Wherein We Elect Our Favourite Novels of 2013

Was hoping for something that would tempt me to think,"This Ferrante pulls its weight in the quartet, but, as a stand-alone, this other thing works better." But the only choice I've read is the Karen Joy Fowler, which, by standards she set early on, is not that remarkable, although it is distinctive, and a satisfying read: about a family whose scientist Dad decided that it would be a good idea to adopt a chimp, or that's what his other kids thought he was doing---but at a certain point, she was gone: too much trouble, experiment done. Traumatic for all concerned, incl. parents, esp. as they feel some of the kids' pain and anger and confusion--shared by a number of real life families, as the narrator discovers. She's remembering all this once more, finally determined to find out what happened to her primate sister (still alive, in the States) and reclaim, reconfigure her sense of the family---also goes into what campus life is like in relatively recent past, other aspects of various eras---really good! But not (this time) w the kind of drive that Ferrante continues to provide in volume three of the Neapolitans.

shared by a number of real life families with scientist Dads who etc.

Nevada by Imogen Binnie

not a perfect book by any means but lifechanging

The only one I've read is "Crazy Rich Asians", which is interesting as a peek into the lives of wealthy Singaporeans.

enjoyed 'I am Pilgrim' a lot in a race through it page turner kinda way. will vote for Karen Joy Fowler over it cos that is one of my favourite books of the decade.

if you feel like you want to read a remarkable, true-to-life trans narrative i really recommend nevada; the things i was prepared to not like about it (the bloggy voice mainly) end up being too charming to deny, and it ends in a really unresolved place that feels earned by how densely it explores the identities of its two main characters

the second half takes place in my home state (nv of course, but in a nowhere-ass northern nevada town that springs up around a wal-mart, god knows i've driven through that town) and the first takes place in my (not very) new home (nyc), i was helpless

I guess my vote would be a write-in for James Salter's "All That Is".

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‘flamethrowers’ would be a great film adaptation. italian labor struggle, 70s nyc art scene, motorcycle wipe outs on salt flats, cousin-kissing soap opera plot twists. somehow the novel was a bit boring

The only one I've read is "Crazy Rich Asians", which is interesting as a peek into the lives of wealthy Singaporeans.

― o. nate, Friday, December 3, 2021 9:03 PM (three days ago) bookmarkflaglink

are they also unhinged, by chance?

nevada sounds really intriguing

are they also unhinged, by chance?

Not really. I think the "crazy" is an adverb modifying "rich" not an adjective describing the Asians.

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Wherein We Elect Our Favourite Novels of 2014