Jennifer Egan is an American novelist renowned for her inventive and thoughtful storytelling. Her novel A Visit from the Goon Squad won the Pulitzer Prize, and Manhattan Beach highlights her engaging historical narratives.
If you enjoy reading books by Jennifer Egan then you might also like the following authors:
David Mitchell is an English novelist known for his sharp storytelling and exploration of complex themes through connected narratives.
If you enjoy Jennifer Egan’s layered writing style and her approach that often weaves different times and perspectives, Mitchell’s novel Cloud Atlas would certainly appeal to you.
The book presents six different stories spanning many centuries, from the journals of a traveler crossing the Pacific in the 1800s, to a future dystopian society. Each story ties subtly into the next, reflecting how human actions ripple across time in unexpected ways.
Mitchell’s characters come alive with relatable emotions and questions about fate and choice, creating a rich reading experience that echoes some of Egan’s most beloved themes.
Jonathan Lethem is an author known for vivid characters and stories that combine sharp wit with emotional depth. Readers who enjoy Jennifer Egan’s innovative storytelling might find themselves drawn to Lethem’s novel Motherless Brooklyn.
The story centers around Lionel Essrog, a small-time private detective in Brooklyn who wrestles with Tourette’s syndrome. After the death of his mentor, Lionel sets out to solve the murder, and his obsessive quirks become part of his investigative style.
Lethem portrays Brooklyn vividly, bringing together colorful personalities, humor, and intrigue to craft a memorable detective tale.
Zadie Smith is a British novelist known for sharp observations on identity, family dynamics, and multicultural society. Her novel On Beauty follows the collision of two very different families in a small New England college town.
The story explores racial tension, academic rivalry, marriage struggles, and generational clashes. Smith’s storytelling is filled with witty dialogue, vibrant characters, and vivid descriptions of daily life.
Readers who enjoy the layered family relationships and cultural commentary found in Jennifer Egan’s novels will find plenty to appreciate in Smith’s engaging narrative style.
Books by Michael Chabon often blend engaging characters, subtle humor, and emotional depth, qualities readers who enjoy Jennifer Egan might appreciate.
In The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Chabon tells the story of two Jewish cousins, Joe Kavalier and Sammy Clay, who create comic books during the Golden Age of comics in America.
Joe is a talented escape artist and refugee from Nazi-occupied Prague, while Sammy dreams of escaping everyday life through heroism and imagination. Together they invent a memorable superhero, the Escapist, whose adventures reflect the cousins’ desires and struggles.
Against a lively backdrop of wartime New York City, the novel explores friendship, creativity, and the search for freedom in a sometimes harsh world.
Readers who enjoy Jennifer Egan might also appreciate Nicole Krauss. Her novel The History of Love centers on two memorable characters whose lives become connected through a mysterious manuscript.
Leo Gursky, an elderly man living alone in New York, spends his days recalling lost love. Across the city, Alma, a smart, curious teenager named after a character in that very manuscript, tries to unravel the truth behind the story she was named for.
Krauss weaves their narratives together, exploring themes of love, loss, and the hidden connections that bind us. If you’re drawn to insightful stories with emotionally rich characters, The History of Love could be a great read for you.
If you enjoy Jennifer Egan’s sharp storytelling and complex characters, you might find Jonathan Franzen equally engaging. Franzen often examines modern family dynamics, personal ambition, and societal expectations.
In his novel The Corrections, he introduces readers to the Lambert family—a Midwestern couple and their three adult children, each struggling with their own issues and failures.
Franzen uses wit and precision to explore generational tensions, failed aspirations, and the humorous yet tragic ways families misunderstand one another.
Readers who liked Egan’s nuanced portrayal of relationships in A Visit from the Goon Squad may discover similar satisfaction in Franzen’s careful unraveling of the Lambert family’s story.
Readers who enjoy Jennifer Egan’s insightful exploration of contemporary life might appreciate Dana Spiotta. Her novel Stone Arabia uncovers the story of siblings Nik and Denise.
Nik, an obscure musician, obsessively records imaginary versions of his career in detailed private archives, while Denise struggles with her own reality as she attempts to support her eccentric brother.
Spiotta creates complex characters who reveal the emotional costs of artistic ambition and family bonds, wrapped in thoughtful reflections on authenticity and identity.
If you’re drawn to layered narratives and sharp observations about modern culture, Stone Arabia offers an intriguing dive into life’s bittersweet corners.
Rachel Kushner is an American author praised for her vivid storytelling and captivating characters. Her novel The Flamethrowers revolves around Reno, a young woman artist who moves to New York City in the 1970s art scene.
She becomes romantically involved with an Italian heir to a motorcycle empire. The story explores her journey from the gritty streets of the city to Italy’s politically charged climate.
Kushner masterfully portrays themes of art, love, politics, and rebellion, making it an intriguing read for fans of Jennifer Egan’s complex and character-driven narratives.
George Saunders is an American author known for writing sharp, imaginative stories about modern life, technology, and human emotions. If you enjoy Jennifer Egan’s innovative characters and vibrant storytelling, you might appreciate Saunders’ book Tenth of December.
This short story collection mixes humor, darkness, and compassion, featuring ordinary people faced with moral dilemmas and unexpected challenges.
In one memorable story, a young boy wanders into trouble on a winter day, connecting his fate with a stranger wrestling difficult choices.
Saunders’ skillful storytelling shines through each unusual situation, keeping readers curious about how ordinary lives can shift in extraordinary ways.
Don DeLillo is an American novelist known for his sharp insights and exploration of contemporary life’s absurdities and anxieties. His book White Noise centers on Jack Gladney, a university professor obsessed with death.
Jack’s carefully constructed suburban life spirals out of control after a toxic chemical spill threatens his town. The fear and confusion around this airborne toxic event plunge Jack, his family, and neighbors into panic, conspiracy theories, and odd behavior.
Readers who appreciate Jennifer Egan’s layered storytelling and her examination of modern existence, especially evident in A Visit from the Goon Squad, will likely find resonance in DeLillo’s ironic commentary and distinctive voice.
Colson Whitehead is an author who explores deep themes with sharp insight and unique storytelling, ideal for readers who enjoy Jennifer Egan’s thoughtful narratives and detailed character studies.
In his novel The Underground Railroad, Whitehead reimagines history through the eyes of Cora, a young woman who flees slavery in the American South.
On her journey northward, Cora discovers a literal railroad beneath the ground—an inventive twist that brings new emotional depth to a familiar story. The novel paints a stark portrait of injustice and resilience while drawing readers into a vivid and haunting world.
Readers who enjoy Jennifer Egan’s thoughtful exploration of relationships and modern life’s complexities might appreciate Meg Wolitzer’s novels.
Wolitzer has a talent for creating vivid, deeply human characters whose stories reveal broader truths about society and personal identity. In her novel The Interestings, she follows a close-knit group of friends who first bond as teenagers at a summer arts camp in the 1970s.
Over the decades, readers experience how the group’s youthful dreams grow, shift, and at times fade away, shaped by success, disappointment, money, and ambition.
Wolitzer combines the intimate details of ordinary life with sharp cultural observations, making this novel rewarding for readers who value character-driven, insightful storytelling.
Readers who appreciate Jennifer Egan’s layered storytelling and insightful characters might enjoy Richard Powers. Powers crafts thoughtful narratives that blend complex characters with fascinating themes rooted in science, nature, and human connectivity.
His novel, The Overstory, weaves together the lives of several diverse individuals who each develop profound relationships with trees.
Through their intersecting stories, the novel explores environmental activism, personal sacrifice, and the interconnected nature of life itself. Powers combines scientific detail and emotional depth, creating a deeply moving story that resonates long after the final page.
If you enjoy Jennifer Egan’s insightful portrayals of human relationships and nuanced character studies, Elizabeth Strout’s writing might draw you in as well. Strout excels at capturing quiet but powerful moments within the lives of ordinary people.
Her book Olive Kitteridge follows Olive, a straightforward and sometimes brusque retired teacher living in a small coastal town in Maine. Through interconnected stories, Strout vividly portrays Olive’s complex personality, her blunt honesty, and her subtle moments of kindness.
Each chapter reveals something new about Olive, her neighbors, or family, making the reader feel deeply connected to the community Strout brings to life.
Karen Russell is an American author known for her imaginative storytelling, unique characters, and lively storytelling style. If you enjoyed Jennifer Egan’s work, Russell’s novel Swamplandia! might catch your interest.
It tells the story of the Bigtree family, who live and work in a peculiar amusement park in Florida’s swamp country, called Swamplandia!, famous for its alligator-wrestling shows.
After the sudden loss of their mother, the family struggles to keep their park afloat, while Ava, the spirited youngest daughter, ventures into the eerie and mysterious swamp to find her missing sister.
Russell’s blend of quirky family dynamics, vivid descriptions, and a hint of magical realism creates a memorable reading experience.