427. HAVE YOU READ? BEST BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY ACCORDING TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

Marge Hallissy via Zoom

Jan. 3: Claire Keegan, Small Things Like These. ISBN 978-0571368709. In 1985 Ireland, Christmas is coming, but instead of celebrating the major holiday of his faith, a timber merchant must come to terms with the influence of the Catholic Church on his culture. Bill Furlong’s investigation into the Irish past reveals the harsh treatment meted out to unmarried mothers like his own. This novella has been made into a film starring Cillian Murphy, which was released in the United States in November 2024.

Feb. 7: Barbara Kingsolver, Demon Copperhead. ISBN 978-0063251984. Based on Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield set in contemporary Appalachia, Kingsolver’s novel, like its predecessor, examines the effect of poverty on a young boy. In Appalachia as in Victorian England, cultural and economic deprivation place the youth of the community at a major disadvantage. Since the novel is so popular, group members who have already read it can consider reading the Dickens novel in preparation for our discussion.

March 7: Percival Everett, Erasure: A Novel. ISBN 978-1555975999. Everett’s novel, the basis for the film “American Fiction,” satirizes the publishing industry’s expectations of a Black novelist. When his earlier, non-Afrocentric novels are unsuccessful, the protagonist, “Monk” Ellison, “produces an over-the-top satirical novel…supposedly written by an escaped convict named Stagg R. Leigh” (Sarah Lyall and Alexandra Alter, The New York Times). Surprise! It becomes a best seller.

April 4: Hernan Diaz, Trust. ISBN 978-059342032. Beginning in 1920s New York, Diaz’ novel experiments with the genre of historical fiction. According to NPR reviewer Maureen Corrigan, just when readers think they can trust the storyteller, Trust “lurches into another narrative that upends the truth of everything that came before.” What, then, can be trusted? The protagonist, a Wall Street businessman, has a possible answer: money.

May 2: Mohsin Hamid, Exit West. 978-0735212206. Hamid’s novel is a love story set amid the horrors of war in the Middle East. It would take something like a miracle to extricate this couple from their unfortunate circumstances. When all seems lost, they find a magical door that transports people into a different world. But when they step through it, they cannot escape their connections to home, “which, however oppressive or dangerous it’s become, still represents everything that is familiar and known” (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times).

 [A Zoom link will be sent to you prior to each session, typically on the day before your class and the morning of your class.  If you have any questions or need help getting online, feel free to call us at 516-480-5733 and we’ll get right back to you with assistance.]

ABOUT THE LECTURER

Margaret Hallissy is Professor of English with specialties in medieval literature, Irish literature, and the modern phenomenon of “book groups,” which have sprung up in communities throughout the nation. She has written numerous articles and scholarly books, including works on book group procedures and leadership, as well as Irish-American fiction.