I often think of my years spent at college as some of the best in my life. I've always had a love for the typical American college campus, because there are always certain buildings that tend to crop up no matter what college you go to, such as dorms, some sort of dining hall/cafeteria, a stadium/gym, a student union, and so on (in this way they are much like spaceships, which also share many of the same features no matter what book/movie they appear in: A bridge, cargo bays, ship docks, and so forth). It is no surprise, then, that I'm a huge fan of the "college novel". Seeing as I'm writing such a book at the moment, my interest in this genre is much more intense then usual, and I find myself seeking other novels that fall into this genre. One of the main criticisms I've seen directed to the college novel is that there are often too many characters, plots that tend to ramble (if there are even plots at all), and so on. But I actually find these qualities quite endearing.
The first college novel I ever read was "The Rules of Attraction", by one of my favorite writers, Bret Easton Ellis. I liked the aimlessness of it, how there wasn't really a story... you could just chill out with the characters in their dorm rooms, hang out with them at parties, and so on (I also liked how the book had it's own soundtrack and musical cues, something that too few novels do IMO). Camden College, of course, is based on Ellis' alma mater, Bennington, which also inspired Hampden college in Donna Tartt's "The Secret History", which was the second college book I read, a book that follows more of a traditional storyline that happens to be set in a college (a very enjoyable book also).
Right now I'm reading Neal Stephenson's "The Big U", which was the author's first published novel. It appears that he's unhappy with it and would have liked it to remain out of print, but when people were spending lots of money on it on eBay he agreed to have it republished. I don't know why he seems to hate it so much, as I think it's one of the best things I've read in awhile now (and the only book by Stephenson I've been able to actually read without getting bored). Even though it's set on a college campus the book has a strong science fiction element to it, and it really is a total information overload. I also adore the location of the book, a fictional place called the American Megauniversity... Six stories tall, plus three floors underground and an elaborate sewer system, and on top of the roof, eight twenty-five story towers to house all of the students. This place sounds like one of the coolest colleges that was never built. Had it existed in real life, I definetly would have gone there... well, either there or Camden.
I guess I'm looking for more novels that fit into the college genre. Any suggestions? I can't help but notice that the three examples I listed are all set in the 1980's and (with the exception of "The Secret History") published in the 1980's. Is the genre not as big as it used to be or something? Also, anyone else here share my infatuation with this genre, and, if so, why? |
