Exploring Unconventional Narratives: A Look at Unique 2023 Fiction Releases

Each month, our editorial team encounters an eclectic mix of soon-to-be-released books. These range from familiar names to unknown authors, often resembling a whimsical collection of literary curiosities. Among the noteworthy finds this summer were several debut novels alongside reissued classics, including a quirky Italian chapbook of cat-themed poetry from the 1980s and an unconventional semi-epistolary critique of psychiatry titled “Dear Neoliberalism.” Throughout this process, I’ve saved several captivating passages that highlight the artistry and diversity of contemporary literature.

One standout is Joanna Kavenna's story “The Beautiful Salmon,” which explores the peculiar dynamics at a dinner hosted by a formidable professor known for his unconventional philosophical teachings, specifically around the concept of “Box Philosophy.” In this narrative, the professor dispatches the protagonist to Greece to find a poet-dentist, revealing an added layer of absurdity and intellectual playfulness.

Within a fictional work, a book emerges titled Fanouropiton, or the Catalogue of Lost Things, categorizing losses in life that evoke deep reflections. Highlights from this book include:

• Things Lost by War
• Things Lost by Human Folly
• Things Lost Because No One Really Cared About Them
• Things Lost Because Too Many People Cared About Them

A particularly striking entry discusses an entire galaxy, which astronomers discovered to be 2.5 million times brighter than the sun—only to have it mysteriously vanish.

A. Igoni Barrett’s latest work, Whyteface (Greywolf), is a thought-provoking follow-up to his debut novel, Blackass. The intriguing premise revolves around a young man, Furo Wariboko, who wakes up one day in Lagos transformed into a white man, save for his posterior. This distinctive transformation sets the stage for a profound examination of identity and race.

Barrett’s novel features an epigraph that reads:

Please don’t peace here
—WORDS SCRAWLED IN PAINT ON A PISS-STAINED WALL SOMEWHERE IN NIGERIA

In a different narrative vein, Claire Carusillo captures familial entanglements in her novel The Responsible Party (Henry Holt). The protagonist shares a name with the author, intertwining personal and imaginative storytelling as she navigates her family’s complex history, punctuated by tragic events and colorful characters.

A striking excerpt dives into the lineage dynamics:

“As a girl, my great-grandmother Dag exuded that same toxic chromium-6 glow as the perfect tens I grew up with a hundred years later... I was busy back then, exfoliating my chin and decorating my laptop with puffy stickers.”

Rosalind Belben’s Is Beauty Good presents a literary puzzle, originally published in 1989. It's a collection that teeters between prose and poetry, enriched by its introspective explorations. Through a chapter titled “The Shy Elt,” the narrative conveys:

“She has sold all our assets & squandrd the proceeds a child cld tell her that is !!false econ. I AM perturbd.”

Turning to the intersection of food and chemistry, Lee Cadesky’s Grub: Why We Eat, Why It Matters, and the Seven Forces That Shape Our Food (Prometheus) includes a particularly engaging discourse on the molecular structure of water, revealing the intricacies of how its atoms bond and interact, showcasing a blend of science with culinary themes.

“The atoms in water arrange themselves in a very specific way. Oxygen sits at the center of the molecule...”

Another unique collection comes from Jacqueline Harpman’s We Were Forbidden (Transit). Comprised of three short stories translated by Ros Schwartz, it reflects on human relationships and existential dilemmas during tumultuous times, as illustrated through the opening of “The Outcast.”

“Henriette Serrano and I were fifteen and we were friends. We would talk nonstop, mostly about literature...”

Lastly, Emily Eakin’s The Frenchmen: Or, My Life In Theory (Penguin Press), delves into the lives of prominent French theorists, presenting a rich tapestry of philosophical legacy through a mix of biography and critique. Eakin’s exploration gains depth as she incorporates various anecdotes, one of which critiques an enduring staple of academic life:

“...when Derrida was a student, he filed a formal complaint about the food, objecting to the mushy peas and the Camembert that approached ‘the consistency of brick.’”

Overall, these literary works reflect not only unique storytelling methods but also the broader thematic explorations of identity, history, and philosophical inquiry, offering ample food for thought to seasoned readers.