The September 1, 2024, issue of the New York Times Book Review highlighted the "100 Best Books of the 21st Century". Over eight weeks, we will delve into seven selections from this list. These works are concise, similar to novellas, yet each offers profound and thought-provoking themes that linger long after completion.
Our exploration will focus on the intricacies of identity, systemic oppression, and the human quest for autonomy and connection. The genres are varied, encompassing fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid forms. We will scrutinize themes such as race, gender, queerness, societal conformity, and the tension between individuality and collective norms. Emphasis will be placed on how authors employ innovative narrative structures to challenge traditional storytelling while exploring personal and cultural transformation amidst historical and social pressures. Additionally, we will discuss how these books compare to each other and assess whether they merit their inclusion in the "NYT 100 Best" list. Each SDG session is sure to result in lively and thoughtful discussion!
Week 1: Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (2021, 114 pgs.)
"Small Things Like These" is a historical and literary fiction novella set in 1980s rural Ireland. Through the life of coal merchant Bill Furlong, it examines themes of moral courage, societal complicity, and the quiet power of kindness amidst a community shaped by religious and cultural pressures. Keegan's evocative prose transforms the ordinary into profound reflections on humanity and resilience.
Awards & Acclaim: 2022 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction; 2022 Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award; Shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize and the 2022 Rathbones Folio Prize.
Week 2: Train Dreams by Denis Johnson (2012, 116 pgs.)
"Train Dreams" is a historical fiction novella that traces the life of Robert Grainier in the early 20th-century American West. Through its exploration of solitude, grief, and transformation, the story delves into themes of human connection, the clash between industrial progress and nature, and the mythos of the American frontier. Johnson's writing captures both the vastness of the landscape and the intimate struggles of a man navigating a rapidly changing world.
Awards & Acclaim: 2002 Aga Khan Prize for Fiction; 2003 O. Henry Award; Finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (when published as a stand-alone book); NPR’s 10 Best Novels of 2011.
Week 3: We the Animals by Justin Torres (2012, 125 pgs.)
"We the Animals" is a literary fiction novella and bildungsroman that explores the turbulent childhood of three brothers in a mixed-race family in 1980s rural New York. Through its lyrical and fragmented vignettes, the novel examines themes of identity, belonging, familial bonds, and the intersection of love and violence. Torres's writing style evokes the raw intensity of growing up amid chaos, poverty, and self-discovery.
Awards & Acclaim: 2012 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, 2012 Indies Choice Book Award; Nominated for the 2012 Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work—Fiction.
Week 4: Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine (2014, 159 pgs. Large print, lots of empty space & photos.)
"Citizen: An American Lyric" is a genre-defying work blending poetry, prose, and visual art to explore race, identity, and systemic racism in contemporary America. Through its innovative structure and second-person narration, it examines themes such as microaggressions, alienation, and the psychological toll of racial inequality. Rankine's poignant lyricism challenges societal norms and redefines what it means to belong in a fractured cultural landscape.
Awards & Acclaim: 2014 National Book Critics Award for Poetry; 2015 Forward First Prize for Best Collection; 2015 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work in Poetry; 2015 PEN Open Book Award; 2015 LA Times Book Prize in Poetry; 2015 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award in Poetry; 2017 Rebekah Johnson Bobbit National Prize for Poetry; Finalist for the 2014 National Book Award and the 2015 T.S. Eliot Prize .
Week 5: The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson (2015, 143 pgs.)
"The Argonauts" is a genre-blending work of creative nonfiction and "autotheory" that intertwines memoir with philosophical exploration. It examines themes of love, identity, queerness, family-making, and the transformative power of language. Through its innovative narrative, the book challenges traditional notions of gender, relationships, and societal norms while celebrating fluidity and self-determination.
Awards & Acclaim: 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism; Recipient of MacArthur Fellowship Genius Grant in 2016.
Week 6: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (2015, 152 pgs.)
"Between the World and Me" is a nonfiction, epistolary work that blends memoir, cultural critique, and historical analysis. Written as a letter to his son, it explores themes of systemic racism, the fragility of the Black body, fear, and the myth of the American Dream. Through its deeply personal and reflective narrative, the book interrogates identity, heritage, and the enduring consequences of racial injustice in America.
Awards & Acclaim: 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction; 2015 Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction; Finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction and the National Books Critics Circle Award.
Weeks 7** & 8: The Vegetarian by Han Kang (2015, 199 pgs.)
"The Vegetarian" is a psychological literary fiction novel that explores themes of autonomy, societal conformity, and the human body as a site of resistance and transformation. Set in modern-day Seoul, the story uses sparse yet evocative prose to examine identity, gender dynamics, and the consequences of defying cultural norms. The novel delves into the tension between individual agency and collective expectations, offering a haunting meditation on freedom and repression.
Awards & Acclaim: 2015 Man Booker International Prize; 2005 Yi Sang Literary Prize; 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature.
**We will not meet for Week 7 due to PLATO’s Annual Luncheon. All discussion will take place on Week 8.
All selections are available in hardcover or paperback through Amazon or major book stores; e-books through Kindle & Apple Books and Audiobook format through platforms such as Audible. Free versions are not available at this time.
Week 1: Keegan, Claire. Small Things Like These. New York: Grove Atlantic, 2021. (114 pgs.)
Week 2: Johnson, Denis. Train Dreams. New York: Picador, 2012. (116 pgs.)
Week 3: Torres, Justin. We the Animals. New York: First Mariner Books, 2012. (125 pgs.)
Week 4: Rankine, Claudia. Citizen: An American Lyric. Minnesota: Graywolf Press, 2014. (159 pgs.)
Week 5: Nelson, Maggie. The Argonauts. Minnesota: Graywolf Press, 2015. (143 pgs.)
Week 6: Coates, Ta-Nehisi. Between the World and Me. [United States]: One World, 2015. (152 pgs.)
Weeks 7** & 8: Kang, Han. The Vegetarian. Translated by Deborah Smith. New York: Hogarth, 2015. (199 pgs.)