It's summertime and the rules are completely different.
June 1, 2017 9:34 AM Subscribe
Bookfilter: I'm looking for stories where it's summer and regular life is suspended and the characters reimagine themselves, for better or for worse.
In summertime, we get to enter another world. We go places, we meet new people, and sometimes we do things we never thought we would. The heat, the late nights, the outdoor parties, the new friends, the road trips, the festivals, the historic moments - these provide the sensation that the constraints of regular life are broken.
Help me find books where the characters take advantage of this opportunity to get in touch with their deeper, (perhaps darker?) natures. Romantic elements are nice but I'm not looking for the stereotypical "summer affair" novel. Modern or historical. Minimal violence. I want to be able to imagine myself in their world.
In summertime, we get to enter another world. We go places, we meet new people, and sometimes we do things we never thought we would. The heat, the late nights, the outdoor parties, the new friends, the road trips, the festivals, the historic moments - these provide the sensation that the constraints of regular life are broken.
Help me find books where the characters take advantage of this opportunity to get in touch with their deeper, (perhaps darker?) natures. Romantic elements are nice but I'm not looking for the stereotypical "summer affair" novel. Modern or historical. Minimal violence. I want to be able to imagine myself in their world.
Are you ok with YA lit? If so, One Fat Summer by Robert Lipsyte definitely fits the bill.
posted by holborne at 9:52 AM on June 1, 2017
posted by holborne at 9:52 AM on June 1, 2017
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
The Enchanted April, which, yes, yes, technically spring, but one of the earliest examples of the genre and excellent!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 9:59 AM on June 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
The Enchanted April, which, yes, yes, technically spring, but one of the earliest examples of the genre and excellent!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 9:59 AM on June 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
There's a lengthy section early on in Brideshead Revisited that deals with this, though you won't like what happens next.
posted by praemunire at 10:15 AM on June 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by praemunire at 10:15 AM on June 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume is perfect for this - it eventually goes beyond summer but captures that summer magic.
posted by lunasol at 10:56 AM on June 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by lunasol at 10:56 AM on June 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
posted by runincircles at 11:10 AM on June 1, 2017
posted by runincircles at 11:10 AM on June 1, 2017
Definitely Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury!
posted by corey flood at 11:14 AM on June 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by corey flood at 11:14 AM on June 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels do not take place solely in summer, but the summers depicted provide opportunities for the characters to go to the beach in the summer, and a lot of important stuff happens there because they are away from the watchful authority figures of their regular daily lives.
posted by vunder at 11:15 AM on June 1, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by vunder at 11:15 AM on June 1, 2017 [4 favorites]
Who Will Run the Frog Hospital by Lorrie Moore
posted by Cranialtorque at 11:17 AM on June 1, 2017
posted by Cranialtorque at 11:17 AM on June 1, 2017
Response by poster: Thanks to everyone who has responded so far. These are great suggestions! A couple of clarifications: I'm not too squeamish for the events in Brideshead Revisited :) but I appreciate the warning. No trigger problems here, I just want to avoid books that focus on murder and the like. Second, YA is fine and of course the coming-of-age genre fits into my question perfectly, but I am quite happy to read about people at any stage of life. Barbara Kingsolver is a great example.
posted by Knowyournuts at 11:38 AM on June 1, 2017
posted by Knowyournuts at 11:38 AM on June 1, 2017
Michael Chabon The Mysteries of Pittsburgh
posted by sestaaak at 12:32 PM on June 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by sestaaak at 12:32 PM on June 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
Tana French's The Likeness might have too much violence, but it's very much on theme (other than I can't remember whether it occurs during the summer or not - I think at least part of it occurs during the academic year). Her writing is really incredible.
Another choice that springs to mind is E.M. Forster's A Room with a View, which is about how people act and react differently in different environments - a group of English men and women in Venice and then back in England after their trip. The movie version is excellent.
posted by lousywiththespirit at 1:17 PM on June 1, 2017
Another choice that springs to mind is E.M. Forster's A Room with a View, which is about how people act and react differently in different environments - a group of English men and women in Venice and then back in England after their trip. The movie version is excellent.
posted by lousywiththespirit at 1:17 PM on June 1, 2017
Michael Swanwick - Triceratops Summer
posted by crocomancer at 1:46 PM on June 1, 2017
posted by crocomancer at 1:46 PM on June 1, 2017
Meg Wolitzer's The Interestings begins with and is built around a group of friends meeting​ at summer camp, although it spirals pretty far outward from there
posted by eponym at 4:17 PM on June 1, 2017
posted by eponym at 4:17 PM on June 1, 2017
Both YA, but
Fool's Gold - Zilpha Keatley Snyder
A Summer to Die - Lois Lowry (not a light read however)
posted by Crystal Fox at 4:42 PM on June 1, 2017
Fool's Gold - Zilpha Keatley Snyder
A Summer to Die - Lois Lowry (not a light read however)
posted by Crystal Fox at 4:42 PM on June 1, 2017
The Long Secret by Louise Fitzhugh. Middle grade but a very tight mystery. (Not murder.) I read this book again every summer.
posted by BibiRose at 6:21 AM on June 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by BibiRose at 6:21 AM on June 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
It's been a long time since I read it, but possibly Summerland by Michael Chabon?
posted by kristi at 10:23 AM on June 2, 2017
posted by kristi at 10:23 AM on June 2, 2017
The Lumberjanes graphic novel series. The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall.
posted by pimli at 6:03 PM on June 2, 2017
posted by pimli at 6:03 PM on June 2, 2017
More YA!
Honor Girl is a graphic memoir by Maggie Thrash about her summer camp coming out story.
Emma Tupper's Diary by Peter Dickinson - Emma stays with cousins she's never met for the summer. (probably more middle grade than YA)
posted by carrioncomfort at 1:46 PM on June 3, 2017
Honor Girl is a graphic memoir by Maggie Thrash about her summer camp coming out story.
Emma Tupper's Diary by Peter Dickinson - Emma stays with cousins she's never met for the summer. (probably more middle grade than YA)
posted by carrioncomfort at 1:46 PM on June 3, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
It's got the double whammy of summer-as-a-weird-time-of-its-own and navigating-the-weird-space-between-childhood-and-adulthood. It's beautifully drawn, and Mariko Tamaki speaks deep, fluent weird teen girl.
(If you like this you will probably also like Skim by the same creative team. Not about summer but again incredible, resonant teen voice.)
posted by terretu at 9:43 AM on June 1, 2017 [3 favorites]