Eleven Electric Novellas Under 200 Pages That Will Help You Nip Bookrastination in the Bud

   Busy and knackered? In dire need of some good books to unwind, but not enough time to read and even less to search for those books? Or have you been meaning to take up reading (again) but find yourself bookrastinating? I think I can help you!

   In today’s post I’ll be sharing eleven of the best novellas I’ve read. If fiction is not your cup of tea, no worries, because over the coming weeks I’ll be recommending the best non-fiction books and poetry collections under 200 pages. If you need short story collections to dive in and out, I’ve got you covered in one of my upcoming posts too! For now, let’s jump into that great rabbit hole of fantastic fiction with me 🐰 Without further ado, here are eleven electric novellas under 200 pages that will lift you out of the electrocuting chair of bookrastination (in case you’re wondering, no, I can’t help being absolutely smitten with repeating numbers – and to add unapologetically, eleven happens to be my favourite number #SorryNotSorry):

 

1)    Elena Knows by Claudia Peneiro, translated from Spanish by Frances Riddle – 143 pages

Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2022 – a literary prize honouring both authors and translators – this gripping and intense novella is a treat for both literary fiction and psychological thriller connoisseurs. In just 143 pages it packs a punch in countless ways – from its structure or rather fine literary architecture, to the compelling voice of its narrator and the thought-provoking themes it explores. Elena, our protagonist, suffers from a severe form of Parkinson’s disease that requires her to take medication in order to walk. Her daughter Rita is found dead hanging from a church bell and police rules the death a suicide. Elena thinks she knows that it’s not, so despite her ailment she decides to conduct her own investigation by attempting to enlist the help of a woman who, according to her, owes a debt to her daughter – but is her perspective shared by the woman in question? That’s what this page-turning read explores. Two things that struck me as soon as I started reading the book were its exquisite translation (I’d observed that most Spanish books were extremely well translated, however this one had certainly set the bar higher) and the novella’s, as highlighted, sublime literary architecture – it alternates between past and present and the sections detailing the present were titled after the number of pills Elena has taken or will be taking in the day (ie First Pill, Second Pill and so on). So you see? This amazing book’s a total gem 💎 Fun fact: I’ve just found out that the translator of this book, Frances Riddle, is also the translator of Violeta by Isabel Allende which I am absolutely looking forward to reading! Hmm… Perhaps that explains the brilliant translation in part!

*Elena Knows was published in 2021 by Charco Press and Claudia Piñeiro is represented by Schavelzon Graham Literary Agency*

Check out my probably-not-very-helpful-but-certainly-enthusiastic review of the book here.

 

2)    Concrete by Thomas Bernhard, translated from German by David McLintock – 154 pages

Let’s return to the grand subject of … bookrastination, because this lovely book of genius explores that. Prior to reading Concrete, the only aspect of bookrastination I was exposed to was the act of procrastinating when one was meant to read a book. Not only did this witty and deftly translated novella concretely taught me that putting off writing a book counts as bookrastination, it showed me that putting off writing a book by writing a brilliant book about how one has been putting off writing a book does too – in just 154 precise pages at that! What’s even more brilliant is that the book is narrated by a musicologist, so expect both psychological introspection and poetic prose 🎶

*Musically and aptly, Concrete was published in the UK in 1989 by Quartet Books, and I wish I could find out which literary agency represented its deceased author*

 

3)    The Book Collector by Alice Thompson – 176 pages

Another book about book(s) but this time exploring book collecting rather than book writing. If you’re a fan of gothic horror, fairy tales, magical realism, Edwardian fiction and as highlighted, bookish books, this one’s definitely for you. In this murderously good spine-tingling novella about book spines amongst other bookish horrors by the Scottish novelist Alice Thompson, our protagonist Violet is obsessed with books of fairy tales but not just any of them – she is particularly dazzled, or to be more apt hypnotised, by those her husband collects. The postnatal depression she experiences after the birth of her first child serves only to strengthen her bookish madness. Before long a series of strange events occurs, turning her already maddeningly intense life upside-down. Is she right when she begins suspecting that her husband, GP and psychiatrist all play their fishy parts in those events? I won’t spoil it for you.

*The Book Collector was published in 2015 by Salt Publishing, a UK-based publisher that specialises in short, scenic, prize-winning novellas, and Alice Thompson is represented by Jenny Brown Associates*

 

4)    Sisters by Daisy Johnson – 186 pages

Fans of literary fiction and horror will undoubtedly delight in this quick yet filling treat that, as its title suggests, explores dysfunctional sibling relationship. Teenage sisters July and September share a deep, intense and even obsessive bond, until a case of school bullying forces them and their depressed single mother to move to an abandoned family home. There, neglected by their mother who is too preoccupied with grief, the sisters are left to their own devices and before long, their intimate relationship is shaken to the core by unsettling occurrences. Breathe… Close your eyes… Let this nightmarishly surreal, mind-bending and mind-blowing 2020 Shirley Jackson Award nominee chain you to your seats for a few scarily fun hours…

*Sisters was published in 2020 in the UK by Jonathan Cape and Daisy Johnson is represented by Eve White Literary Agency*

 

5)    Somebody Loves You by Mona Arshi – 176 pages

A 2022 Republic of Consciousness Prize longlist, this episodic novella features another heroine whose mother struggles with mental health issues. Trauma has led our protagonist, Ruby, to stop speaking for good. Does her silence help or harm her, and are there stories that are better left untold? This impressive novella explores those questions and more in, well, not too many words, which is a bit of an understatement.

*Somebody Loves You was published in 2021 by And Other Stories through their subscription box and Mona Arshi is represented by Felicity Bryan Associates *

 

6)    Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri, translated from Italian by the author – 176 pages

This beautifully written, fragmented novella by the author and polyglot Jhumpa Lahiri can be finished just before lunch, leaving you hungry for more books. This is the first work Lahiri has written in Italian and then translated into English, which definitely adds to the novella’s contextual and textural richness. The narrator of the book is an unnamed female lecturer in an Italian university and we get to share the beautiful, dark-chocolaty slices of the cake that is her life. This may not be a plot-driven novella but it is definitely for anyone who loves gorgeous, addictive prose.

*Whereabouts was published in 2021 in the UK by Bloomsbury Publishing and Jhumpa Lahiri is represented by Steven Barclay Agency*

 

7)    Sweet Days of Discipline by Fleur Jaeggy, translated from Italian by Tim Parks – 106 pages

Another quick and captivating read written in Italian, this time by a Swiss author. You’d love this if you grew up as it were reading books set in boarding schools, because this exquisite novella about friendship and obsession is one of them. Set in post-war Switzerland, this is a story of a fourteen-year-old schoolgirl’s struggle to win the affections of the seemingly perfect new girl. Expect intense school drama and mesmeric descriptions of the Swiss scenery in equal measure ❣️

*Sweet Days of Discipline was published in the UK in 2018 by And Other Stories and I can’t find out which literary agency represents Fleur Jaeggy*

 

8)   Assembly by Natasha Brown – 105 pages

This thought-provoking literary debut reads like a collection of prose poems to me or a novella in verse, and it has been both longlisted and shortlisted for numerous literary prizes, including the 2022 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, 2021 Los Angeles Book Prize for First Fiction, 2022 Desmond Elliott Prize, 2022 Rathbones Folio Prize and the 2021 Goldsmith Prize amongst others. It was the winner of the Foyles Fiction Book of the Year 2021, no less! Wish to change the world for the better but not sure where to start? Narrated by a high-achieving black British woman who is grappling with various overt and subtle discriminations, this powerful novella, which centres upon themes like racism, classism, postcolonialism and capitalism will definitely open your eyes to the countless injustices in our modern society and inspire you to act – in more ways than one. If this impressive novella hasn’t wowed you yet, I don’t know what will.

*Assembly was published in the UK in 2021 by Hamish Hamilton and Natasha Brown is represented by Aitken Alexander Associates Ltd*

 

9)    The Suicide Shop by Jean Teulé, translated from French by Sue Dyson – 169 pages

Written by a French novelist, cartoonist and screenwriter, this dreamy novella, despite its deceptive title, is far from grim and gloomy. Brimming with positivity and full of dark yet light-hearted humour, this utterly delightful and enchanting book is in fact the most uplifting and life-affirming novella I have ever read. It centres around the Tuvache family who owns a suicide shop, a shop selling various items that help customers, duh, commit suicide. In their contented misery, the family takes pride in what they do, because this is after all their calling, to give their customers the best, most triumphant deaths possible when those customers have failed in life. They have run the shop for generations – it’s a family business – so how can they not be proud of the unique service they provide? But the birth of the youngest child in the family changes everything. When the book begins, a customer of the suicide shop sees something extremely puzzling – baby Alan actually smiles in his cot! The parents can’t believe it. None of the Tuvache children have ever smiled. It must have been the wind. But nope, Alan, they realise, is definitely smiling. And so the stage is set as it were! As the story progresses and Alan grows, we see how his love of life slowly but surely infects his family members, who have never known what it means to love life prior. Alan is disruptively positive and there are so, so many adorable, precious and laugh-out-loud moments when his parents, brother and sister are at a loss as to how to respond to his words and behaviours – as to whether to be annoyed or amused. The English translation of this book is by no means flowery, though its beauty is its simplicity. Reminiscent of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, this charming novella is nonetheless its own person. It has the sublime quality of an excellent Japanese anime, probably because the author is a cartoonist? When life gives me lemon? Why? I’ll think of one of the happiest and uplifting moments of my life, the moment I read The Suicide Shop – and feel so, so much better… Ahh…!

*The Suicide Shop is published in 2008 by Gallic Books and Jean Teulé is represented by ELKOST International literary agency*

 

10) The Fell by Sarah Moss – 192 pages

What comes to mind when you think of the words modern-day nightmare? Covid, right? Right. Me too. Which is why the list wouldn’t be complete without a pandemic novella – and The Fell is one such. Set during the Covid lockdown, the novella is about Kate who is in the middle of a two-week quarantine and who decides to take a stroll because she can no longer stand the confinement. Her neighbour Alice sees her leaving and she is plagued with the dilemma of whether to alert the authority, and soon Kate’s teenage son Matt realises that his mum is missing. During her walk, Kate falls and severely injures herself, and a mountain rescue operation begins. Sarah Moss is one of my favourite writers – I have read a few of her books – because she is truly wise and perceptive, and this moving novella demonstrates that.

*The Fell was published in the UK in 2021 by Picador (on 11 Nov to be exact) and Sarah Moss was represented by United Agents*

 

11) Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan – 128 pages

The list is also not quite complete without the heart-breaking novella in the 2022 Booker longlist, so Small Things Like These is a must-include for me. It is also the shortest book that has made it to the Booker longlist! This novella will definitely help if you need a good cry. It is set in 1985 in a small town in Ireland, and our protagonist is a golden hearted coal and timber merchant with five daughters. When he makes his delivery to the local convent and Magdalen laundry one morning, arriving there earlier than expected, he discovers the devastating sufferings of the girls who live there and this prompted him to take matters into his own hands… Though heart-breaking, this haunting novella is ultimately a book of hope and healing.

*Small Things Like These was published in the UK in 2021 by Faber & Faber and Claire Keegan is represented by Curtis Brown*

 

There it is – a list of eleven electric novellas, all under 200 pages, that I’ve enjoyed and that I believe you might too! Come join the initiative to end world bookrastination one book at a time – or eleven!