Hi Marc, Your recommendation request has some range, so hopefully one of these titles hits: This might be a little too obvious (so obvious that it’s possible you’ve read these books already), but just in case you’ve never picked up Tove Ditlevsen’s Copenhagen Trilogy, I’m going to say you should, especially if you like Ernaux and Oksanen. Ditlevsen’s memoirs recall childhood poverty, developing as a writer, marriages and addiction—and no matter which part of her life we’re situated in, the prose feels very of the immediate. The End of Eddy by Édouard Louis also comes to mind.This autobiographical novel handles themes of class and masculinity as it tells the story of a gay boy growing up in a brutally homophobic environment. I read this interview with Louis fairly recently where he says “I have never been so optimistic as when I am confronted with a representation of the violence of this world,” and I would consider that an accurate description of my reaction to The End of Eddy. I have the feeling you might appreciate Han Kang’s Human Acts. Set during the aftermath of South Korea’s Gwangju Uprising in 1980, the book spares no detail in demonstrating some of humanity’s most haunting qualities through multiple points of view, continuously building upon itself. If you’re open to a graphic novel, Sig Burwash’s Vera Bushwack could also be up your alley. Set in the Nova Scotian wilderness, loner Drew reflects on the past and present as they build a cabin in the woods while grappling with trust and isolation (and occasionally retreating into a world where they get to live as their alter ego, Vera Bushwack). I hope one of these books works for you! –Oliver Scialdone, Community Editor |
