I want to read and feel the 90s zeitgeist.
It is 31 December 1999 and you are reflecting on the best books that came out this decade (or that shaped this decade even if they are not necessarily "good"). Which ones? What was everyone reading in the 90s?
by Ooo_I_dont_know
2 Comments
secret history donna tartt
a game of thrones grrm (this blew up later but it needs to be in any 90s list)
angela’s ashes frank mccourt
into the wild jon krakauer
the beach alex garland
harry potter jkr (a bit meh for me but you said shaped the decade…)
Bridget Jones’s Diary was huge in the 90s. I read it years ago and did enjoy the humour but the stuff about Bridget’s weight won’t have aged well. But it does have that sense of 90s fun about it. Meeting in bars in London with your friends. Starting messy relationships with your boss etc.
Trainspotting and other Irvine Welsh books were huge at the time. Very transgressive and weird at times. Very Scottish! I read a few by him and they’re good but intense and dark.
I recently reread the Adrian Mole books and they have 90s nostalgia for me. They’re light hearted and funny but also touch on issues of class. The characters just jump off the page.
I’m sure there are many many more and I’m British so these are very British books. Others will chime in with books from around the world I’m sure.