This has been a remarkable year for new fiction, according to writer Luke Kennard. He praises Claire Powell's latest novel, All In, for its astute and affectionate portrayal of contemporary Englishness, set against the backdrop of an all-inclusive holiday. Kennard describes it as a meta-beach read that he thoroughly enjoyed.
International and Classic Reads
Kennard also highlights Argentine author César Aira's short novel Ghosts, translated by Chris Andrews. The story follows a family of builders squatting in a half-built luxury apartment complex who encounter beautiful ghosts. Kennard found it both scary and captivating, and he is now determined to read all of Aira's works. He notes that Aira was a favorite of Roberto Bolaño, suggesting readers can discover him now and be ahead of the curve.
Additionally, Kennard is slowly reading Hilary Mantel's French Revolution novel A Place of Greater Safety alongside his partner. He is particularly obsessed with the character Camille, whom he describes as resembling the lead singer of a Brooklyn indie band, unlike the typical 18th-century men who looked like fat judges.
Unusual and Thought-Provoking Reads
Guardian reader Rosie recommends Benjamin Myers' Jesus Christ Kinski, a novel about a film about a performance about Jesus. Myers imagines actor Klaus Kinski's thoughts during his disastrous 1971 theater performance of Jesus Christ Saviour, where he may have suffered a mental breakdown and was heckled before storming off stage. The book also includes an autofictional account of a northern English author watching the performance on YouTube in 2021. Rosie found it a fascinating exploration of cancel culture and the dilemma of the creative genius who is a horrible human being, making it oddly relatable.
Biographical Intrigue and Poetic Prose
Writer Sophie Ratcliffe is working on an imaginary biography and is currently obsessed with Henry James's The Aspern Papers, praising its stalkerish narrator, precision, and Venetian decay. She also recommends Cynthia Ozick's Antiquities and Other Stories, which features stuffed cabinets, lists, and waspish narrators. Another pick is Renee Gladman's Calamities, a poetic-prose work about drawing and words, with each of its 46 chapters starting with "I began the day," creating a gorgeously hopeful tone.
Mystery and Family Drama
Guardian reader Kate has been loving Susan Choi's Flashlight, which begins with the mysterious disappearance of a father on a beach and then explores the disparate backstories leading up to it. The novel covers Japanese culture, the occupation of Korea, growing up biracial, and the mother's deterioration through MS. Told through the eyes of the mother and daughter, the daughter is one of the most complex child characters Kate has encountered in literature. She appreciates how the tension slowly builds toward the truth of what really happened.
