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Nancy's avatar

Also want to add “Love in the Big City” by Sang Young Park, “Cursed Bunny” (stories) by Bora Chung, “Mrs. Caliban” by Rachel Ingalls, and Sakaya Murata’s “Life Ceremony” (stories).

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Nancy's avatar

Thanks for this wonderful post, and wonderful list! Many of my faves here.

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Eman Quotah's avatar

I think I need to read more comic novels? For the list: Midnight’s Children and its ancestor Tristram Shandy

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Alexander Chee's avatar

Oh very interesting to read them together probably also

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Crystal Helcel's avatar

wow!! This is a great list

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John Davies's avatar

An amazing list from which I have read very few titles. I’m prompted to get out of my comfort zone. Glad to see David Lodge there who is a great comic novelist imho.

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Alexander Chee's avatar

Thanks so much, John, I hope you have fun with it

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James J's avatar

To the list:

John O'Hara's "Pal Joey," which became a superior musical ("Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered," "I Could Write a Book").

"Eugene Onegin," which, in stretches, parodies itself, and was the basis of an inferior ballet.

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Alexander Chee's avatar

Thanks!

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According to Mimi's avatar

I love lists of books! Intrigued to say the least.

Vicki

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k'eguro's avatar

Two additions to the list

Yambo Ouologuem, Bound to Violence

Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Wizard of the Crow

Very excited it starts with Chinua Achebe! For a long time, most popular Kenyan fiction was satire.

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Alexander Chee's avatar

I love Wizard of the Crow, thanks for the reminder. I don’t know this other one, the Ouloguem.

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k'eguro's avatar

Bound to Violence was out of print, but I think it might be available again. It’s delicious. The author was accused of plagiarizing Graham Greene. The whole saga behind it is fascinating. Malian author.

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Kirstie McKinnon's avatar

Fabulous list of titles: thanks from my inner librarian. I enjoyed your discussion of title and cover very much, what it’s trying to do, and how it misses. I also love that you uncovered the title reference so clearly. As I read the quote, the imagery morphed for me into: a child reaching under the net for strawberries.

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Alexander Chee's avatar

Wow, that is interesting.

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Deesha Philyaw's avatar

Adding to the list: Oreo by Fran Ross

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Alexander Chee's avatar

Lol I bought it after your rec and forgot to put it on. It’s certainly on my private list. I will edit that in!

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