Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that this is the summer that you’ll be able to finally read Harper Lee’s kinda-sorta sequel to “To Kill A Mockingbird.” Entitled “Go Set a Watchman” the novel already is smashing records for pre-orders and, in spite of the controversy associated with it, booksellers are gearing up to surround its debut with lots of publicity.
This also will be the summer of Elena Ferrante. The final novel in her Neapolitan series, “The Story of the Lost Child,” will arrive in readers’ hands around Labor Day (which gives those who haven’t discovered this author just enough time to read through the three earlier books in the series.)
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Ferrante’s story is even more piquant than that of Harper Lee; nobody knows precisely who she is. The reclusive author has refused to promote her books, will provide only written answers to questions from journalists, won’t accept awards or attend writer’s conferences. Her books, she argues, should speak for themselves. That ruthless preservation of her anonymity, combined with Ferrante’s elegant prose style and her almost confessional approach to storytelling, have made her a cult favorite; the line to acquire one of 200 advance copies of “The Story of the Lost Child” from her publishers, Europa, at BookExpo last month rivaled those for, say, Gloria Steinem — and many went away disappointed.
Other books are arriving in stores this summer that are worth grabbing and taking away with you on vacation — books that aren’t going to attract the same kind of marketing budget or critical hullabaloo. Below, a list of a half-dozen novels and short story collections that don’t necessarily have lots of buzz, but you simply shouldn’t overlook among all the blockbusters, even if you have to venture past the big displays at the front of the bookstore to locate them. It will be worth the effort.
“Mayumi and the Sea of Happiness” by Jennifer Tseng
If Ferrante’s novels succeed in bringing more attention to the others from her U.S. publisher, Europa Editions, I’ll be delighted. This debut novel by an established poet is one example of why. Tseng’s tale of a love affair between a 41-year-old woman and the son of her friend could be trite, but is incredibly moving, lyrical and poignant. (Europa Editions; May 2015; $16.00)
“The Fall of Princes” by Robert Goolrick
The pundits are comparing this novel, set in Manhattan and Wall Street during the 1980s and dealing wit the aftermath of a financial boom-and-bust cycle, to Tom Wolfe’s “Bonfire of the Vanities.” I actually enjoyed reading this far more, perhaps because Goolrick’s tone is less knowing and satirical. It’s a smart but more reflective novel, and it arrives at just the right point in time for those pondering questions about income inequality and the like. Oh, and it’s also beautifully written. An early candidate for favorite novel of the year. (Algonquin; August 2015; $25.95)