Best literature of the 21st century

[Anonymous]

I have to admit I've read very little 21st century fiction. At nearly a quarter-century in, what do you think stands the test of time?

One book that I tried was The Kite Runner which is highly regarded and many have raved about but I couldn't get into. I gave up about 2/3 of the way through.

I do have Ducks Newburyport on my bookshelf, yet unread.

What do people recommend?

[Anonymous]

Wolf Hall
Never Let Me Go
Gilead
Blood Meridian


The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Between the World and Me
The Omnivore's Dilemma
Citizen: An American Lyric
Blue Nights or The Year of Magical Thinking

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wolf Hall
Never Let Me Go
Gilead
Blood Meridian


The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Between the World and Me
The Omnivore's Dilemma
Citizen: An American Lyric
Blue Nights or The Year of Magical Thinking

PP here. Sorry, I couldn't help but add a cnf category.

[Anonymous]

Homegoing

Pachinko

This Tender Land

[Anonymous]

Blood Meridian is incredible but it was written in the 1980s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Blood Meridian is incredible but it was written in the 1980s.

Correct. Sorry. The Road was written more recently. I think that got me mixed up.

[Anonymous]

My favorite: Philip Roth, The Plot Against America.

[Anonymous]

Atonement
The Road
Underground Railroad
The Blind Assassin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to admit I've read very little 21st century fiction. At nearly a quarter-century in, what do you think stands the test of time?

One book that I tried was The Kite Runner which is highly regarded and many have raved about but I couldn't get into. I gave up about 2/3 of the way through.

I do have Ducks Newburyport on my bookshelf, yet unread.

What do people recommend?

I enjoyed Kite Runner but absolutely wouldn’t put it in the literary fiction category, if that’s what you mean by “best literature of the 21st century.”

[Anonymous]

My Struggle (Knausgaard)
Demon Copperhead (Kingsolver)
Americanah (Adichie)

Most of the stuff I’ve read probably doesn’t rise to the level of classics of the century. Pachinko probably will occupy a spot on the list, even though I disagree… I found it really uneven. The first third or so was brilliant and sensitively written, but couldn’t maintain the momentum as the story shifted to the later generations of the family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My Struggle (Knausgaard)
Demon Copperhead (Kingsolver)
Americanah (Adichie)

Most of the stuff I’ve read probably doesn’t rise to the level of classics of the century. Pachinko probably will occupy a spot on the list, even though I disagree… I found it really uneven. The first third or so was brilliant and sensitively written, but couldn’t maintain the momentum as the story shifted to the later generations of the family.

Agree about Americanah.

I just couldn’t get into My Struggle!

[Anonymous]

Today there's an article in NYTImes books - best books since 2000 and gives 10 fiction / non-fiction per year.

Worth a look if you don't need to subscribe to see it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Today there's an article in NYTImes books - best books since 2000 and gives 10 fiction / non-fiction per year.

Worth a look if you don't need to subscribe to see it.

Great resource! Thank you!

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/books/top-books-list.html?searchResultPosition=1

A few favorites:

Exit West, by Moshim Hamid (and his earlier book, The Reluctant Fundamentalist!!)

Redeployment, by Phil Klay (also loved You Know When the Men are Gone, by Siobhan Fallon (excellent short stories re military families)

[Anonymous]

I just looked at the NY Times list and realized that out of the 230 boks, I've only read either 5 1/2 or 6 1/2 (can't remember if I read Absurdistan, although I've read several of his other books).
And of those, I only really liked two.

[Anonymous]

We just had an 8 page thread on this same topic

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/324607.page