21st Century Literature discussion

Inspired by the Wafer Thin Books club, we're asking:
What is the last wafer-thin fiction book you read that you would recommend?

(Wafer-thin = 100 to 150 pages)

Interested in wafer-thin book recs?
https://waferthinbooks.com/category/o...

The Employees

Stacia wrote: "The Employees"

I loved that book Stacia! Truly weird in every sense of the word but wonderfully so.

I recently read the very short book by Simone de Beauvoir ironically titled A Very Easy Death.

It isn't light subject matter by any means, but it is both crushingly affecting and incisive. Her powerful intellect is present throughout. Somehow she manages to remain authentic within terrible circumstances without ever lapsing into sentimentality.

A Writer's House in Wales - Jan Morris

Sasquatch, Baby!

Fup by Jim Dodge

Eastbound by Maylis de Kerangal

truly excellent

Nadine in California wrote: "Sasquatch, Baby!"

Me too, LOL! Also Arboreality and To Be Taught, If Fortunate

So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan

I do appreciate a short book. I'm assuming things like graphic novels don't count?

Lisa Tuttle, My Death

And I will cheat and list this old favorite, by the recently deceased Stanley Crawford:
Log of the S.S. the Mrs. Unguentine

Recently finished the short but monstrous Women & Power: A Manifesto

Greg wrote: "I recently read the very short book by Simone de Beauvoir ironically titled A Very Easy Death.

It isn't light subject matter by any means, but it is both crushingly af..."

I came to post on the very same book. Greg beat me to it!

The Dry Heart by Natalia Ginzburg. I think this novella is in conversation with The Stranger by Albert Camus

I wonder why the minimum of 100 pages, or is that just to exclude individual short stories?

I must admit that I often refuse to buy really short books if the cover price is high - a couple of recent examples of those being A Shining and May the Tigris Grieve for You. The last book I read that was really short was the Claire Keegan one that Robert mentioned (which took less than an hour to read but my face to face book group managed to discuss it for longer than that).

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa right after Foster, Claire Keegan

Some good recommendations here. I'm really looking forward to A Writer's House in Wales, and I enjoyed that Wafer-think books link, Marc!

I'll add Train Dreams by Denis Johnson.

Some older ones I really liked: The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing, and The Dialogue of the Dogs by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.

Rose wrote: "Nadine in California wrote: "Sasquatch, Baby!"

Me too, LOL! Also Arboreality and To Be Taught, If Fortunate"

And me too on both those titles! I love these delicious little wafers!!

Kathleen wrote: "Some good recommendations here. I'm really looking forward to A Writer's House in Wales, and I enjoyed that Wafer-think books link, Marc!

I'll add Train Dreams by ..."

I liked The Fifth Child a lot Kathleen! It's interesting how different Lessing's books are from each other. She has a lot of range.

Another one I read just a few months ago was The Bitch by Columbian author Pilar Quintana. My copy has 160 pages, but the type is big, and a regular type size would put it around 100 pages I'm guessing.

It's brutal and disturbing but also a wonderfully penetrating character study. It was a National Book Award finalist and won the English PEN award. A great translation too.

Sam wrote: "I came to post on the very same book. Greg beat me to it!"

It was an amazing book, and your comments and take on it made it even better! :)

Bill wrote: "And I will cheat and list this old favorite, by the recently deceased Stanley Crawford:Log of the S.S. the Mrs. Unguentine..."

This sounds too intriguing to pass up. I surprised that my library system has a copy!

I just read My Stupid Intentions by Barnardo Zannoni, published by NYRB (but a new book rather than a rediscovered one). It's the story of a beech marten's grappling with mortality and education. It's 210 pages, but felt shorter. Really enjoyed it!

The Plotinus by Rikki Ducornet.

Saint Sebastian's Abyss by Mark Haber
and
Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss

Greg wrote: "I recently read the very short book by Simone de Beauvoir ironically titled A Very Easy Death.

It isn't light subject matter by any means, but it is both crushingly af..."

I read this not long ago and I agree it's an amazing account. Short but striking books have been a feature of my reading lately, Rebecca Gisler’s unnerving but oddly tender About Uncle, Lisa Tuttle’s gripping and memorable My Death, Dublin-based poet, Rosamund Taylor’s gloriously queer, debut collection In Her Jaws

I'm getting Monty Python vibes from this thread. One more book sir? It's only wafer thin!

Foster and Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Comemadre by Roque Larraquy was the last one I read (and I loved it). I guess, technically, it falls out of range coming in at 152 pgs. Before, that I'd have to go back to Jan 2023 when I read and rather enjoyed The Warren by Brian Evenson. Unsurprisingly, both books recommended by members from this group (David and Bill, respectively).

Marc wrote: "Comemadre by Roque Larraquy was the last one I read (and I loved it).."

I love Comemadre.

I'll add another one to the list of these wafer-thin books, one I read this morning: Cold Enough for Snow.

Marc wrote: "Comemadre by Roque Larraquy was the last one I read (and I loved it)."

I enjoyed Comemadre, totally forgot about it. Also forgot the Warren is also short!

Nice to see some Comemadre fans!

Cold Enough for Snow sounds great, Stacia.

Alwynne, I didn't realize My Death was so short.

Anything by César Aira. Most of his books run in the 150 or fewer page count.

Marc wrote: "Nice to see some Comemadre fans!

Cold Enough for Snow sounds great, Stacia.

Alwynne, I didn't realize My Death was so short."

It's small but beautifully crafted, I also loved the Jessica Au. I like the sound of the titles you mentioned, I've read a few of Evenson's stories online and found them intriguing.

Well, this is so close in number of pages but the book is also small so if it was a regular size book . . . . . . ?

The Words That Remain by Stênio Gardel
149 in Kindle, 160 in PB

I have to put this in writing somewhere before tomorrow. "The Words. . ." won the National Book Award for Translated Literature (2023) and I predict that it will be on at least the longlist for the Booker International which is being announced tomorrow. (If New Vessel Press published it in the UK and entered it.)

Greg wrote: "Another one I read just a few months ago was The Bitch by Columbian author Pilar Quintana."

Ahhhh, Greg, the World Editions copy only has 128 pages and it's been on my TBR list since it was a National Book Award Finalist in 2020. Pilar Quintana's "Abyss" was also a Finalist in the same category in 2023.

Danita L wrote: "Ahhhh, Greg, the World Editions copy only has 128 pages and it's been on my TBR list since it was a National Book Award Finalist in 2020. Pilar Quintana's "Abyss" was also a Finalist in the same category in 2023."

I really recommend it if you aren't bothered by disturbing content. And thanks for mentioning Abyss - I'll try to find a copy of that one!

for sure Of Cattle and Men, by Ana Paula Maia & translated by Zoë Perry (tho only 99 pages)! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

&, somewhere between fiction & nonfiction, this book by Anthony Bourdain, about the women known as Typhoid Mary: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...