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Every book Jennifer Egan recommended on podcasts
Jennifer Egan is an acclaimed author whose appearances on literary platforms like The Book Review offer profound insights into the creative mind, the mechanics of fiction, and the thematic obsessions that drive her writing. As evident from her podcast discussions, her primary literary fascinations revolve around the relentless passage of time, the structure of memory, and the intricate research processes required to build both historical and speculative fictional worlds. When asked about her reading preferences and foundational influences, Egan has recommended specific works that resonate deeply with her artistic vision. She cited James Salter's Light Years as a stunning exploration of time passing, and when prompted by standard interview questions, she named Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth as a book she frequently revisits and deeply admires. In discussing her own bibliography, Egan has offered listeners a window into her writing methodologies, reflecting on how the demands of crafting gothic narratives influenced her approach. She mentioned her novel The Keep while discussing the challenges of writing gothic thrillers set in unreal realms, and detailed how extensive interviews conducted for that book informed her broader research practices. Furthermore, she explored the structural origins and thematic continuity of her acclaimed works A Visit from the Goon Squad and Manhattan Beach, illuminating how the pressures of writing successful follow-ups and capturing the zeitgeist of music, history, and human behavior shaped her literary trajectory.
Books recommended by Jennifer Egan
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A Visit from the Goon Squad
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan is a critically acclaimed novel exploring time, aging, and the music industry through an interconnected series of narratives.
Discussed“because with all the good luck the Goon Squad had I knew that if it wasn't if this book wasn't pretty strong it was going to be perceived as a a kind of weak followup or a failure”
Where to get it
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The Keep
The Keep by Jennifer Egan is a gothic thriller novel that unfolds inside an unusual prison setting and an unreal realm.
Discussed“but when as I worked on books after that I would think hm you know I wrote a Gothic novel a Gothic Thriller called the keep”
Where to get it
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Light years
Light Years is a novel by James Salter that chronicles the gradual disintegration of a marriage and the quiet passage of time.
Recommended“and also James suter's light years which is a beautiful book about time passing”
Where to get it
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The House of Mirth
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton is a classic novel of manners that chronicles the tragic social decline of Lily Bart, a charismatic and ambitious woman navigating the cutthroat, superficial elite society of turn-of-the-century New York.
Recommended“mine is I think the house of Mirth by Edith Warden”
Where to get it
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In Search of Lost Time
In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust is a monumental multi-volume modernist novel that explores memory, time, and human consciousness.
Discussed“and I think the reason I was thinking about time was really because I had finally read in Search of Lost Time all of it byce seven volum six I think six a lot several volumes”
Where to get it
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Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan is a sweeping historical fiction novel set in New York City during World War II, following a young woman who breaks barriers to become the first female diver at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Discussed“my last book Manhattan Beach was in some ways more self-contained and that it had a discreet group of characters whose stories I was following”
Where to get it
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mutiny on the bounty
Why people recommend it: Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall's classic adventure novel recounts the historic 1789 mutiny against Lieutenant William Bligh aboard the Royal Navy ship HMS Bounty.
Discussed“and so you know it there's a kind of stylization of the Noir but also I at a certain point I thought you know I'm writing an old-fashioned adventure story on some level you know I was thinking about BS like Treasure Island Mutiny on the Bounty I mean big Stories full of danger and crime and survival and and”
Where to get it
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The Candy House
The Candy House by Jennifer Egan is an imaginative, intricately structured novel that serves as a companion piece to her earlier acclaimed work A Visit from the Goon Squad, following interconnected characters through their lives and technological futures.
Discussed“the principle of both the candy house and a visit from lagon Squad is really just following my own curiosity into people's lives and Futures”
Where to get it
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Treasure Island
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is a celebrated adventure novel detailing a gripping tale of pirates, buried gold, and youthful courage on the high seas.
Discussed“and so you know it there's a kind of stylization of the Noir but also I at a certain point I thought you know I'm writing an old-fashioned adventure story on some level you know I was thinking about BS like Treasure Island Mutiny on the Bounty I mean big Stories full of danger and crime and survival and and”
Where to get it
Books Jennifer Egan wrote
- A Visit from the Goon Squad
- The Candy House
- Manhattan Beach
- The Keep
- Look at Me
- Emerald City
- The Invisible Circus
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21st Century Books Special Edition: Jennifer Egan on 'A Visit from the Goon Squad' | The Book Review | 2024-08-19 | 5 |
| Jennifer Egan Talks About 'Manhattan Beach' | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 6 |
| Jennifer Egan Talks About 'The Candy House' | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 8 |
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“I was promoting the keep at the book fair but I was researching this book with elderly ladies who were were all too eager to talk to me”
“yeah with some incredible masterpieces in it like Moby Dick and others that is one component of this book for sure”