Writing about Donna Tartt last week and The Secret History got me thinking about the campus novel.
I’ve always been fascinated by this sub-literary genre, from what makes it work to why it continues to captivate readers and how it manages to be both intensely specific and universally resonant.
The best campus novels transport us to a world of intellectual ambition, youthful recklessness, and, often, profound disillusionment. They capture a moment in life where identity, relationships, and ambition collide.
But what exactly makes a great campus novel, and which books best define the ever-growing genre?