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If you’ve never come across the term ‘autofiction’ before or if you don’t quite know what it means, I have a previous post on What is Autofiction? You can read it here.
In summary, autofiction combines autobiography with fiction. Autofiction is a fictionalized version of the author’s life, or memoir.
Did you know you can also watch the video version of this post on YouTube? You can watch it here.
Without further ado, these are the 5 Autofiction Novels I Want to Read Next:
1. “10:04” Ben Lerner
The first autofiction book on my list is “10:04” by Ben Lerner. This book has been on my shelf for quite some years now.
“10:04” follows a New Yorker at the height of his literary success. The narrator’s luck turns as he’s diagnosed with what could be a fatal medical condition. And, his best friend asks him to help her conceive a child together.
Amidst the chaos of dealing with his mortality and fatherhood, the narrator also finds himself in a New York that’s threatening to go under superstorms and social unrest.
2. “In the Dream House” by Carmen Maria Machado
It is a wonder, approaching 2025, that I have not yet read anything by Carmen Maria Machado. I’ve only heard great things about “In the Dream House.”
In this one, Machado writes about her experiences in an abusive same-sex relationship. However, she plays with narrative tropes, such as classic fairy tales and horror themes, to retell her story.
3. “I Love Dick” by Chris Kraus
The provocateur title “I Love Dick” might repel some readers but is definitely intriguing. The story follows the author, Chris Kraus. She’s an unsuccessful 40-or-so-year-old artist. She falls for the enigmatic academic Dick, involving her husband in this romantic quest after Dick who proposes a game to the couple.
This book is said to be a funny feminist autobiographical novel that tends to a philosophical pursuit.
4. “Change: A Novel” by Édouard Louis
I’ve only heard great things about Édouard Louis’ writing. Although I’ve included the English title of his autofiction book “Change: A Novel,” I will be reading the original French text by a similar name: “Changer : méthode.”
For those accustomed to autofiction, it will come as no surprise that many French writers are known to use the form.
In this book, Louis tackles social class and transformation. He departs from his working-class upbringing, accustomed to poverty, violence, and homophobia, to receive an education in Amiens and then at a university in Paris. He changes his name from ‘Eddy’ to the classier ‘Édouard’ to fit in with the aristocrats, millionaires, and drug dealers he hangs out with.
This story is Louis’ personal Odyssey, one in which he eradicates his past.
5. “Nothing Holds Back the Night” by Delphine de Vigan
“Nothing Holds Back the Night” is the second French novel on this list that I will read in its original French: “Rien ne s’oppose à la nuit.”
This story follows Vigan’s inquiry into her mother’s dark past. Her mother Lucille raised two young daughters alone before she was hospitalized. Her mother was still a teenager when she gave birth to our narrator Delphine de Vigan.
Vigan interviews older family members, listens to recordings, and reads Lucille’s old writings to craft a narrative of her mother’s life. Where there are great gaps to be filled, Vigan uses her writer’s imagination to reconstruct what’s missing.
Bonus Book: “The Shards” by Bret Easton Ellis
Although I don’t have a copy *yet* of “The Shards” by Bret Easton Ellis, I thought I’d add it as a bonus book I want to read. If you recognize the author’s name that’s because he’s the author of “American Psycho” and he attended Bennington College with the equally illustrious Donna Tartt.
I was surprised when I discovered that “The Shards” was an autofiction of 17-year-old Bret’s life at the exclusive Buckley prep school. In this one, a serial killer is on the loose and he’s taunting high schoolers including Bret and his prep school friends. Bret, however, is obsessed with a new student called Robert Mallory who becomes part of his tightly knit friend group.
Sex, jealousy, rage, obsession, this is Ellis’s coming-of-age horror story that blurs fact and fiction.
I hope you enjoyed this post and that you’ve discovered some good autofiction novels to read next. Don’t forget you can read my previous post on autofiction, here.
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