Five Campus Novels: From Satire to Romance, a Literary Roundup
The New Yorker highlights five notable campus novels: 'Pictures from an Institution' (1954) by Randall Jarrell satirizes the clash between romantics and industrialists; the Amanda Cross mystery series (1964-2002) by Carolyn Heilbrun features an English professor who solves murders, with 'Poetic Justice' honoring Lionel Trilling; A.S. Byatt's 'Possession' (1990) intertwines Victorian romance with a contemporary search; Jane Smiley's 'Moo' (1995) critiques a Midwestern university; and Helen DeWitt's 'The Last Samurai' (2000) tells the story of a suicidal mother and her prodigious son. Tom Wolfe's 'I Am Charlotte Simmons' (2004) delves into social interactions at a fictional elite institution. Upcoming works include Abby Geni's 'Children of the Wolf' (September 15) and Sarah Blakley-Cartwright's 'Heavy Cream' (September 29). Kit Harington will appear in 'A Tale of Two Cities' on MGM+ on September 6. Becca Rothfeld commends Edith Wharton's 1917 novella 'Summer.' The documentary on Mary Oliver is available for streaming.
Key facts
- Randall Jarrell's 'Pictures from an Institution' (1954) satirizes campus types.
- Carolyn Heilbrun, first tenured woman in Columbia's English Department, wrote mysteries as Amanda Cross.
- 'Poetic Justice' is described as a 'homicidal valentine' to Lionel Trilling.
- A.S. Byatt's 'Possession' (1990) features poems in blank verse from Henry James's 'The Golden Bowl.'
- Jane Smiley's 'Moo' (1995) includes a building named 'Old Meats' and features university workers.
- Helen DeWitt's 'The Last Samurai' (2000) includes teaching the Greek alphabet.
- Tom Wolfe's 'I Am Charlotte Simmons' (2004) is set at fictional Dupont University.
- Abby Geni's 'Children of the Wolf' releases September 15; Sarah Blakley-Cartwright's 'Heavy Cream' and Robert Kolker's 'The Vanishing Family' release September 29.
- Kit Harington stars in 'A Tale of Two Cities' adaptation on MGM+ on September 6.
- Becca Rothfeld praises Edith Wharton's 'Summer' (1917).
Entities
Artists
- Randall Jarrell
- Carolyn Heilbrun
- Lionel Trilling
- A.S. Byatt
- Henry James
- Jane Smiley
- John Williams
- Helen DeWitt
- Tom Wolfe
- Abby Geni
- Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
- Robert Kolker
- Kit Harington
- Charles Dickens
- Becca Rothfeld
- Edith Wharton
- D.H. Lawrence
- Mary Oliver
Institutions
- The New Yorker
- Columbia University
- MGM+
Locations
- Oxford
- Michigan
- New York City