The Season’s Most Exciting Literary Fiction

Here I Am, by Jonathan Safran Foer (September 6)
Jonathan Safran Foer first created a stir in literary circles in 2001, when his story “The Very Rigid Search” appeared in the New Yorker. That fresh, hilarious, and moving piece grew into Foer’s blockbuster debut, Everything is Illuminated. He followed it with 2006’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and then, for 10 years, turned toward other pursuits (notably Eating Animals). Here I Am marks Foer’s return to fiction, and has garnered a wide range of reviews, from the glowing to the eviscerating. I for one, loved it, stuffed as it is with lively dialogue, philosophical discussions, colorful characters, plenty of jokes, and real heart. It’s that heart, in the end, that has always distinguished Foer’s writing for me among other young male novelists with show-offy prose. It’s an ambitious book, setting the breakdown of a Jewish American family against the background of the potential destruction of Israel, and I for one would rather see a talented writer swing for the fences than take a base on balls.

Commonwealth, by Ann Patchett (September 13)
Ann Patchett has given us Amazon jungle intrigue (State of Wonder) and a South American hostage situation involving an opera singer (Bel Canto), but this time she opts for a quieter, domestic drama. A man and a woman divorce their spouses and marry, thus uniting their six very different children. It sounds like a boilerplate premise, but Patchett’s storytelling is impeccable—detailed, honest, good-humored, and transporting as ever. To borrow a term from filmmaking, it’s her camera angles that are completely intriguing, the way she has selected just the right scenes and perspectives to include as she delves into 50 years of this blended family’s history.

The Wangs vs. the World, by Jade Chang (October 4)
Fall may be the time when publishing houses present their best-known writers, but it’s also a season that brings highly anticipated debuts. First-time novelist Jade Chang’s Wangs vs. the World tells the story of immigrant businessmen Charles Wang, who built a fortune in the cosmetics industry and then loses it. Charles embarks on an odyssey to collect his far-flung and very American children and bring them home to China, in a story that promises to be funny and surprising.

Swing Time, by Zadie Smith (November 15)
Zadie Smith, London-raised author extraordinaire, is a Beyoncé-level idol for many book lovers. Her writing has it all: wit, smarts, humor, swagger. Swing Time, which will hit bookstores in time for a Thanksgiving reading binge, sounds incredible: the story of two friends who both dream of becoming dancers, though only one has a knack for movement, set in London and West Africa.

Moonglow, by Michael Chabon (November 22)
Michael Chabon won the Pulitzer Prize for his 2000 novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay, and the early reviews of Moonglow indicate it will be another stunner. Moonglow was inspired by the time Chabon spent by his dying grandfather’s bedside, when he shared fascinating tales from his life that he’d never before disclosed. When someone’s life spans two continents, a world war, and exploits in the space program, it’s bound to be eventful. Expect Moonglow to be filled with Chabon’s characteristic wit, intelligence, and heart.

I’ll Take You There, by Wally Lamb (November 22)
I’ll Take You There continues the story of Felix Funicello, whom Wally Lamb introduced in Wishin’ and Hopin’. One night while Felix is in the projection booth of a movie house preparing to show a film, the ghost of Lois Weber, a film director from Hollywood’s silent era, appears to him and induces him to reflect on the many women who have influenced his life.