books
April 25, 2026
Joe Dunthorne: ‘Growing up in Swansea, I developed an allergy to Dylan Thomas’
The author on feeling Thomas Hardy’s pain, being duped by Donna Tartt and how reading his sister’s copy of Trainspotting made him want to write
TL;DR
- Joe Dunthorne's earliest reading memory is of his father reading Shirley Hughes' Alfie stories.
- Terry Pratchett's 'Mort' was his favorite book at age 10, loved for its depiction of Death as bureaucratic.
- Thomas Hardy's 'Tess of the d’Urbervilles' made him realize books could evoke real pain.
- Laurent Binet's 'HHhH' gave him permission to write his family's German-Jewish history with levity and seriousness.
- Irvine Welsh's 'Trainspotting' inspired his desire to become a writer at 17.
- He developed an 'allergy' to Dylan Thomas but now enjoys his short stories, particularly from 'Portrait of the Artist As a Young Dog'.
- Louise Glück's 'Meadowlands' is a reread favorite due to its spare language and themes of shifting perspectives.
- Donna Tartt's 'The Secret History' was initially loved but felt disappointing upon revisiting after university.
- Marilynne Robinson's 'Housekeeping' became an instant favorite later in life.
- He is currently reading Thomas Bernhard's 'My Prizes', appreciating its bitter gratitude.
- Patricia Highsmith's 'The Talented Mr Ripley' is his comfort read, shared with his partner during night feeds.
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