New York Magazine - USA (2019-12-23)

80 new york | december 23, 2019–january 5, 2020

year in culture / the critics

1.

The Innocents, by

Michael Crummey

A survivor narrative,

a psychological

thriller, and a chilling

study in isolation.

2.

The Memory Police,

by Yoko Ogawa

The tale of a writer on an

island under the sway of

a fascist police state, this

touches on lots of timely

concerns, but it isn’t—thank

God—a “commentary.”

3.

Bunny, by Mona Awad

“Bunny” is the

nickname of a clique

of unhinged women

in the protagonist’s

writing program. She

detests them, but is then

sucked into their cult.

4.

The Need, by

Helen Phillips

It couples the banality of

parenting with a wildly

surrealistic horror plot.

5.

The Grammarians,

by Cathleen Schine

Identical twins? Freaky.

Identical-twin whizzes

who communicate via

their own language but

go to war over their

divergent theories? A

freaky-good premise.

6.

Supper Club, by

Lara Williams

A riotous still life turned

food fight, this follows a

pair of newfound friends

who attempt to break

the stranglehold of

food on their psyches.

7.

Territory of Light,

by Yuko Tsushima

Though initially published

in Japan in the late ’70s,

its core concerns—such as

the specter of death that

hovers over parenthood,

and the persistent

socioeconomic isolation

of unwed motherhood—

feel just as urgent today.

8.

Lie With Me, by

Phillipe Besson

We never quite learn

whether this tale of

a secret schoolboy

romance is true. Besson

twists us up in all kinds

of knots—literary,

existential, and libidinal.

9.

The Swallows,

by Lisa Lutz

This extraordinarily fun

novel follows a trio of

teenage girls determined

to bring down some

wormy little dudes

who run a website on

which they rate their

sexual encounters.

10.

Marilou Is

Everywhere, by

Sarah Elaine Smith

When a girl goes missing,

fourteen-year-old Cindy

inhabits her life, moving

in with her mentally

depleted mother. Unafraid

of clutter and junk, this

is wonderfully gritty.

1.

The Topeka School,

by Ben Lerner

I don’t know if Lerner was reading a

lot of William Faulkner when he wrote

The Topekwa School or if he naturally

shares some of that writer’s fixations

(clan, memory, language) and modes

(doom filled, funny, allusive), but either

way: damn. Channeling W.F. in a

work that is wholly nonderivative and

frighteningly contemporary is a feat I

can’t adequately evaluate, only admire.

This is a book that simultaneously

gives no fucks and all of the fucks.

2.

In the Dream House, by

Carmen Maria Machado

If you’d told me a few months

ago that the most page-turn-y

book of 2019 would be a formally

experimental memoir of domestic

abuse, I would have said, “Haha, nice.

I’m also in the market for a bridge if

you have one to sell.” Joke’s on me.

3.

Stay and Fight, by

Madeline ffitch

Having spent part of my childhood in

a secluded, xenophobic community,

I have a soft spot for novels about

secluded, xenophobic communities.

This one takes place in Appalachian

Ohio. It ’s about three women who

push a certain “Don’t Tread on Me”

philosophy to a punishing extreme by

living off the grid in a DIY cabin, eating

groundhog stew, getting in trouble

with multiple authorities, and focusing

every trick of human resourcefulness

onto a situation of wretched poverty.

4.

The Book of X, by

Sarah Rose Etter

There are very few good reasons to

use the word oneiric in a sentence,

and here is one of them: It’s one of the

few English adjectives appropriate

to Etter’s novel about a woman born

with a stomach disfigurement who

navigates the world (as we all do)

with the trepidation and fury and

occasional exultation that results

from having a disappointing body.

5.

Oval, by Elvia Wilk

Oval is Don DeLillo’s White Noise

updated for 20 19, minus the satire of

academia, plus a layer of millennial

discontent. Anja is a scientist in

a “socio-environmental living

experiment” in Berlin, which means a

campus of ecohouses that are poorly

ventilated and smell like human

waste. In this dystopian future,

climate change is a daily hassle and

art galleries have been converted

into venues for initial coin offerings.

Swift plot, lotta underlinable

sentences: What’s not to love?

6.

Vernon Subutex 1, by

Virginie Despentes

If “Martin Amis but instead of

British and male make it French

and female” gets your salivary

glands a-lubricating, step right up.

7.

Trust Exercise, by

Susan Choi

Trust Exercise is a teenage love

story with a plot like sorcery, and

it is riddled with bullets of social

insight. This formula (wizardry plus

insight bullets) is like the Traveling

Wilburys or buttered popcorn: a

sum even greater than its formidable

parts. About halfway through,

there’s a gotcha moment so nimble

that the twist feels momentous

instead of head-spinning.

8.

How to Do Nothing,

by Jenny Odell

Ah, the book that broke 10,000

brains. Or maybe fixed them. Odell’s

polymathic joyride is the antivenin to

a sea of dreadful self-improvement

TED Talks and Medium manifestos

touting the benefits of mindful

at tention. It’s about art, it’s about

technology, it’s about bird-watching,

it’ s about garbage, it’s about you.

9.

Machines Like Me,

by Ian McEwan

The only time I think about

cryonics is when my mind turns to

the few dozen people (Murdoch,

Shakespeare, Goethe, etc.) whose

brains I wish were still available so

they could comment on modern

moral dilemmas such as climate-

change denial, privacy, animal

rights, and AI. Luckily, McEwan

is alive, operating at a normal

temperature and writing what I

can only describe as literary moral

thrillers at a satisfying clip.

10.

Doxology, by Nell Zink

It ’s acidic, it’s absorbing, and it’s

chunky enough to provide a bulwark

against unwanted conversations

with people you’re obligated to

see during the holiday season.

Top Ten

Overlooked

Books

By

hillary kelly

THE TEN

BEST

BOOKS OF

THE YEAR

By molly young

PHOTOGRAPHS: SUE KESSLER (SUICIDE FOREST); JOAN MARCUS (A STRANGE LOOP AND HEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING)

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80 newyork| december23,2019–january5, 2020

yearinculture / thecritics

1.

TheInnocents,by

MichaelCrummey

A survivornarrative,

a psychological

thriller,anda chilling

studyinisolation.

2.

TheMemoryPolice,

byYoko Ogawa

Thetaleofa writeronan

islandundertheswayof

a fascistpolicestate, this

touchesonlotsoftimely

concerns,butit isn’tthank

God a “commentary.”

3.

Bunny,byMonaAwad

“Bunny”is the

nicknameofa clique

ofunhingedwomen

intheprotagonist’s

writingprogram.She

deteststhem,butis then

suckedintotheircult.

4.

TheNeed,by

HelenPhillips

It couplesthebanality of

parentingwitha wildly

surrealistichorrorplot.

5.

TheGrammarians,

byCathleenSchine

Identicaltwins?Freaky.

Identicaltwinwhizzes

whocommunicatevia

theirownlanguagebut

gotowarovertheir

divergenttheories?A

freakygoodpremise.

6.

SupperClub,by

Lara Williams

A riotousstilllifeturned

foodfight,thisfollowsa

pairofnewfoundfriends

whoattempttobreak

thestrangleholdof

foodontheirpsyches.

7.

Territoryof Light,

byYuko Tsushima

Thoughinitiallypublished

inJapaninthelate’70s,

itscoreconcerns suchas

thespecterofdeaththat

hoversoverparenthood,

andthepersistent

socioeconomicisolation

ofunwedmotherhood

feeljustasurgenttoday.

8.

LieWithMe,by

PhillipeBesson

Weneverquitelearn

whetherthistaleof

a secretschoolboy

romanceis true. Besson

twistsusupinallkinds

ofknotsliterary,

existential,andlibidinal.

9.

TheSwallows,

byLisaLutz

Thisextraordinarilyfun

novel followsa trioof

teenagegirlsdetermined

tobringdownsome

wormylittledudes

whoruna websiteon

whichtheyratetheir

sexualencounters.

10.

MarilouIs

Everywhere,by

SarahElaineSmith

Whena girlgoesmissing,

fourteenyearoldCindy

inhabitsherlife,moving

in withhermentally

depletedmother.Unafraid

ofclutterandjunk,this

is wonderfullygritty.

1. TheTopekaSchool,
   byBenLerner
   I don’t knowif Lernerwasreadinga
   lotofWilliamFaulknerwhenhewrote
   TheTopekwaSchoolorif henaturally
   sharessomeofthat writer’s fixations
   (clan,memory, language)andmodes
   (doomfilled,funny, allusive),buteither
   way:damn.ChannelingW.F.ina
   workthatis whollynonderivativeand
   frighteninglycontemporary is a feat I
   can’t adequatelyevaluate,onlyadmire.
   Thisis a bookthat simultaneously
   givesnofucksandallofthefucks.


2. 
   

   IntheDreamHouse,by
   CarmenMariaMachado
   If you’dtoldmea few months
   agothat themost page-turn-y
   bookof 2019 wouldbea formally
   experimentalmemoirofdomestic
   abuse,I wouldhavesaid,“Haha,nice.
   I’malsointhemarketfora bridge if
   youhaveonetosell.” Joke’sonme.

   
   


3. 
   

   StayandFight,by
   Madelineffitch
   Havingspentpart ofmy childhoodin
   a secluded,xenophobiccommunity,
   I havea soft spotfornovelsabout
   secluded,xenophobiccommunities.
   ThisonetakesplaceinAppalachian
   Ohio.It ’s aboutthreewomenwho
   pusha certain“Don’t TreadonMe”
   philosophytoa punishingextremeby
   livingoffthegridina DIYcabin,eating
   groundhogstew,gettingintrouble
   withmultipleauthorities,andfocusing
   every trickofhumanresourcefulness
   ontoa situationofwretchedpoverty.

   
   


4. 
   

   TheBookofX,by
   SarahRoseEtter
   There are very few goodreasonsto
   usethewor ,
   andhereis the
   fewEnglis
   toEtter’s novelabouta womanborn
   witha stomachdisfigurementwho

   
   

navigatestheworld(aswealldo)

withthetrepidationandfury and

occasionalexultationthat results

fromhavinga disappointingbody.

5.

Oval,byElviaWilk

Ovalis DonDeLillo’sWhiteNoise

updatedfor 20 19,minusthesatireof

academia,plusa layerofmillennial

discontent.Anjais a scientist in

a “socio-environmentalliving

experiment” inBerlin,whichmeansa

campusofecohousesthatare poorly

ventilatedandsmelllike human

waste.In thisdystopianfuture,

climatechange is a dailyhassleand

artgallerieshavebeenconverted

intovenuesforinitialcoinofferings.

Swiftplot,lottaunderlinable

sentences:What’s nottolove?

6.

VernonSubutex1,by

VirginieDespentes

If “MartinAmisbutinsteadof

Britishandmalemakeit French

andfemale”getsyoursalivary

glandsa-lubricating,steprightup.

7.

TrustExercise,by

SusanChoi

TrustExerciseis a teenage love

story witha plotlike sorcery,and

it is riddledwithbulletsofsocial

insight.Thisformula(wizardryplus

insightbullets)is like theTraveling

Wilburysorbutteredpopcorn:a

sumevengreaterthanitsformidable

parts.Abouthalfwaythrough,

there’s a gotchamomentsonimble

thatthetwistfeelsmomentous

insteadofhead-spinning.

8.

HowtoDoNothing,

byJennyOdell

Ah,thebookthatbroke 10,000

brains.Ormaybefixedthem.Odell’s

polymathicjoyrideis theantiveninto

a seaofdreadfulself-improvement

TEDTalksandMediummanifestos

toutingthebenefitsofmindful

at tention.It’saboutart, it’s about

technology, it’s aboutbird-watching,

it’ s aboutgarbage, it’s aboutyou.

9.

MachinesLikeMe,

byIanMcEwan

TheonlytimeI thinkabout

cryonicsis whenmy mindturnsto

thefewdozenpeople(Murdoch,

Shakespeare, Goethe,etc.)whose

brainsI wishwere stillavailableso

theycouldcommentonmodern

moraldilemmassuchasclimate-

changedenial,privacy,animal

rights,andAI.Luckily,McEwan

is alive,operatingat a normal

temperatureandwritingwhat I

canonlydescribeasliterary moral

thrillersata satisfyingclip.

10.

Doxology,byNellZink

It ’s acidic,it’s absorbing,andit’s

chunkyenoughtoprovidea bulwark

againstunwantedconversations

withpeopleyou’re obligatedto

seeduringtheholidayseason.

Top Ten

Overlooked

Books

By

hillary kelly

THE TEN

BEST

BOOKS OF

THE YEAR

By molly young