What do all these books had in common?
These are books which drew 9/11 as the main theme and became instant national bestsellers.
There may be many more that I have failed to mention, and there are books which include mere casual mention of 9/11 in the characters’ conversation. I remember reading many books like that and it was my idea to keep count of them but hey, the publishing world has since produced a deluge of many such books, including anniversary books, most of them non-fictions.
From Don DeLillo’s Falling Man to John Updike’s Terrorist, from Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist to Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, writers have spent the past 10 years lining up to offer their thoughts on a shocking moment that changed our world and divided our memories to pre and post 9/11.
I read The Reluctant Fundamentalist in 2008 and didn’t quite taken to it. I have Saturday and The Emperor’s Children on my shelf, in which the later is about to release as a movie.
During this week, the British TV featured a series of National Geographic Channel productions relating to 9/11. I tried to sit through one where the firemen talked about what they saw that day but I couldn’t finish it. It was too disturbing.
I better read a book than watch the TV about it. I suppose a decade on, I’m still affected.
Can you think of any book titles than these?
JoV's Book Pyramid 
Nice post, Jo! I have read one book from your collection – ‘Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close’. I didn’t know that John Updike wrote a novel about 9/11. I remember coming back home from work when it happened ten years back and my friends asking me to come and watch the news on TV, and all of us being shocked by the Holllywood-movie-kind-of-scenes which was being shown on TV.
Posted by Vishy | September 11, 2011, 1:31 pmVishy,
I haven’t read any from the list and I didn’t plan it quite well so maybe next year. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years!
Posted by JoV | September 11, 2011, 1:41 pmGreat post JoV for such a sad day and perfect for readers… Thanks for sharing as I have not heard of a number of these or did not know that they referenced 9-11.
Wow still the stressed out purple guy… I am beginning to like him – hes kinda cute.
Hope your well.
Posted by Shellie | September 11, 2011, 7:09 pmShellie,
Thanks. A lot of these icons are stressed out I notice! yes he is kinda cute. Hope you are well too. 🙂
Posted by JoV | September 13, 2011, 7:28 pmThis was a great post for this anniversary milestone. I am watching the 9/11 tributes right now as I catch up on some blogs. SO VERY SAD. I know there are other books, but right now I cannot think of any titles.
Have a great week
Posted by Diane@BibliophileBytheSea | September 12, 2011, 1:33 amDiane,
Have a great week, you too Diane.
Posted by JoV | September 13, 2011, 7:27 pmNetherland by Joseph O’Neill.
Posted by Ti | September 12, 2011, 2:51 pmYes, that’s another one Ti. Netherland. Started a few page and DNF. Maybe one day.
Posted by JoV | September 13, 2011, 7:41 pmYou might be interested in ‘Windows on the World’ by Frédéric Beigbeder — it’s a weird mix of fact and fiction about the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre. I read it years ago (it’s reviewed on my blog somewhere)
Posted by kimbofo | September 14, 2011, 7:49 pmThanks Kim for the recommendation!
Posted by JoV | September 17, 2011, 9:13 pm