18 Books Which Are In Conversation With "The Raptures" Part 1 - Fiction
I’ve wanted to write this blog for ages and not been able to find a spare minute to sit down and actually do it until this weekend. As anyone who’s ever written a book will most likely tell you, books don’t emerge from a vacuum- they’re an unholy mix of lived experience, imagination and tiny parts of all the other stories, novels and poems you’ve ever subjected your unconscious to. When I’m reading my brain is constantly scanning for ideas and word formations to riff on in my own writing. It’s not so much stealing as unsolicited collaboration: giving myself permission to creatively interpret someone else’s work.
When it came to writing “The Raptures” I was mostly drawing on lived experience, but I also had a huge collection of books and other cultural references tucked away at the back of my conscience. Reading over the novel now, I can clearly see all the other writers and artists who’ve helped to shape how it turned out and I wanted to share a list of some of the books which I think are in conversation with my own novel.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been most naturally drawn to books which question faith and religious belief. I’m not even sure how you’d go about putting a label on these ‘mostly’ novels. They’re a very eclectic bunch. Some are written from a broadly pro-religion perspective. Some are written from an atheistic or agnostic perspective. Some are written from a post-religion perspective. An increasing number are written from the perspective of people, like myself, who are muddling about in the middle ground trying to work out exactly what we believe.
These books examine issues like the miraculous element of religion, abuse and systematic prejudice within organised religion, the role of women, doubt and faith, and how religion has impacted the socio political landscape. Some are heartbreakingly honest and raw. Some are really, really funny. Some are pretty difficult to read without wincing. I’ve recognised a little of my own story in each of them and, though several are very recent publications, they all feel like they’re in dialogue with the story I was trying to tell in “The Raptures.”
I thought you might enjoy reading some of these novels and short story collections. I also hope to compile a list of non-fiction books on a similar theme as soon as I get a spare minute.
A couple of extra notes. Firstly, I’ve gone with books which are predominantly focused on the Christian experience of faith simply because I hd to draw a line somewhere and it’s the tradition I’m most familiar with. However I’ve also been hugely influenced by books from other faith traditions most notably Naomi Alderman’s “Disobedience” and Chaim Potok’s “My Name is Asher Lev” both of which were sitting very close to me as I wrote The Raptures. I’d love to read more fiction which explores faith and loss of faith from other religious perspectives so please feel free to suggest some good reads.
Secondly, I can’t find my copy of Sam Hanna Bell’s “December Bride” which is a hugely formative text for me and would definitely be in this list, (if I leant you my copy, please give it back). Thirdly, some of these books (O’Connor, Greene and Robinson), are token examples of an entire cannon which has influenced my writing, I just went with my favourite book from each but I’d recommend reading as much of their work as you can get your hands on. The list’s in no particularly order BUT if I could only save one foundational text from a burning house/the gates of Hell it’d definitely be “Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit.” (And everything Flannery O’Connor and Graham Greene wrote).
Even though the theme pulls these books into a rough list, there’s an incredible variety of books here. I think there’s probably something here nearly everyone will enjoy even if you’ve no interest in religion whatsoever. Always keen to chat about this topic if you see me out and about or at a book festival or something.
Graham Greene -The End of the Affair
Claire McGlasson - The Rapture
Brian Moore - Cold Heaven
Douglas Coupland - Life After God
Miriam Toews - Women Talking
Flannery O’Connor- Wise Blood
Marilynne Robinson - Gilead
Naomi Wood - The Godless Boys
Carys Bray - A Song for Issy Bradley
Catherine Lacey - Pew
Jeanette Winterson - Oranges are not the Only Fruit
Maurice Leitch - Gilchrist
Deesha Philyaw - The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
John Irving - A Prayer for Owen Meany
Paul Mendez - Rainbow Milk
Hilary Mantel - Fludd
Colette Snowden - Captain Jesus
William Trevor - Miss Gomez and the Brethren