Books like Jesus’ Son
12 books with a reading profile close to Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson. Deep, inward-looking, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
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1
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World
by Elif Shafak
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
Tequila Leila, a sex worker in Istanbul, has been murdered and dumped in a trash bin.
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2
The Emperor of Gladness
by Ocean Vuong
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
In this debut for young readers, the narrative combines structured verse and prose to follow a young protagonist navigating the quiet landscapes of suburban New England.
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3
The Promise
by Damon Galgut
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
The narrative follows the Swart family, white farmers living near Pretoria, across four funerals spanning four decades of South African history.
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4
No One Is Talking About This
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
The first half of the narrative follows a woman who has achieved minor celebrity status within a digital landscape called the portal.
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5
Everything is Illuminated
Also inward-looking and contemplative · narrative, literary
A young American named Jonathan Safran Foer travels to post-Soviet Ukraine to locate Augustine, a woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis.
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6
Bridge of Clay
by Markus Zusak
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
Matthew Dunbar, the eldest of five brothers, tells how the boys were raised alone in a Sydney house after their mother's death and their father's disappearance.
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7
The Nix
by Nathan Hill
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
Samuel Andresen-Anderson, a disappointed English professor who is addicted to an online video game, sees his mother Faye on the news after decades of absence: she has been arrested for throwing gravel at a right-wing pr…
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8
After the Quake
Also inward-looking and contemplative · narrative, literary
Six stories by Murakami are set in the weeks after the 1995 Kobe earthquake, though the quake itself happens off-stage.
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9
Recitatif
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
Toni Morrison’s only short story follows Twyla and Roberta, two girls who first meet as roommates at the St.
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10
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
by Ocean Vuong
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
Structured as a letter from a son to his illiterate mother, the story follows Little Dog, a Vietnamese American man coming of age in Hartford, Connecticut.
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11
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
by Junot Díaz
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
Oscar de León is an overweight Dominican nerd living in New Jersey who obsesses over science fiction, fantasy novels, and falling in love.
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12
Trust Exercise
by Susan Choi
Also deep and inward-looking · narrative, literary
Set in a highly competitive arts high school during the 1980s, the narrative begins with Sarah and David, two drama students entangled in a pressurized romance under the watchful eye of their charismatic teacher, Mr.
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