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15 Authors like Gary Shteyngart

If you enjoy reading books by Gary Shteyngart then you might also like the following authors:

  1. Jonathan Safran Foer

    Jonathan Safran Foer mixes humor, emotional depth, and playful storytelling, similar to Gary Shteyngart. His novels often explore family, identity, and the legacy of history.

    In Everything Is Illuminated, he tells the story of a young man's journey through Ukraine, uncovering the truth about his family's past. Foer's style is imaginative, funny, and heartfelt, offering a thoughtful look at how history shapes us.

  2. Nicole Krauss

    Nicole Krauss writes thoughtful stories about memory, identity, and connections between individuals across time and place. Her style is poetic and understated but emotionally powerful.

    One of her novels, The History of Love, follows multiple characters connected by a mysterious book that touches their lives. Just like Shteyngart, Krauss examines deep human themes through engaging storytelling and complex characters.

  3. Michael Chabon

    Michael Chabon tells vibrant stories filled with inventive storytelling, humor, and nostalgia.

    In The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Chabon explores the golden age of comics, escape, friendship, and dreams through the experiences of two young men building their careers in 1930s New York.

    Readers who enjoy Shteyngart's vivid characters and sharp wit will appreciate Chabon's colorful imagination and empathy.

  4. Philip Roth

    Philip Roth was known for sharp humor, deep examinations of identity, and unflinching honesty about human flaws. Like Shteyngart, Roth often tackled themes of immigrant experiences, Jewish identity, and the complexities of American life.

    In his novel Portnoy's Complaint, Roth provides an intensely humorous and unapologetically candid look at a man's conflicted identity and cultural tensions, told through a funny, honest first-person narrative.

  5. Nathan Englander

    Nathan Englander writes stories that balance humor and tragedy, often exploring themes of religion, cultural identity, and morality.

    In What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, Englander delivers a collection of stories examining Jewish identity, faith, history, and modern life with humor and nuance.

    His writing style, much like Shteyngart's, invites readers to reflect on cultural heritage, memory, and self-discovery through engaging, thoughtful narratives.

  6. Sam Lipsyte

    Sam Lipsyte offers a darkly humorous view of modern life, blending satire with sharp social commentary. His novels often center on flawed and relatable characters who stumble through life's absurdities.

    Readers who enjoy Shteyngart's humor and satirical edge will appreciate Lipsyte's The Ask, a witty exploration of failure and disillusionment in contemporary America.

  7. Joshua Ferris

    Joshua Ferris captures everyday anxieties and existential questions with comedic wit and sincerity. His narratives highlight the absurdities and ironies of modern professional and personal life.

    If you liked how Shteyngart confronts modern alienation with comedy, you might enjoy Ferris's book, Then We Came to the End, a funny and insightful look at office life and corporate culture.

  8. Jonathan Tropper

    Jonathan Tropper writes smart and funny novels about relationships, family dynamics, and personal growth, balancing humor with heartfelt emotion. Like Shteyngart, Tropper creates flawed but deeply likable characters.

    Fans of Gary Shteyngart's humorous yet emotionally authentic storytelling will likely enjoy Tropper's novel, This Is Where I Leave You, a lively, poignant exploration of family dysfunction and reconciliation.

  9. Dave Eggers

    Dave Eggers often writes about contemporary issues with warmth, curiosity, and a gentle humor. His thoughtful style explores the complexities of modern life, personal struggles, and societal themes.

    Readers who appreciate Shteyngart's blend of empathy, wit, and social critique may enjoy Eggers's novel, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, a memoir-like tale filled with humor, honesty, and emotional depth.

  10. George Saunders

    George Saunders is known for his distinctively humorous yet compassionate style that highlights human folly, vulnerability, and kindness. Saunders often crafts imaginative, satirical narratives that critique modern culture and society.

    If you connect with Shteyngart's intelligent satire and sharp insight, try Saunders's short-story collection, Tenth of December, a brilliant blend of humor and humanity that highlights life's challenges and moral dilemmas.

  11. Aleksandar Hemon

    Aleksandar Hemon writes sharp, insightful fiction about identity, displacement, and belonging. His work captures humor and sadness, often reflecting his experiences as an immigrant living between cultures.

    A great book to start with is The Lazarus Project, which blends historical and contemporary narratives to explore memory, trauma, and identity.

  12. David Bezmozgis

    David Bezmozgis explores immigrant communities and the lives of Eastern European families adjusting to new worlds. His narratives balance sharp humor and emotional depth, drawing vivid, believable characters.

    Readers who appreciate complex family stories will enjoy his novel The Free World, a story about Latvian emigrants awaiting passage to North America, and the struggles they encounter along the way.

  13. Colson Whitehead

    Colson Whitehead blends wit, satirical commentary, and sharp social observations into stories exploring American history and culture. His writing style is accessible yet sophisticated, approaching heavy themes with clarity and ease.

    If you haven't read it yet, make sure to pick up The Underground Railroad, a fascinating, surreal journey through America's dark history of slavery.

  14. Sloane Crosley

    Sloane Crosley's writing has a witty, observant quality, mixing humor with sharp cultural insights. Her essays explore the everyday absurdities of modern life, offering relatable reflections in a conversational and often hilarious style.

    I Was Told There'd Be Cake is a great place to start, providing humor, honesty, and a keen sense of the awkwardness of contemporary adulthood.

  15. Rivka Galchen

    Rivka Galchen is known for her quirky, inventive fiction and essays. Her writing explores the slipperiness of perception, memory, and identity, often with humor and a playful touch.

    Atmospheric Disturbances is a memorable novel about love, identity, and delusion, told through the eyes of a psychiatrist struggling to understand his wife's supposed disappearance.