Chris Hewitt | (TNS) Star Tribune
When it comes to books, good things can also come in small sizes.
As I was reading “The Christmas Guest,” I started thinking about this. Peter Swanson's 2023 mystery is good, but I found the afterword most interesting, where Swanson explains that he purposely wrote “Guest,” a 96-page book, to be read in one sitting.
Generally, I usually agree with Roger Ebert’s statement that “no good movie is long enough and no bad movie is short enough,” but Swanson has a valid point. There are situations when a short book is just what you need: if you’re getting back into reading after a break, if it’s December and your book club needs a book that fits in with busy schedules, if it's snowing and you want to read under a blanket until it's time to shovel, or even if you just crave the satisfying feeling when you finish the last page (I'm not alone in this, right?).
The ideal length for one-day reads depends on how fast you read and the type of book it is (I prefer books written for adults, but much of Rebecca Stead, Kate DiCamillo, and Lemony Snicket’s excellent work can be read in a day). I think the sweet spot is around 100 pages. With that in mind, here are some titles you can easily get through on a lazy afternoon:
“Ballad of the Sad Cafe” — I can't stop thinking about Carson McCullers' tragic romance, which argues that there's a disconnect between the lover and the beloved. Its 50 pages may not offer hope for love, but they are full of profound observations.
“Chronicle of a Death Foretold” — You might be surprised, knowing Gabriel García Márquez for his dense masterpieces like “One Hundred Years of Solitude” and “Love in the Time of Cholera.” However, my favorite is this gripping novella that reads like an Alfred Hitchcock movie. It starts with the ominous sentence: “On the day they were going to kill him, Santiago Nasar got up at 5:30 in the morning to wait for the boat the bishop was coming on.” It explores the near-misses and detours leading to a murder. (His “Until August,” also just 100 pages, is coming out next week.)
“Notes on Grief” — Despite the gloomy title, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s angry reflections on her father's death are oddly comforting, like a reassuring hand on your shoulder, letting you know that whatever you're feeling is alright.
“Passing” — Nella Larsen's Harlem Renaissance novel focuses on two women in the Jazz Age. Both biracial, they have taken different paths (one presenting herself as white to the world, including her husband). The story builds to a shocking climax as Larsen delves into the horrors of racism and the cost of avoiding it.
“The Sense of an Ending” — Similar to several of these quick reads, Julian Barnes’ book revolves around a character's dramatic reassessment of events he thought he understood. When Tony Webster reunites with an old friend, he helps Tony see the past differently and realize that his life was founded on a devastating lie.
Claire Keegan's writing is perfect for a quick read because all of her stories are short, but "Small Things Like These" is especially satisfying. It's set in Ireland in 1985 and follows a coal merchant named Bill who has a surprising encounter that opens his eyes to the impact of centuries of male dominance on Irish women's lives. Small Things” is the most satisfying. Set in Ireland in 1985, its hero is a coal merchant named Bill, who has a surprising encounter that helps him see how centuries of patriarchy have damaged the lives of Irish women.
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What are your favorite one-sitting books? Let us know at [email protected].
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