Jeffrey Eugenides is the writer behind books like *Middlesex* and *The Virgin Suicides*. His stories often focus on families and on characters figuring out who they are.
If you enjoy authors with a similar focus, especially those who write about family and identity, here are some writers you may want to discover.
If you enjoy Jeffrey Eugenides’ thoughtful narratives about complex characters and their inner struggles, Donna Tartt is an author worth exploring.
Her novel “The Secret History” follows a small, elite group of classics students at a college in New England who become entangled in a chilling murder.
Through the eyes of newcomer Richard Papen, the story reveals how obsession, secrets, and moral ambiguity can unravel friendships and alter lives. Tartt captures the dark side of intellectual curiosity and privilege, making this novel hard to put down.
Jonathan Franzen is the kind of author Jeffrey Eugenides fans might appreciate. Franzen explores complicated family issues and personal struggles with honesty, humor, and depth.
His novel “The Corrections” tells the story of the Lamberts, a midwestern family with three adult children who reluctantly return home for one final Christmas together.
They each cope with life’s disappointments—relationship troubles, career failures, health setbacks—while their aging parents face challenges of their own. Franzen creates rich characters who feel real.
He portrays their faults unflinchingly but with warmth, exposing the gap between who they wish they were and who they have actually become. Readers who enjoyed “The Marriage Plot” or “Middlesex” by Eugenides may find Franzen’s sharp, insightful storytelling similarly rewarding.
Books by Nicole Krauss often explore themes of identity, memory, love and loss through narratives that intertwine the lives of distinct characters.
Readers who enjoyed Jeffrey Eugenides’ resonant storytelling in “Middlesex” or “The Marriage Plot” might connect with Krauss’s “The History of Love.”
This novel follows the story of Leo Gursky, an elderly Polish immigrant living in New York who once wrote a book about the love of his youth.
Meanwhile Alma, a teenage girl named after a character from that same book, searches to discover more about the novel’s mysterious origins. As their stories gradually intersect, Krauss explores how literature can profoundly impact lives across generations.
Readers who enjoy Jeffrey Eugenides’ thoughtful exploration of complex family dynamics and identity might find Zadie Smith equally appealing.
Her novel “On Beauty” portrays the intertwined lives of two very different families against the background of an elite academic community.
Set primarily in New England, it follows Howard Belsey, an academic struggling with his career and ideals, as well as the tensions within his multicultural family. Smith skillfully portrays race, politics, love, and rivalry, with sharp humor and deep insight.
The novel is filled with relatable characters whose messy, human struggles unfold honestly on every page.
Readers who enjoy Jeffrey Eugenides may find Ian McEwan’s novels equally rewarding. McEwan often builds emotional tensions beneath everyday moments.
In his novel “Atonement,” readers meet thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis, whose misunderstanding one summer day in 1935 dramatically changes the lives of her sister Cecilia and Robbie Turner, the young man Cecilia loves.
As the story unfolds through the turbulent years around World War II, the novel explores how one error in judgment can echo throughout lives and across generations.
Like Eugenides, McEwan skillfully reveals what lies beneath ordinary interactions, capturing the quiet drama of life’s turning points.
Books by Michael Chabon often explore complex characters, relationships, and cultural themes, similar to the style readers enjoy in Jeffrey Eugenides’ works.
In “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,” Chabon gives readers a vibrant tale of two Jewish cousins, Joe Kavalier and Sammy Clay, whose lives become intertwined during the golden era of comic books.
Set against the backdrop of World War II, the story touches on topics such as friendship, loss, sexuality, and creativity.
Chabon uses vivid storytelling and rich historical details that fans of Eugenides will appreciate, especially those familiar with “Middlesex” or “The Marriage Plot.”
If you have a taste for narratives that combine history, personal struggles, and profound emotion, Michael Chabon’s novels could satisfy that craving.
If you enjoy Jeffrey Eugenides, Jennifer Egan might capture your attention. She seamlessly blends deep character studies with vivid storytelling.
Her novel “A Visit from the Goon Squad” explores the lives of interconnected characters as they navigate music, fame, and personal challenges over decades. Each chapter focuses on a different individual at various points in time.
Through thoughtful and engaging prose, Egan connects these moments into a larger story about memory, time, and human relationships.
Julian Barnes is an English author whose novels often explore memory, history, and the complexity of human relationships. Readers who enjoy Jeffrey Eugenides’ deep character studies and insightful storytelling will appreciate Barnes’ novel, “The Sense of an Ending.”
Winner of the Man Booker Prize, this short yet powerful book follows Tony Webster, a retired man whose quiet life is disrupted by a mysterious inheritance. Tony is forced to revisit his past, confronting forgotten friendships, regrets, and betrayals.
Barnes skillfully reveals how unreliable our own memories can be and how the stories we tell ourselves shape our identities.
If you enjoy Jeffrey Eugenides’ blend of sharp social observation and vivid storytelling, you might want to explore novelist T.C. Boyle.
Boyle writes energetic, insightful fiction that often examines American society, family life, and complex characters navigating difficult choices.
His novel “The Tortilla Curtain” tackles issues of economic disparity, immigration tensions, and ambition through two very different couples whose lives cross paths following a chance encounter near Los Angeles.
Boyle builds a compelling story around everyday realities, moral dilemmas, and unexpected consequences, creating plenty to think about even after you’ve finished the last page.
Readers who enjoy Jeffrey Eugenides may appreciate Jhumpa Lahiri, an author known for emotional depth and insightful portrayals of family dynamics and cultural identity. In her book “The Namesake,” Lahiri tells the story of Gogol Ganguli.
Gogol, the son of Bengali immigrants in America, struggles with his unusual name and with balancing two cultural identities.
Through Gogol’s eyes, the reader sees how the differences between his parents’ Indian traditions and his own experiences in America affect his outlook, his relationships, and his sense of belonging.
Lahiri captures the quiet yet powerful moments that shape Gogol’s life, from family expectations and generational differences to the challenges of self-discovery.
Dave Eggers is an author known for mixing compelling storytelling with deep emotional insights, qualities readers of Jeffrey Eugenides appreciate.
In his memoir “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius,” Eggers recounts how he became his younger brother’s guardian after their parents passed away.
The story is moving but also surprisingly humorous, as it captures the challenges of family responsibilities and adult life arriving too soon. Eggers writes with honesty and warmth, making readers laugh even during tough moments.
Fans of Eugenides’ thoughtful portraits of characters facing tough choices will find Eggers equally engaging.
Readers who enjoy Jeffrey Eugenides should explore the novels of Richard Russo. Russo has a gift for capturing the complexities and humor within ordinary lives in small towns.
His Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “Empire Falls,” is an insightful story set in a struggling Maine community. It follows Miles Roby, a good-hearted diner manager whose life seems stuck.
Miles juggles difficult relationships, economic hardships, and past family secrets, all while trying to find direction in a town that’s slowly losing hope. Russo crafts characters who are flawed yet relatable, painting life in realistic shades of humor and sadness.
If you appreciate the authentic characters and subtle social commentary in Eugenides’ writing, Russo’s “Empire Falls” has plenty to offer.
Books by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie often explore complex family dynamics, cultural divides, and personal identity. If you enjoy Jeffrey Eugenides and his engaging, character-driven narratives, you might appreciate Adichie’s “Americanah.”
This novel tells the story of Ifemelu and Obinze, two young Nigerians who share a deep connection before life sends them to different continents.
Ifemelu moves to America, where she confronts race, identity, and belonging, while Obinze finds himself navigating his own struggles as an undocumented immigrant in London.
Adichie’s engaging storytelling and sharp insights into contemporary cultural tensions offer readers a meaningful exploration of human experience, identity, and connection.
Alice Munro is a Canadian writer famous for her powerful short stories about everyday life, relationships, and the quiet dramas of human existence. Her collection, “Dear Life,” is a great introduction to her writing.
In these vivid and honest stories, Munro explores moments that shape and define who we are. In one story, a woman confronts unexpected memories triggered by a simple commuter train ride.
Another piece introduces a young teacher who gets tangled in romance that changes her life’s course. Munro’s writing feels alive and real, similar to Eugenides’ “Middlesex,” as she captures personal moments with intimacy and depth.
Her stories pull you into the lives of ordinary people facing genuine struggles and triumphs.
Patricia Highsmith is an American author known for psychological novels filled with complex, morally ambiguous characters.
Her novel “The Talented Mr. Ripley” follows Tom Ripley, a clever but impoverished young man, who is sent to Italy to persuade his wealthy acquaintance Dickie Greenleaf to come home. Ripley’s admiration soon becomes dark obsession.
Set against glamorous Italian settings, this novel explores identity, envy, and manipulation, themes readers of Jeffrey Eugenides’ psychological narratives and complex characters may appreciate.