A few months ago, the NY Post published a list of “10 Works of Literary Fiction to Impress Your Subway Car.” Here are their selections, with a brief summary…
1. The Condition by Jennifer Haigh
In the summer of 1976, scientist Frank McKotch makes a dramatic discovery – his only daughter, 13-year-old Gwen, has Turner’s syndrome, which traps her in the body of a child, even as she matures into adulthood. Haigh , a PEN award winner for “Mrs. Kimble” and “Baker Towers,” follows this Cape Cod family as the disease tears them apart over two decades.
2. The Garden of Last Days by Andre Dubus
From the “House of Sand and Fog” to . . . a strip joint? The Puma Club for Men might seem an odd setting for best-selling author Dubus, but somehow it works. Florida stripper April deals with sex, parenthood, masculinity and honor.
3. The Other by David Guterson
From the author of “Snow Falling on Cedars” comes the provocative tale of two childhood buddies who travel very different paths as adults. Blue-collar Irish Neil Countryman graduates college and devotes himself to his family and teaching school. His buddy John William Barry decides to drop out of society entirely. He enlists Neil’s help to disappear, which turns out to be a complicated and tragic endeavor.
4. Beijing Coma by Ma Jian
What would China look like to a Tiananmen Square protestor who fell into a coma in June 1989 only to awaken nearly a decade later at the dawn of the new millennium? Dai Wei, the protagonist of Ma Jian’s allegorical new novel, finds much has changed for both himself and his country.
5. Dinosaurs on the Roof by David Rabe
The plot of acclaimed playwright David Rabe’s new novel is downright weird. In Belger, Iowa, recent divorcee Janet Crawley wants to be left alone so she can lose her mind in peace. But her reverie is disturbed one morning when Bernice, her late mother’s best friend, comes to her with a serious problem. Her pastor has announced that the Rapture will be visiting that evening and Bernice doesn’t know who will care for her pets. Aren’t you curious to find out what happens next?
6. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Hamlet relocated to northern Wisconsin is the easiest way to describe first-time novelist David Wroblewski’s book. Edgar Sawtelle, born mute, is forced to flee his family’s farm after a tragic event. He comes of age in the wild with three yearling dogs, but eventually must return home to face his past.
7. My Sister, My Love by Joyce Carol Oates
“Dysfunctional families are all alike. Ditto ‘survivors,’ ” is the snappy start to Joyce Carol Oates’ latest fictional investigation into contemporary culture. What happens to a family elevated to tabloid stardom through tragedy? Skyler Rampike, the novel’s 19-year-old narrator, knows. Her family became fodder for gossip hounds when 10 years ago her six-year-old sister Bliss, an ice-skating champ, was murdered. Skyler investigates who really killed Bliss and mourns her own losses, all with a sharp satirical edge.
8. When We Were Romans by Matthew Kneale
Rome is (obviously) the setting for this look at the confusions of childhood. Nine-year-old Lawrence is trying to keep his broken family together – his mother Hannah and his little sister Jemima – as they seek refuge in the Italian capital. For Lawrence, the city of popes and emperors is an adventure but what chased them out of London won’t leave them alone.
9. City of Refuge by Tom Piazza
The author of “Why New Orleans Matters” and a resident of the Big Easy, Tom Piazza returns this summer with another story of the response to Hurricane Katrina. This time, it’s a fictionalized account of two families, one black and one white, whose lives are torn apart by the storm.
10. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
Alice Blackwell didn’t set out to be First Lady, but then again she didn’t seem the type to marry the boisterous Charlie Blackwell, wealthy son of an established Republican family, either. In this fictionalized account of Laura Bush’s life, the best-selling author of “Prep” explores what it might be like for a shy, thoughtful registered Democrat to marry a charismatic, jokey Republican and end up living a life of ultimate responsibility, power and influence; a life she lives “almost in opposition to itself.”
I realize that Sittenfield’s was on last week’s list, too, but I’m still not interested… I did love Edgar Sawtelle though!
Ooh some of those books have gorgeous covers – I’ll have to check them out a bit more
It’s interesting that people actually care what others think of the books they’re reading!
I recently bought “The Condition” and am looking forward to reading it.
Good point, Anna! Hmmm… might be an interesting topic for a future post!
“City of Refuge,” looks like a great book. I just finished a great fictional book centered around Hurricane Katrina. The book I read is titled, “Recovering Charles,” by Jason Wright. Now I am on the mindset of reading books about this tragic event, and would be interested in checking out “City of Refuge.” Thanks for letting me know about this book.
You are welcome — I’ll check out Recovering Charles, too — sounds interesting!