Unputdownable, short-ish, not trashy books

[Europeanbanana]

I need books that will grip me so much I won't look at my phone. I don't want anything trashy or too long. Let's under under 350 pages. Any suggestions for really wonderful books that fit the bill?

Station Eleven - Emily St John Mandel (dystopia)

www.amazon.co.uk/Station-Eleven-Emily-John-Mandel/dp/0804172447

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Three quarters of the way through this because of your recommendation and really enjoying it. The language and descriptions of Alaska are so immersive. Will try some of her others after this.

Thanks OP for this thread, just what I needed as it’s bulked out my want-to-read list considerably!

Oh yes @TonTonMacoute it’s great isn’t it?

Some people on here have got quite different ideas to me as to what is a short book. For eg The Woman in White is 500 pages

Anyway, I recommend Muriel Spark especially The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Girls of Slender Means, The Driver’s Seat

Good Morning Midnight - Jean Rhys
The Lonely Londoners - Sam Selvon
Pereira Maintains - Antonio Tabucchi
The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes

Graham Greene - The Third Man
The Fallen Idol
Brighton Rock
Stamboul Train
Travels With My Aunt

Evelyn Waugh - Decline and Fall
plus many more Evelyn Waugh

Lie with Me by Philippe Besson is about an author who due to a return to his French home town is prompted into reminiscing about his first gay love affair as a teenager. Very poignant and maybe 200 pages long so I read it in 2 days having got it out from Epsom Library. Shades of Call Me By Your Name.

The translation is done by Molly Ringwold of Breakfast Club fame.

Oooh another Epsom library fan here.. greetings. 👋

Perhaps you would also enjoy Giovannis Room by James Baldwin if you’ve not read it already. It’s written about a gay lover affair between 2 men in Paris. Very controversial for the 1950’s US.

I was thrilled to read this! Thanks for replying.

I didn't really like Eleanor Oliphant is not ok. Was an uncomfortable read.

Warm Waters by George Hopewell. Truly quirky and great fun. I'm not sure if it's in print or ebook only.

Five is brilliant, read it in one day. I would also recommend ‘Last one at the party’ by Bethany Clift. This was a mumsnet recommendation by a lot of posters and much deserved- everyone i have then recommended it to has loved it. It sounds a bit bleak as it’s set during a pandemic thar has killed nearly everyone but it’s actually hilarious at the same time.

I've just borrowed The Cafe with No Name by Robert Seethaler from the library partly because it's quite short (prompted by this thread). Set in Vienna in 1966. Hope it will be good.

Recently read Clear (mentioned by pp) in our book group - we all really enjoyed it. Very unusual little book! And I learnt something about the Scottish clearances.

I rarely go wrong with any Reese Witherspoon book club pick

Thank you to whoever it was that recommended Strange Sally Diamond somewhere upthread. I've just finished it, and I enjoyed it a lot.

I was sceptical at the beginning, because the narrative voice was in a style that has been very much overused over the last decade or two, but I felt the author did manage to do something new with it.

And the ending was very impressive, Not in terms of exciting new revelations, but because it had genuine psychological depth and integrity, despite (unavoidably) there being some implausibilities along the way, for the sake of a good yarn.

@MyThreeWords it was an excellent book. Simultaneously funny, dark and upsetting. You should try Yesteryear next.

I loved this book so much and recently read her new one "The Truth About Ruby Cooper" which I found so disappointingly bad :-(

I really disliked Eleanor Oliphant but that's because I found it unconvincing and not very well written.

In what way did you find it an uncomfortable read?

That's a shame. Thanks for the heads-up!

I've just bought her "Lying in Wait" (which is currently only 99p in the Kindle store) on the strength of Strange Sally. Hope it is one of the good ones!

Completely agree with this. I couldn't understand why it was highly rated. It didn't even really seem like a finished manuscript to me, because it worked so badly.

That one is good I think

Silas Marner, George Eliot
After Dark, Haruki Murakami
Slade House, David Mitchell

This is a great thread! Lots of books I like have already been mentioned, but I'd add The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes - a perfectly crafted book, amd short.

I'm currently reading Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell which would fit the bill

Anyone who liked Circe and Song of Achilles, I'd recommend Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon which i think is really under appreciated.

Of the newer books, the Safekeep, which read quickly in a few days

How interesting about Molly Ringwald and the translation!

I didn’t like Eleanor Oliphant either. I got through it in the end but a weird mixture of cringe and unpleasantness.

I just gave my copy of 'H is for Hawk' to a friend whose imprinted magpie died. It is without doubt one of the most howling beauties of a book.

We burned so bright - TJ Klune