We’ve made it through mystery and fantasy to arrive at my favorite epistolary reads of 2024. I’ll be honest – this was not a great year for epistolary releases… but that doesn’t mean I didn’t get to read new material. Instead, I got to dig through some extant epistolaries to blend with the newer stuff. The result was a set of reading materials that spanned a variety of topics, settings, and tones – and reinforced my love of the epistolary genre.
The Examiner
There was a new Janice Hallett this year! And this time, she’s taking us to a college setting, where a professor has set up a new art course. The Examiner follows the students as they produce works including a major group project together. At first, it seems like we’re just reading about the tension attendant with a diverse group pursuing a creative endeavor. But over time, it becomes clear that the students – and the project – may not be what they seem…
Look, it is well known that I love Janice Hallett. There is no way I was not going to enjoy this book. That said, it’s more of a book for Janice Hallett fans than her others. (Read my full thoughts on this here.) Still – modern epistolary + academic setting + mysterious art project? I’m in.
A Presumption of Death
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I love all things Peter Wimsey. After my Sayers binge earlier this year, I felt like I needed more, and ventured into the modern revivals by Jill Paton Walsh. A Presumption of Death is the second entry in that series, and it explores the exploits of Wimsey and his family over WWII. (I include it as epistolary because the book uses a series of letters crafted by Sayers to set waypoints in the story.)
A Presumption of Death sees Peter, Harriet, and their entire family transformed by the war and related efforts. Peter goes behind enemy lines, and Harriet struggles to keep up life at home for the boys under constant threat of war. When murder strikes the village, she’s asked to solve the case. But unlike prior versions of Harriet, we see her focus shift from the case to the much broader problems in the world. She even questions the appropriateness of writing murder mysteries in a world full of war. Letters are the perfect medium for this message, among others – they support both characterization and contemplation. Paton Walsh does a great job with these characters and this world, and I’m glad to say I will absolutely include them on my next Wimsey binge.
Daisy Jones & the Six
Sometimes, you just want to read about interpersonal drama. If you’re looking for a story with several perspectives, unreliable narration, told over the course of decades, Daisy Jones & the Six might be up your alley.
The novel is in a documentary style, combining interviews with other primary sources to tell the story of a band. It starts out a typical band story – friends, garage, some hard work and good luck. And then the titular Daisy Jones enters the scene, and everything changes.
Intriguingly, the story is told from the perspective of several band members as well as close friends of the band. And each is recollecting events from decades past, which means some of their memories are shoddy at best. The result is a pile of overlapping and contradictory narratives, from which you can tailor your own story. (It’s an element that’s sorely missed in the TV adaptation, so if that’s your only experience with the material, I’d recommend giving the novel a shot.)
Daisy Jones & the Six is full of human drama – appropriate given its Fleetwood Mac inspirations. But its most interesting theme – and the reason it’s such a great epistolary – is the exploration of subjective truth and memory. Plus, who doesn’t love peeking behind the curtains of a musical juggernaut?
(Daisy Jones & the Six has more than four POVs, fulfilling that entry in my 52 Book Club Challenge.)
I Hope This Finds You Well + Several People are Typing
Ah, the workplace epistolary – a genre staple. Workplaces overflow with forced written communications, of different tones and intents, with makes them meaty grist for the epistolary author’s mill. And because employees speak more or less honestly in different contexts, workplace epistolaries are full of comedy and dramatic irony. I love the richness of a well-written workplace epistolary – and I was lucky enough to read two this year.
The first, I Hope This Finds You Well, is a more typical example of the genre. A debut novel this 2024, the story follows a downtrodden corporate employee who gets access to the entire department’s emails. She intends to use her newfound knowledge to escape her lackluster performance situation. Of course, in a heartwarming twist, in the process of cynically building her relationships, she makes actual friends. I Hope This Finds You Well does so much right, perfectly capturing what we love and hate about white collar work. It’s a story of building community and finding purpose, and a warm reminder of how much both matter. And I loved its exploration of third-culture kid status and its attendant frustrations. A chicken soup for the corporate soul.
The second is a little bit more… surreal. Several People Are Typing is solely Slack messages. It details what happens when a PR agency employee finds himself absorbed, by an act of seeming magic, into cyberspace. While he can still type to his coworkers, he’s got to quickly figure out how to keep his body healthy IRL, while managing to keep up appearances around the workplace. Plus, his space’s Slackbot is starting to go from eagerly helpful to unnervingly curious…
It’s a weird, fever dream of a book, but heartwarming and engaging nonetheless. I also enjoyed the workplace satire – perhaps a theme of this year’s favorites is that I love a good copywriting joke. It’s a short read – 200-odd pages of Slack messages go by quickly – and worth the few hours it might take for anyone who’s had to suffer at the hands of a workplace chat app. (Several People Are Typing will fulfill my “magical realism” entry in the 52 Book Club Challenge.)
And that’s it – my last “best of” post of 2024. I’ll be closing out the year with some reading reflections and commitments – and I’ll see you soon. Until then – stay cozy, and stay curious!
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