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Contemporary Lit Novels You Won't Read In Class
Posted by Rob Ortenzi on 26-Aug-08 @ 01:54 PM|
Selected By Rachel Lux.
Sure, there's something to be said for reading the classics in English class. Death Of A Salesman, The Grapes Of Wrath, Lord Of The Flies-all fine books and excellent contributions to the literary canon. However, not all books with deep character development, witty, biting dialog and thought-provoking plots were written by men named Fitzgerald or Hemingway. Here are 10 contemporary lit novels you probably won't see on your summer school syllabus. (And if you do have a teacher who assigns one of these, you best pay attention. They know what they're talking about.) |
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TOO FAR TO GO By John Updike (FAWCETT,1979)  A Pulitzer Prize-winning author, you are likely to read a John Updike novel in class at some point, but probably one from the Rabbit series. Too Far To Go is a collection of Updike’s short stories tracing the marriage arc of Richard and Joan Maples, a typical New England couple, put together in chronological order. Written separately between 1956 and 1979, the cohesiveness of the story and depth of emotion are a testament to Updike’s power as a writer. In lesser hands, over time these remarkable characters most likely would’ve been washed out or made into caricatures of themselves.
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THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST By Anne Tyler (RANDOM HOUSE,1985)  Anne Tyler’s writing stands out perhaps because of the insane ordinariness of her characters-she just gets people and the humor and devastation in everyday life. In The Accidental Tourist, Macon Leary writes travel books for people who hate to travel; consequently finding himself stuck doing things he doesn’t enjoy, either. When he meets a quirky dog trainer named Muriel, Macon (and the reader) is forced to consider what it would take to step outside his own comfort zone into a world that possibly harbors more pain-but also way more joy-than he’s ever imagined.
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A WALK IN THE WOODS By Bill Bryson (BROADWAY,1998)  Okay, A Walk In The Woods is technically not a novel as it’s non-fiction. But we’re going to let it slide because journalist Bill Bryson’s funny and self-deprecating tale of his attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail-the 2,100-mile stretch of mountains and lakes snaking up the East Coast-borders on perfection. Entertaining, informative, compassionate and a little dangerous, Bryson weaves historical context with first- and second-person accounts of one of the last untamed places in the country. It’s also the best case for saving the environment that doesn’t mention global warming we’ve heard in a long time.
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GLAMORAMA By Bret Easton Ellis (KNOPF,1998)  New York City model-turned-club owner Victor Ward is recruited on a mysterious mission in London, only to become entangled in a terrorist cell run by-who else-supermodels. Far-fetched it may be, but Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho) presents a gritty study in setting, freely incorporating gratuitous violence, punk rock and designer drug use into the mid-’90s New York City and London not written about in travel guides. The book is a blatant indictment of materialism, and Ellis is highly controversial-but then again, so many of the great writers are.
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THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER By Stephen Chobsky (MTV/POCKET,1999)  Arranged as a series of letters written by Charlie addressed to an anonymous “friend,” The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is easily digestible for those who’ve always known the definition of the word “blog.” Full of a million questions and almost zero judgment, Charlie learns his way around high school-and his own heart-by closely observing his peers and friends. Perks will speak directly to anyone who’s ever found friendship and acceptance with the “older crowd,” questioned how your past will affect your future or made someone a really perfect mix tape.
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SURVIVOR: A NOVEL By Chuck Palahniuk (ANCHOR,2000)  Chuck Palahniuk made a name for himself with his debut novel, Fight Club; he cemented his place in contemporary lit importance with his second, Survivor. In today’s celebrity gossip-obsessed world, everyone’s waiting for the next big star to fall from their enchanted pillar, and Palahniuk milks that innate human desire for all its worth. The lone survivor of a suicide cult turned self-help mega-star, Tender Branson opens the story flying a stolen, empty 747, hurtling toward certain death-the “black box” his only witness. It’s a funny and deeply satirical look at self-image in a media-drenched society that all but demands perfection.
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HOW TO BE GOOD By Nick Hornby (RIVERHEAD,2001)  Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About A Boy) turns his intuitive skill for magnifying a person’s inner neurosis to a female protagonist. Katie Carr finds herself unhappily married to the “Angriest Man in Holloway,” and ends up sleeping with another man. When her cynical husband becomes spiritually “born again,” she has a tough decision to make: Leave him or follow along. Set in early-’00s London and peppered with classic- and contemporary-rock references, How To Be Good puts a modern spin on a timeless question-what does it truly mean to be “good”?
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LAMB By Christopher Moore (WILLIAM MORROW,2002)  Who says your Bible study can’t have a wicked sense of humor and a prostitute or two? Christopher Moore’s Lamb focuses on the early years of Jesus’ life, as told by his childhood best bud, Biff. Not only does Moore imagine a confused and curious kid-Jesus who is coming to terms with the life his Father has set for him, it brings an amazing snark to the life story one of the most well-known figures in the world. Religious or not, Lamb explores friendship, growing up and getting laid by your first hooker-all while smartly acknowledging the Big Questions Christianity poses.
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THE LOVELY BONES By Alice Sebold (LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY,2002)  In this raw and intensely intimate portrait of a family come undone, 14-year-old Susie Salmon narrates the events that unfold after she is brutally raped and murdered. Observing her family, friends and former life from heaven, Susie and her family will have you openly crying on one page, while laughing out loud the next. Sebold’s hawkish attention to detail has not gone unnoticed: Director Peter Jackson (The Lord Of The Rings) is scheduled to bring the book to the silver screen next year.
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ON BEAUTY By Zadie Smith (PENGUIN,2005)  The comic novel On Beauty centers around two competing authors who are both writing books about the artist Rembrandt. Both examine beauty and love, but one sets out to herald Rembrandt, the other to ruin his reputation. The real plot comes not from the ideological battles of the authors, but in the examination of their respective families. Zadie Smith is highly imaginative, completely humble and one of the last cheerleaders for trying to see the good in everyone. Also, her characters’ inner monologues put JD’s from Scrubs to shame.
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holy shit, this is such a great list.
I couldn't agree with you more on Perks and Survivor. They're two of my favorite books. Perks is an essential read for any teenager, and Palahniuk deserves more attention than he gets.