The domestic novel focuses on the quotidian. Marriage, parenting, and neighborhood concerns center the plot. They are often about preserving these values: protagonists heal their marriages, solve their parenting dilemmas, and restore order to a community. If there is a problem, it is often exposed and cleansed, such as a bad marriage which is upendedContinue reading “Escape From Suburbia”
Author Archives: Xandra
True Grit
In a wide open field, true-grit memoirs stand out for their brittle tenacity, the ability to survive the harsh terrain. A reader might wince or recoil at times, but these stories offer a kind of bleak hope about human resilience. The subgenre includes its share of variants. There are brutal personal loss stories, harrowing abuseContinue reading “True Grit”
He Too
At certain moments in the mesmerizing spectacle of the Depp-Heard defamation trial, I envied those who had never tuned in. What bliss it must be not to realize that Johnny Depp is a vile misogynist, to have never witnessed the Sweetzer monster, and to have never considered that Amy Dunne might not just be aContinue reading “He Too”
Behind Closed Doors
Intimate partner violence has been topical lately. COVID lockdowns saw incidents rise, as stressed out couples turned on each other. Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard raised the issue of so-called mutual abuse and the awareness that men can be victims too. The excessive attention on that trial skews statistics dangerously: in fact,Continue reading “Behind Closed Doors”
Smoke and Mirrors
If you aren’t watching the defamation trial against Amber Heard, consider yourself lucky. It is a vile spectacle of Hollywood excess, complete with private islands, drug orders, and security guards who are paid 10k a day. Heard’s ex-husband, the A-lister Johnny Depp, is suing her over an op-ed she wrote in 2018 naming herself asContinue reading “Smoke and Mirrors”
The 90,000 Rule
Many literary agents won’t consider projects shorter than 90,000 words. It’s simple, or so they say: books have to fit comfortably with others on shelves and endcaps, so a minimum word count is necessary to produce a certain heft. Fair enough. With only 20% of books being read in a digital format, there are ergonomicContinue reading “The 90,000 Rule”
Questionable Choices
Fictional representations undeniably shape the way a reader sees the world. Accuracy is critical. A reader can’t connect to a character if the writer doesn’t understand the core issues facing a protagonist, or if the psychological details are wrong. Jonathan Franzen’s depictions of female sexuality leave me cold; I simply don’t think he understands women.Continue reading “Questionable Choices”
The Half List (2022)
It’s only May, but I have already read enough stellar books to compile my annual Half List. When it comes to naming the best books of the year, I tend to have a short memory. A list drawn together at the end of the year would inevitably favor recent reads. In the interest of fairness,Continue reading “The Half List (2022)”
The State of Us
After the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, books about racism and race relations dominated best-seller lists for the first time. The term white fragility entered the lexicon along with critical race theory and antiracism. A reckoning with history took the form of dialogue about the social obligation to accurately represent Black lives inContinue reading “The State of Us”
Letters To Me
When you hear the word epistolary, you might think of novels told through letters, such as the classic 84 Charing Cross Road or its successful knockoff The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Books written in journal form can also be called epistolary, though. They might be seen as letters to the self, aContinue reading “Letters To Me”
Books Smitten 