
- How much attention the sentences and language require.
- Ideas
- How much interpretation or abstract reasoning the book asks of you.
- Structure
- How much you need to keep track of speakers, timelines and connections.
- Background knowledge
- Prior knowledge needed to follow the book, beyond what it explains.
- Emotional intensity
- Emotional pressure, from gentle (1) to intense (5). Separate from difficulty.
Themes
- Ambition
- Justice
- Power
- Race and racism
- Wealth
Content notes
- Violence
- Strong
- Sexual content
- Mild
- Swearing
- Strong
- Substance use
- Mild
- Abuse
- Strong
- Self-harm or suicide
- Mild
Standing and awards
Highly regarded
- Pulitzer Prize for Novel (pre-1948), 1933
Series and reading order
Vaiden Trilogy
- 2The Store · This book · 1932
Questions readers ask
Which edition is shown here?
Literary Guild · 1932 · Hardcover.
What is the order of books in Vaiden Trilogy?
2. The Store.
How long does it take to read The Store?
About 11 hours 30 minutes at 50 pages an hour, based on the 571-page Literary Guild edition. Dense books can take longer.
If you liked this
Edition and details
- Publisher
- Literary Guild
- Publication year
- 1932
- Format
- Hardcover
- Pages
- 571
- Edition language
- English
- Original language
- English
- First published
- 1932
- Genres and form
- Fiction · Novel · Historical Fiction · Literary Fiction · Historical fiction · Family saga · Social novel
- Editions
- 1
- Languages
- 1 (English)
The catalog does not yet include a matching edition. Details may differ between editions.