books
January 30, 2026
Susan Choi: ‘For so long I associated Dickens with unbearable Christmas TV specials’
The Booker-shortlisted novelist on the seismic effect of Sigrid Nunez, and wanting to write like Virginia Woolf
TL;DR
- The author's earliest reading memory involved wanting to read independently at bedtime.
- Childhood favorites included "Stuart Little" and "The Borrowers" series, reflecting a fascination with miniatures.
- Donald Barthelme's "Sixty Stories" was impactful during teenage years, introducing a world of mischievous and smart literature.
- Sigrid Nunez's short story "Chang" was a transformative read, offering the first experience of a multiracial protagonist.
- Virginia Woolf's "To the Lighthouse" inspired a desire to write in a similar style.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" evolved from dislike to a beloved comfort read.
- Charles Dickens, particularly "Bleak House," became a profound reading experience later in life.
- Tom Robbins' books are now unappealing to the author.
- Homer's "Odyssey" became a recent source of deep fascination.
- J.A. Baker's "The Peregrine" is described as an extraordinary, immersive, and transformative recent read.
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