National Book Critics Circle Finalists

Founded in 1974, the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) honors the best literature published in English in six categories: autobiography, biography, criticism, fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Previous winners of the award for fiction include Marilynne Robinson, Ian McEwan, Penelope Fitzgerald, Alice Monro, and Roberto Bolano. To find a list of finalists and winners for all categories over the years, visit the National Book Critics Circle website. 

Finalists in the fiction category for 2011 announced on January 21, 2012 include:

Open City by Teju Cole

A Nigerian resident in psychiatry wanders around in Manhattan pondering “everything from Goya and the novels of J.M. Coetzee to the bankruptcy of Tower Records and the rise of the bedbug epidemic… Julius pines over a recent ex, mourns the death of a friend, goes to movies, concerts, and museums, but above all he ruminates, and the picture of a mind that emerges in lieu of a plot is fascinating, as it is engaged with the world in a rare and refreshing way” (Publishers Weekly). This book has been described variously by critics as “a psychological hand grenade” (Alexis Madrigal), “a compassionate and masterly work” (The New York Times Book Review), and “intelligent and panoramic…engaged with the world in a rare and refreshing way” (Publishers Weekly).


The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

Eugenides’ latest book covers about a year in the lives of three college seniors at Brown in the early 1980s. A love triangle of one young woman and two young men is examined as the three friends reach the end of their student days and start moving toward adulthood. Several reviewers mention the book as having a particular appeal to English majors, probably because, according to the Wall Street Journal, “his send-ups of the pretensions of chic undergraduate subcultures are hilarious and charmingly rendered.”

The Stranger’s Child by Alan Hollinghurst

 In another story of a love triangle, Hollinghurst “stages a splendid satire on the English social strata of the 20th century...grandly capturing the beauty, despair, and desire of the British upper class,” according to critic Michael Leonard. The story stretches from 1913 to the present in a witty, insightful generational saga that one reviewer calls a “thrilling, enchanting work of art.”

Binocular Vision by Edith Pearlman

Pearlman’s collection of stories include a love affair between young cousins, an elderly couple's decision to shoplift, a young girl’s deathbed secret revealed, a young college graduate intent on fulfilling an obligation to herself, and a retired gastroenterologist deciding how she wants to leave this world, along with other enticing plots. Her characters range across different eras and geographical locations, and each is rendered with precision.

Stone Arabia by Dana Spiotta

After retreating from his once-promising career, aging rock singer Nik has created his own alternate biography from invented news clippings, fake photographs, and fictional reviews. His sister Denise and niece Ada think maybe he is a genius, and Ada sets out to make a film about him.

Winners in each category, including fiction, will be announced on March 8^th.