21st Century Literature discussion

Quite a few of you made the excellent suggestion to have "buddy reads" in this group. These are smaller, less formal group reads/discussions. To try and keep it as simple as possible, we'll do this similar to how several of us have seen it work best in other groups:

1) Use this thread to nominate buddy reads (anyone can nominate and no restrictions on what you nominate).

2) As soon as a minimum of 3 total members (including the nominating member) have expressed interest, you've got yourself a buddy read (discuss/agree upon when everyone interested wants to do the discussion).

3) When it is time to have the discussion, within this "Buddy Reads" folder, choose the "New Topic" option to start a discussion and name the thread by "[month] [year] - [book title]" (e.g., May 2025 - The Flat Woman).
[We ask that you use only a single discussion thread/topic per book.]

I’m about to start Going Home by Tom Lamont and would welcome a couple buddies joining me. Is that how this works?

Bobby wrote: "I’m about to start Going Home by Tom Lamont and would welcome a couple buddies joining me. Is that how this works?"

Yes! Once you have two more readers interested, you all can agree to when you want to discuss the book, and just start a "new topic" in the Buddy Reads folder (it would be called something like "June 2025 - Going Home" if you all discuss it in June). Buddy reads folder is here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

Thanks. Marc. Is there a way to send a message to members of the group to see if I can get two others to read the book with me?

You can send to individual members (depending on their settings) and we'll post the link monthly to this nomination thread (just like we recently did), but we try to limit member-wide messages. People in this group will see group discussion update notifications any time something is posted in our group.

I'm beginning The Deserters, by Mathias Enard pretty soon if anyone is interested in buddy reading.

Douglas wrote: "I'm beginning The Deserters, by Mathias Enard pretty soon if anyone is interested in buddy reading."

I can't get to this for a couple of weeks but I already have bought it.
There is another member who might join us if we get enough members for a buddy read. Some of us belong to another group that focuses on the more recent fiction. You might want to check it out. Many of the members are members here as well. For members like me, a few weeks lead are needed for planning a buddy read since I have been booking weeks in advance.

I'm in no hurry, Sam. I'm finishing up something else so I'm happy to wait until you and others are ready to begin.

What is the name of the group you mentioned?

For The Deserters, I’m first in line at my library, but it’s “on order” so there’s no estimated timeline for when it will be ready. Let me know when you start reading and I’ll read along if the library gets the copy in time.

Douglas, how challenging/difficult of a read do you anticipate The Deserters to be? I haven’t read any of his previous works and the NYT review uses the word “dense” which always worries me. I can’t do the Gravity’s Rainbow, Faulkner, level stuff so want to make sure before I commit. Thanks!

Hi Bobby, I've read a few of Enard's books and I wouldn't say that they are hard to read; in other words, the narrative is clear and easy to follow--but he is intellectually demanding. His novel, The Zone had a lot of time shifts which were a bit tough to follow, but otherwise it was a page turner of sorts.

Marc wrote: "Quite a few of you made the excellent suggestion to have "buddy reads" in this group. These are smaller, less formal group reads/discussions. To try and keep it as simple as possible, we'll do this..."
Have you started this or finished it yet. It sounds great and would like to join you.

On Énard, I generally agree with Douglas - he is erudite but fun. However, in The Deserters I had some trouble understanding the links between two very distinct narratives he presents in alternating chapters. We have a commemoration of a brilliant German mathematician on the eve of 9/11 and then we have a deserted soldier lost in the wilderness... Clearly desertion is a common theme, but I didn't get much else from it (so I'll happily to read along any buddy read you plan :))

Hi Ruben, I'm beginning The Deserters now, so I will share my thoughts soon.

I'll start now as well. Mark do we need you to set up a buddy read topic for discussion or should one of us do so?

My copy is still On Order at the library so I’ll have to root you on from the bleachers. Excited to see what y’all think! Happy reading.

Sam wrote: "I'll start now as well. Mark do we need you to set up a buddy read topic for discussion or should one of us do so?"
The intention with Buddy Reads is that the discussions will stay in this folder rather than having a folder each. Once we have a discussion a moderator can add the book to the group bookshelf.

Ruben wrote: "On Énard, I generally agree with Douglas - he is erudite but fun. However, in The Deserters I had some trouble understanding the links between two very distinct narratives he presents in alternatin..."

I am bogging a bit with The Deserters but mostly due to other commitments, the heat, and damn vacation weeks that make where I live hectic. But I am close to the halfway point and agree with Ruben, that I am having an issue trying to find common ground between the two narratives. This has so far been my least favorite Énard of those I have read. Hope others are doing better and if anyone has thoughts on why the two story lines are presented, jump on in with your thoughts.

I have finished The Deserters and I would like to take back my premature negative thoughts. The novel developed brilliantly in the latter half. One storyline blossomed into a series of thought-provoking fractals and one storyline into one huge bloom. I think different readers will find different ways of comparing/linking the two storylines. I look at them as contrasting lines touching different sources of reading pleasure for me in the way a summer blockbuster stimulates me in a different way from a David Lynch film. But my tastes are eclectic. I am not sure all feel the same. Anyone else finish the book?

Sam wrote: "I have finished The Deserters and I would like to take back my premature negative thoughts. The novel developed brilliantly in the latter half. One storyline blossomed into a series of thought-prov..."

I read it a few months ago and enjoyed trying to find connections between the two narratives but was content with the fact that there were no explicit links. Both stories were equally captivating to me and I loved the way the writing differed between the two timelines and the way it made my brain work to continually adapt.

Rachel wrote: "Sam wrote: "I have finished The Deserters and I would like to take back my premature negative thoughts. The novel developed brilliantly in the latter half. One storyline blossomed into a series of ..."

I don't know if you or anyone saw this review by Nicholas Dames but it builds on the connection discussion.

https://harpers.org/archive/2025/06/w...