Here are the stories that made news in the world of books and reading this week.
The Fiction Longlist for the 2024 National Book Awards
The final and most closely-watched longlist for The National Book Awards was announced this morning: the ten nominees in fiction. James is the headliner, though Martyr!, All Fours, and the newly-released Creation Lake have all been getting quite a bit of attention. I think James is the clear front-runner. Possibly the biggest surprise was a McSweeney’s title, Yr Dead by Sam Sax, making the list. I poked around to see if they had ever had a title on the list before, and while I might have missed something, I don’t think they have. I admit to having McSweeney’s blinders on, so that really struck me.
How Historical Fiction Redefined the Literary Canon
The central data point in this piece on the rise of historical fiction is this: between 1950 and 1980, “about” half of novels that win award-winning novels were contemporary fiction. Of late, only 3 of the last 15 winners of these same awards were contemporary. So a move from 50% to 30%. Is it just or does that seem not to meet the threshold of “redefining the literary canon.” Shakespeare mostly set his plays in the historical world. Most of classical Greek literature was about events hundreds of years in the past. Perhaps the period of 1950 was unusually pre-occupied, if you can call a 20% preference that, with the present, coming out of World War II. It also makes sense to me that works of literature would be mostly set in the not-now, as most of what has ever happened was also set there.
In The Shack with Robert Caro
Good long read on Robert Caro, The Power Broker at 50, and his progress on the next book. Spending decades on a multi-volume biography feels like a relic of a former world, and I do hope we see his like again. There is an exhibition on The Power Broker up at the New Historical Society through Feb 2, 2025 if you find yourself there. I have a trip to New York coming up next week, and I hope to find a time to sneak over and take a look.
‘Good Omens’: Production Paused On Amazon Drama From Neil Gaiman
Good Omens, both the show and the book, is a crown-jewel in the Gaiman-verse. And so news that that season three of the show has shut down amidst mounting accusations against Gaiman are a sign that not only is this story not going away, but rather snow-balling. This Deadline piece notes that “changes to production” are being discussed to get rolling again. Take Gaiman’s name off as whatever he is being credit as for it? Some sort of PR campaign? The series has really turned into a Sheen-Tennant showcase more than a Gaiman project (we are well beyond the events in the book at this point), so maybe there is enough non-Gaiman here for the series to continue.
Nickel Boys Trailer Debuts
I think The Nickel Boys is Whitehead’s most accomplished novel and so am very much looking forward to seeing what a screen adaptation looks like. My take on the trailer is this: pretty interesting choice to shoot from the characters’ points-of-view, and I wish they hadn’t done it. It could really work, but it also could fail and/or distract from the story. (Also, did we really need to drop the definite article from the book title? Does someone have eyes on Sean Fanning?). I hope I am wrong, and it heightens rather than diminishes. As one of my ten picks for best books of the 21st Century, The Nickel Boys already has everything it needs to be great.