Books like

Books like The little disturbances of man

12 books with a reading profile close to The little disturbances of man by Grace Paley. Inward-looking and thought-provoking; a moderate read.

1

Dancing girls and other stories

by Margaret Atwood

Also inward-looking and thought-provoking · narrative, literary

This debut short fiction collection tracks the displacement of Canadian urbanites and expatriates navigating the social shifts of the 1970s.
2

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven

by Sherman Alexie

Also inward-looking and thought-provoking · narrative, literary

Sherman Alexie's linked stories follow Native American characters on and around the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington State.
3

Behind the Scenes at the Museum

by Kate Atkinson

Also inward-looking and thought-provoking · narrative, literary

Ruby Lennox begins her story at the moment of her conception in 1951 in York, and narrates her family's history through her own eyes.
4

Nocturns

by Kazuo Ishiguro, Albert Torrescasana Flotats

Also inward-looking and thought-provoking · narrative, literary

Nocturns is a collection of five interconnected short stories centered on musicians and the professional anxieties of the creative life.
5

Arcadia

by Lauren Groff

Also thought-provoking · narrative, literary

Bit Arcadia is born in a commune in upstate New York in the 1970s, the first child born there.
6

The Master Butchers Singing Club

by Louise Erdrich

Also inward-looking and thought-provoking · narrative, literary

Fidelis Waldvogel returns to Germany from the First World War with a sniper's skill and a plan to become a butcher like his father.
7

The Thing Around Your Neck

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Also inward-looking and thought-provoking · narrative, literary

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 2009 collection consists of twelve stories documenting the experiences of Nigerians navigating life in their home country and as immigrants in the United States.
8

Hell of a Book

by Jason Mott

Also inward-looking and thought-provoking · narrative, literary

A Black writer, whose name we never learn, is on a book tour for his novel, and the story follows him as he travels and tries to carry on while his mind seems to drift.
9

Dream Count

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Also inward-looking and thought-provoking · narrative, literary

The novel centers on Chiamaka, a Nigerian travel writer living in America during the pandemic, as she examines the intersections of her past romances and her current desires.
10

Stone Mattress: Nine Tales

by Margaret Atwood

Also thought-provoking · narrative, literary

Margaret Atwood's 2014 collection gathers nine stories about aging, grudges and the lingering consequences of old choices.
11

Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall

by Kazuo Ishiguro

Also inward-looking and thought-provoking · narrative, literary

Ishiguro's collection of five linked stories is set around musicians, with nightfall as a recurring backdrop.
12

God Help the Child

by Toni Morrison

Also inward-looking and thought-provoking · narrative, literary

Lula Ann Bridewell, who calls herself Bride, is a young woman with very dark skin, born to light-skinned parents who rejected her as a baby.

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