If you loved
Books like JR
A sharp, humorous satire that turns the American dream on its head through the ruthless corporate ambitions of a child. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with JR.
- absurd
- energetic
- cynical
- 01
The Recognitions
William Gaddis · 1993
A sprawling, encyclopedic descent into a world where everything is a copy and authenticity is a dangerous illusion.
- 02
Train dreams
Denis Johnson
An evocative, miniature epic that captures the poignant weight of an ordinary life shaped by labor and loss in the American West.
- 03
The Toothpaste Millionaire
Jean Merrill
A cheerful, empowering celebration of youthful ingenuity and the thrill of turning a simple idea into a spectacular reality.
- 04
Martin Dressler
Steven Millhauser · 1996
A hypnotic, architectural fairy tale about the dizzying heights and hollow center of the American Dream.
- 05
The adventures of Augie March
Saul Bellow
A sprawling, street-smart odyssey through Depression-era America, fueled by an insatiable hunger for life and a refusal to be pinned down.
- 06
Wonder Boys
Michael Chabon · 2006
A chaotic, weed-hazed weekend of literary crises and autumnal melancholy that ultimately finds grace in letting go.
- 07
Cosmopolis
Don DeLillo · 2003
A surreal, claustrophobic crawl through a hyper-capitalist apocalypse from the backseat of a soundproof stretch limousine.
- 08
Sabbath's Theater
Philip Roth
A torrential, darkly hilarious howl of grief and obscenity from a man refusing to go quietly into old age.
- 09
Something Happened
Joseph Heller
A slow-burn exploration of the quiet, creeping despair hidden beneath a perfectly average American life.
- 10
Infinite Jest
David Foster Wallace · 1996
A sprawling, tragicomic labyrinth of footnotes and hyper-articulate despair that asks what it means to be entertained to death.
- 11
Learn to Earn
Peter Lynch and John Rothchild · 1995
A friendly, jargon-free guided tour through the engine room of capitalism that makes investing feel like accessible common sense.
- 12
Trust
Hernan Diaz
A brilliant, shape-shifting literary puzzle that peels back the glittering facade of American wealth to reveal the erased voices beneath.
