Jennifer Egan writes books that really stay with you. She has a knack for constructing narratives in ways you don’t expect. Take *A Visit from the Goon Squad*. It’s not a straightforward novel.
It’s almost like a collection of connected stories that jump through time and show you different viewpoints. Or consider *Manhattan Beach*. It’s set in the past, but still feels distinctly like her work.
Egan often examines how time affects us, how technology changes our lives, and big questions about who we are. If you enjoy this kind of book, you may be interested in authors who work in similar veins.
Colson Whitehead is an inventive and thoughtful author who explores complex characters and shifting narratives. Readers who enjoy Jennifer Egan’s fresh storytelling approach may appreciate his novel “The Underground Railroad.”
This book imagines a literal railroad beneath the ground, a secret network transporting escaped slaves toward freedom. Following Cora, the main character, the reader witnesses startling encounters and dangers as she makes her way north.
Whitehead mixes realism, imagination, and deep historical themes with powerful writing that readers won’t forget.
Donna Tartt writes novels that blend mystery and suspense with complex characters and sharp observations about human nature. Readers who enjoyed Jennifer Egan’s thoughtful narratives and strong character studies may find Tartt’s book “The Secret History” appealing.
This novel follows a small group of students at an exclusive New England college. After their deep fascination with classical literature and philosophy leads them down a dark path, relationships begin to fray and dangerous secrets come to light.
Tartt crafts an atmospheric tale, full of tension and psychological depth, that draws you slowly but surely into its unsettling world.
Books by Jonathan Franzen often explore complex family relationships and the struggles faced by ordinary people. His novel “The Corrections” follows the Lambert family as they navigate life’s disappointments and dreams.
Franzen portrays a retired couple determined to bring their adult children home for one final Christmas together. Each family member wrestles with their own set of problems and desires, from career failures to complicated marriages.
The story weaves humor into the challenges of family life and reflects cultural shifts in contemporary America.
If you enjoy Jennifer Egan’s insightful narratives and thoughtful exploration of character, Franzen’s careful attention to family dynamics and personal conflicts may resonate with you.
Readers who enjoy Jennifer Egan might also appreciate the vibrant storytelling of Zadie Smith. Smith’s novel “White Teeth” explores the intertwining lives of two families in multicultural London.
Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal, friends bonded by their experiences during World War II, navigate friendship, family tensions, and cultural differences through the years.
Smith cleverly depicts their personal struggles and humorous situations amid themes of race, identity, and generational change.
If you are drawn to narratives filled with sharp wit, engaging characters, and thoughtful insights into contemporary life, Zadie Smith offers a reading experience you won’t want to miss.
Readers who appreciate Jennifer Egan’s inventive storytelling and sharp exploration of contemporary life may find George Saunders appealing. Saunders is a gifted author celebrated for his dark humor, empathy, and insightful reflection on human nature.
His collection “Tenth of December” features stories where ordinary people confront moral challenges, strange technology, and scenarios that blur reality and fantasy.
One memorable story revolves around two neighbors whose lives intersect in unexpected ways on a cold winter day, revealing surprising depth and tenderness. Through his imaginative plots and fully realized characters, Saunders captures the absurdity and warmth of modern life.
If you enjoy Jennifer Egan’s sharp character portrayals and stories filled with insight into ordinary lives, Elizabeth Strout might be an author worth exploring. Her novel “Olive Kitteridge” unfolds through interconnected short stories in the coastal town of Crosby, Maine.
At its heart is Olive, a bold, no-nonsense retired schoolteacher, whose blunt personality and hidden kindness subtly connect several townspeople.
Strout has a talent for quietly revealing private struggles, family tensions, and life’s small turning points, resulting in a realistic and deeply human portrait of community life.
Books by Michael Chabon offer readers vibrant stories full of vivid characters and intriguing narratives. If you enjoy Jennifer Egan’s style, you may find Chabon’s novel “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” equally rewarding.
Set in the Golden Age of comics during World War II, the book portrays two talented Jewish cousins who create a hit superhero named the Escapist. Their rise to success is intertwined with personal struggles, hidden secrets, and historical events.
Chabon’s storytelling is imaginative yet grounded in real emotion, capturing an authentic sense of period, culture, and relationships.
If you enjoy Jennifer Egan’s sharp, insightful character portrayals and layered storytelling, you might also like the work of Lorrie Moore. Moore is celebrated for her witty, emotionally resonant stories exploring everyday lives with humor and sensitivity.
Her novel “A Gate at the Stairs” follows Tassie Keltjin, a clever, observant college student hired as a nanny by a couple adopting a child.
Set against the backdrop of post-9/11 America, the book examines race, class, and family relationships through Tassie’s experiences and reflections.
Moore’s writing combines keen insight with subtle humor, offering thoughtful perspectives on contemporary life that readers of Jennifer Egan can appreciate.
Karen Russell is an American author known for her imaginative storytelling and quirky characters. Her novel “Swamplandia!” tells the story of the Bigtree family, who run a declining alligator-wrestling theme park in the Florida Everglades.
After their mother’s death, the three Bigtree siblings struggle to keep their family and their way of life from falling apart. Ava, the youngest daughter, embarks on a strange journey through the swamp in search of her missing sister.
Russell mixes humor, mystery, and elements of magical realism in a story that explores family loss, adolescence, and the fading worlds we try desperately to hold onto.
If you enjoyed Jennifer Egan’s inventive character portraits and playful storytelling style, Karen Russell’s rich imagination and surprising narratives may capture your interest too.
Books by Lauren Groff often explore complex characters with intriguing pasts and hidden secrets. If you enjoy Jennifer Egan’s character-driven stories, you might appreciate Groff’s novel “Fates and Furies.”
This story follows Lotto and Mathilde, a seemingly perfect couple from their young years through marriage and beyond. The first half presents Lotto’s perception of their life together—a happier, brighter image.
In the second half, Mathilde reveals surprising truths that challenge everything readers thought they knew about their relationship. Groff builds tension and mystery through shifting perspectives and deep emotional layers.
Her sharp insights into marriage, identity, and hidden motivations echo themes present in Egan’s work.
David Mitchell is an author who creates vivid worlds and deeply connected storylines, similar to Jennifer Egan’s style in “A Visit from the Goon Squad.” In Mitchell’s novel “Cloud Atlas,” readers are drawn into six interconnected stories across different eras and genres.
These narratives span from the South Pacific Islands in the 19th century, to a dystopian Korea, and even to a distant future society. Mitchell skillfully weaves themes of human connection, power, and the impact individual lives have across generations.
Fans of Egan will appreciate Mitchell’s unique structure, layered storytelling, and his skillful exploration of time and humanity.
Nicole Krauss is an author known for richly layered novels that explore memory, identity, and human connection. Her book, “The History of Love,” follows two captivating stories that intertwine across generations and continents.
Leo Gursky is an elderly Polish immigrant living alone in New York, haunted by memories of lost love in his youth. Alma Singer, a clever and resourceful young girl from Brooklyn, discovers the mystery behind a cherished novel that shaped her parents’ lives.
As Leo and Alma travel their separate paths, their stories gradually converge, revealing a hidden bond stitched together by love, loss, and the quiet strength of human connection.
Those who enjoy the layered storytelling and thoughtful character arcs of Jennifer Egan may find Nicole Krauss equally rewarding.
Readers who appreciate Jennifer Egan’s exploration of characters and relationships might enjoy Rachel Cusk’s thoughtful approach in her novel “Outline”. Cusk is a Canadian-born British author known for her insightful examination of life’s complexities and human connections.
In “Outline”, readers follow a narrator named Faye, a writer traveling to Athens to teach a writing course.
Through Faye’s conversations with various people she meets—including fellow travelers, students, and friends—their stories slowly piece together a portrait of Faye herself.
The novel is quiet but powerful, beautifully capturing how our identities and perceptions develop from the stories we share and hear.
Toni Morrison offers powerful and thoughtful narratives exploring themes of identity, memory and race through deeply personal stories.
Her novel, “Beloved,” tells the haunting tale of Sethe, a woman who escapes slavery, but remains fiercely haunted by the lingering memories of her past life.
In Morrison’s vivid storytelling, the supernatural intertwines with raw reality, showing readers the true cost of freedom and the lasting scars of slavery.
If you enjoy Jennifer Egan’s layered characters and engaging plots, Toni Morrison’s insightful depiction of complex relationships and emotional depth in “Beloved” may also appeal to you.
Readers who enjoy Jennifer Egan’s storytelling might find Ann Patchett’s novels equally captivating. Patchett skillfully explores complex relationships and deep emotional landscapes through characters who come vividly alive.
In her novel “Commonwealth,” Patchett introduces readers to two families whose lives unexpectedly collide when an illicit kiss at a christening changes their paths forever. This moment sets off decades of shifting relationships, secrets, betrayals, laughter, and heartbreak.
The author’s honest portrayal of family dynamics and consequences of choices keeps readers invested from start to finish.