Category Archives: Modern Literary Fiction

Pizza Girl: A Novel – Jean Kyoung Frazier

Posted on June 26, 2020 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) An eighteen-year-old pregnant pizza delivery girl is lost, with no idea where she is headed in life. Even though she has a loving boyfriend who is excited about the baby, that isn’t enough. She has never … Continue reading →

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged coming-of-age, dark humor, Los Angeles | Comments Off

There Has to Be a Knife – Adnan Khan

Posted on May 25, 2020 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) < “Those pleasures that I always had access to with her—the tactile, her body, food, her laugh—I knew I would have to keep her away from my darkness to preserve them. I wanted too many shallow, … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged Canada, class conflict, grief, Islam, mysogeny, Toronto | Comments Off

The Museum of Lost Love – Gary Barker

Posted on March 13, 2020 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…the normal state of lovers, of couples, is not together. Together is a transient state. The normal state of things is as much about ending and leaving as it is about beginning and staying. The normal … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged Bosnian war, contemporary fiction, Serbia, Zagreb | Comments Off

The Berlin Woman – Alan Kaufman

Posted on January 21, 2020 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) “She turns her giving of love available to transact with, as a form of punishment, a torment, an affliction, an act of revenge. She replays overtures of love with suffering and pain.” So why is writer … Continue reading →

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged Austria, betrayal, Germany, history, Judaism, psychological drama, San Francisco, Ukraine | Comments Off

The 6:41 to Paris – Jean-Philippe Blondel, (Translated from the French by Alison Anderson)

Posted on August 10, 2019 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “What I feel now is pure hatred. And that surprises me—because I’m not like that, particularly toward someone I haven’t seen in what must be at least twentyfive years…I can’t help but sneak looks at him.” … Continue reading →

Posted in French Literature, Modern Literary Fiction, World Literature | Tagged French literature | Comments Off

Man of the Year – Caroline Louise Walker

Posted on June 11, 2019 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “The lovesick, the betrayed, and the jealous all smell alike.” -Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette Internist, Dr. Robert Hart was named Sag Harbor Citizen of the Year. Everyone seems to be jealous of him and his charismatic wife, Elizabeth. … Continue reading →

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged death, family, infidelity, literature | Comments Off

The Riddle of the Sphinx – Alexandre Montagu

Posted on April 15, 2019 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Eric (Keyvan) fled Iran as a child during the Islamic revolution and grew up in Paris. He later studied Comparative Literature at Princeton. That is one scenario. What would have happened if he was forced … Continue reading →

Posted in Historical Fiction, Modern Literary Fiction, Philosophical reads, Reviewers' Top Picks | Tagged identity, Iran, Islamic revolution, LGBT, Shah | Comments Off

Rejections From a Literary Agent: Discouraging Writers, One Bad Query at a Time – G. Randy Kasten

Posted on April 11, 2019 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) Rejections From a Literary Agent is a humorous book about literary agent, Marcie Ribbons. She is retired and spends her day responding to query letters. She shares her view on the publishing industry and often expresses … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor & Satire, Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged book reviews. fiction, humor, publishing, query letters | Comments Off

Bella Toscana – Nanette Littlestone

Posted on March 18, 2019 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) Bella Toscana is a contemporary novel written about a woman who decides to take a trip to the beautiful land of Italy. As a married woman, she meets professor Flynn and that is when she begins … Continue reading →

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction, Romance | Tagged Italy | Comments Off

The Art Collector of Le Marais – Ahmad Ardalan

Posted on March 14, 2019 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) The Art Collector of Le Marais is a fictional drama set in Paris where artists and paintings are inspired, romance is in the air and the city never sleeps. The story begins with Sebastian and his … Continue reading →

Posted in Historical Fiction, Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged art, painting, Paris | Comments Off