Top 10 Books of 2008
Sam Coakley
Issue date: 12/11/08 Section: Entertainment
Junior English major and musician Sam Coakley is a self-proclaimed "extreme bibliophile" who was voted "Most Likely to Get Arrested" at his junior prom. Irrelevant, but interesting nonetheless. And now, a disclaimer from the columnist himself:
Before you go bouncing through the list, I would like to make a few things clear. Although the books are numbered 1-10, it means absolutely nothing. It's just so that if you get lost somewhere between 7 and 9, you can still find your way out without wasting any potions or wishing cakes. I would also like to recognize the fact that most of these books lie on the darker side of the literature spectrum. Basically, if you just loved the new Candice Bushnell novel, I'm about to disappoint you. Sorry. However, I do indeed believe this to be a decent sampling of the best 2008 publications. There's a little bit of everything here: short stories, essays, novels, something for everybody. Know why? Because everybody should be reading!
1. After the Sunset by Stephen King
After editing the Best American Short Stories series for 2007, it appears Stephen King incurred a massive dose of inspiration; in this new collection, we see King at his traditionally unsettling best. Included are pieces that remind us that King isn't only the top dog in the macabre world, but also a damn fine writer who knows how to reach into the very soul of his characters (occasionally utilizing a testicle-shrinking eye for, um, "details.") All in all, After the Sunset acts as a great collection for enthusiasts and a worthy introduction for those unfamiliar with King's impressive body of work.
2. 2666 by Roberto Bolano
Vanished writers, elaborate dream sequences, horrifying murders, and insanity all play major roles in the new masterpiece (oh yeah, this is indeed a masterpiece) by deceased author, Roberto Bolano. 2666 will leave you breathless, disturbed, and wondering about the true nature of mankind. Set mainly in the Mexican city of Santa Teresa, 2666 revels in the darkness that Bolano so bleakly creates.
3. When You are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
The new collection of essays by the self-deprecating and brutally amusing Sedaris focuses primarily on one theme: death. More specifically, Sedaris' own impending demise, a melancholy subject that he approaches with the candor and humor specific to his style. A great book if you dislike smoking, worms in your appendages, talking skeletons, and being naked in public.
4. Lush Life by Richard Price
The reporting eye of Richard Price scores again in this gritty novel revolving around a murder in the heart of New York City. Amidst his exquisite characterizations, proving he knows his characters as well as he knows his own self, Price knocks us dead with his incredibly accurate and blazing dialogue. Lush Life hits us like a classic detective story (a la Raymond Chandler) while simultaneously rising above any traditional schemas of the genre.
5. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Not often do we get the privilege to witness the publication of a "Great American Novel." However, I propose that a GAN (my abbrev. but you can use it) is exactly what David Wroblewski gives us with his literary debut, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. Shakespearian plot, fused with King-esque storytelling technique, makes this a momentous and impossible-to-forget work of American fiction.
6. Maps and Legends by Michael Chabon
Chances are good that you haven't seen this one floating around Barnes & Noble. I'm sure at some point it sat, lonely and dejected, on the shelves, but that time came and went with alarming rapidity. However, if you can find it, buy it. The epic cover alone makes the twenty-four dollar price tag worthwhile. When you finally bring yourself to stop gawking at the jacket, you'll find the essays contained within equally captivating. Spanning subjects from Cormac McCarthy's The Road to the literary value of certain comic serials, this first work of non-fiction by one of America's greatest living writers will help restore your faith in modern literature.
7. The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon
Revolving around Jewish immigrants from Sarajevo and their struggles to find new life and purpose, The Lazarus Project is a novel full of stark humor and leaden sadness. While it may not leave you chortling your ass off, it will certainly challenge your ideology as you find yourself caught up in the story of a man's quest for answers regarding an unusual anti-Semitic Chicago murder.
8. The Likeness by Tana French
The Likeness is the sequel to the 2007 Edgar Award-winning In the Woods. Like In the Woods, The Likeness is the epitome of brooding Irish literature. The story revolves around a police detective assigned to investigate the murder of a woman who is her doppelganger. Rest assured, The Likeness doesn't fall to the earth as a simple piece of "mystery fiction"; French's primary concern lies with sculpting characters rather than shocking plot revelations.
9. A Better Angel by Chris Adrian
The pediatrician/novelist behind Gob's Grief and The Children's Hospital gives us his first-and-long overdue-book of short stories. Centering around hospitals and sickness, the book still contains enough humor and narrative know-how to stave off the blue meanies…maybe. This collection will doubtlessly challenge, intrigue, and entertain you.
10. The Learners
Chip Kidd
The quick moving, witty, engaging novel about a graphic designer straight out of college and suddenly faced with the brutal reality of his own inner darkness certainly receives a place on my list. Kidd writes through a character seeming to border on the brink of sanity, a perspective that Kidd handles disturbingly well. Simple in its goal and exact in its execution, The Learners is a concise novel that surfaces with some surprisingly deep insights into the human character.
Before you go bouncing through the list, I would like to make a few things clear. Although the books are numbered 1-10, it means absolutely nothing. It's just so that if you get lost somewhere between 7 and 9, you can still find your way out without wasting any potions or wishing cakes. I would also like to recognize the fact that most of these books lie on the darker side of the literature spectrum. Basically, if you just loved the new Candice Bushnell novel, I'm about to disappoint you. Sorry. However, I do indeed believe this to be a decent sampling of the best 2008 publications. There's a little bit of everything here: short stories, essays, novels, something for everybody. Know why? Because everybody should be reading!
1. After the Sunset by Stephen King
After editing the Best American Short Stories series for 2007, it appears Stephen King incurred a massive dose of inspiration; in this new collection, we see King at his traditionally unsettling best. Included are pieces that remind us that King isn't only the top dog in the macabre world, but also a damn fine writer who knows how to reach into the very soul of his characters (occasionally utilizing a testicle-shrinking eye for, um, "details.") All in all, After the Sunset acts as a great collection for enthusiasts and a worthy introduction for those unfamiliar with King's impressive body of work.
2. 2666 by Roberto Bolano
Vanished writers, elaborate dream sequences, horrifying murders, and insanity all play major roles in the new masterpiece (oh yeah, this is indeed a masterpiece) by deceased author, Roberto Bolano. 2666 will leave you breathless, disturbed, and wondering about the true nature of mankind. Set mainly in the Mexican city of Santa Teresa, 2666 revels in the darkness that Bolano so bleakly creates.
3. When You are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
The new collection of essays by the self-deprecating and brutally amusing Sedaris focuses primarily on one theme: death. More specifically, Sedaris' own impending demise, a melancholy subject that he approaches with the candor and humor specific to his style. A great book if you dislike smoking, worms in your appendages, talking skeletons, and being naked in public.
4. Lush Life by Richard Price
The reporting eye of Richard Price scores again in this gritty novel revolving around a murder in the heart of New York City. Amidst his exquisite characterizations, proving he knows his characters as well as he knows his own self, Price knocks us dead with his incredibly accurate and blazing dialogue. Lush Life hits us like a classic detective story (a la Raymond Chandler) while simultaneously rising above any traditional schemas of the genre.
5. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Not often do we get the privilege to witness the publication of a "Great American Novel." However, I propose that a GAN (my abbrev. but you can use it) is exactly what David Wroblewski gives us with his literary debut, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. Shakespearian plot, fused with King-esque storytelling technique, makes this a momentous and impossible-to-forget work of American fiction.
6. Maps and Legends by Michael Chabon
Chances are good that you haven't seen this one floating around Barnes & Noble. I'm sure at some point it sat, lonely and dejected, on the shelves, but that time came and went with alarming rapidity. However, if you can find it, buy it. The epic cover alone makes the twenty-four dollar price tag worthwhile. When you finally bring yourself to stop gawking at the jacket, you'll find the essays contained within equally captivating. Spanning subjects from Cormac McCarthy's The Road to the literary value of certain comic serials, this first work of non-fiction by one of America's greatest living writers will help restore your faith in modern literature.
7. The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon
Revolving around Jewish immigrants from Sarajevo and their struggles to find new life and purpose, The Lazarus Project is a novel full of stark humor and leaden sadness. While it may not leave you chortling your ass off, it will certainly challenge your ideology as you find yourself caught up in the story of a man's quest for answers regarding an unusual anti-Semitic Chicago murder.
8. The Likeness by Tana French
The Likeness is the sequel to the 2007 Edgar Award-winning In the Woods. Like In the Woods, The Likeness is the epitome of brooding Irish literature. The story revolves around a police detective assigned to investigate the murder of a woman who is her doppelganger. Rest assured, The Likeness doesn't fall to the earth as a simple piece of "mystery fiction"; French's primary concern lies with sculpting characters rather than shocking plot revelations.
9. A Better Angel by Chris Adrian
The pediatrician/novelist behind Gob's Grief and The Children's Hospital gives us his first-and-long overdue-book of short stories. Centering around hospitals and sickness, the book still contains enough humor and narrative know-how to stave off the blue meanies…maybe. This collection will doubtlessly challenge, intrigue, and entertain you.
10. The Learners
Chip Kidd
The quick moving, witty, engaging novel about a graphic designer straight out of college and suddenly faced with the brutal reality of his own inner darkness certainly receives a place on my list. Kidd writes through a character seeming to border on the brink of sanity, a perspective that Kidd handles disturbingly well. Simple in its goal and exact in its execution, The Learners is a concise novel that surfaces with some surprisingly deep insights into the human character.
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