Ezra Klein: Lad Lit

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February 11, 2006

Lad Lit

So there's plenty of (so-called) Chick Lit out there, but aside from Nick Hornby, who's holding down the dude side? Which is to say, I'm a big Hornby fan but have read all his books. I'm always hearing that he opened the door to the "lad lit" genre, but who stepped through it?

February 11, 2006 | Permalink

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Comments

Dave Eggers, Michael Chabon, and Chuck Palahniuk might qualify as Lad Lit. Palahniuk is a stretch for this specific category, but interesting reading nonetheless. Would David Sedaris qualify or is he a whole other genre due to style of writing and sexual orientation? Also, when you type Hornby into Amazon.com it gives a similar artist as Jonathan Lethem and Jonathan Frazen. I did a little research as I have asked this exact question myself.

Posted by: nicole | Feb 11, 2006 7:07:18 PM

I dunno, I love Lethem, Eggers, Chabon and Sedaris, but they're all heavier, more ironic stuff, don't you think?

Posted by: Ezra | Feb 11, 2006 7:15:59 PM

John O'Farrell isn't nearly as good as Hornby, but he's decent.

Posted by: Jeff | Feb 11, 2006 7:31:31 PM

I have been told by my female friends that Eggers is distinctly geared towards guys.

In the non-fiction category, I would say Michael Lewis is "Lad Lit".

Posted by: Nicholas Beaudrot | Feb 11, 2006 10:07:15 PM

What about Bret Easton Ellis?

Posted by: Off Colfax | Feb 12, 2006 2:56:39 AM

Dude, who picks lit based on gender? I mean Charles Dickens has a butt load of male heroes. Mark Twain wrote a couple of books based on the experiences of young men, maybe you've heard of them? Jane Austen had female leads, but does that mean that it's for "chicks"? I can get into Hornsby and Chabon, hell I love me some Kavalier and Clay, but Zadie Smith writes a mean book too. I'm sorry, I'm being a snob, but this is a pet peeve of mine. Wuthering Heights sucked but Charlotte was a fine Bronte, gender notwithstanding. Not every man has to read "Fight Club" and Hemingway clones. You will like Emma, it's a great book, maybe The Great Book so far as novels in english go..."The Bell Jar" is no slouch either. Unless this is a pop-lit thing...in which case I wish you godspeed.

Posted by: justin | Feb 12, 2006 3:25:05 AM

Well, some people say I wrote some lad lit...linked off my name here as an online chapter book. Chabon is ok, but too self-consciously literary. Honestly, Americans don't do lad lit particularly well - Brits are better. Mike Gayle is a decent example of this, sort of a low-rent Hornby.

Posted by: dan | Feb 12, 2006 3:42:06 AM

Pfft. Real lad lit can be found easily… just look for book covers with busty women in chain mail bras :-)

Posted by: Mastiff | Feb 12, 2006 4:40:02 AM

Lois McMaster Bujold? Laurell K. Hamilton?

Or did I just out myself? :/

Posted by: NBarnes | Feb 12, 2006 6:33:32 AM

It's not gender, it's genre. Doesn't matter which sex wrote it.

Posted by: Ezra | Feb 12, 2006 9:41:56 AM

Love Monkey by Kyle Smith qualifies as real lad lit. A lot of the other stuff that generally gets shoved into the category are classified as memoirs.

Posted by: shayera | Feb 12, 2006 1:02:05 PM

Seems like reading for men is more likely to be a private experience unless they write reviews and such. The book club craze has fed "chick lit." What would Oprah read? What wouldn't Oprah read? Maybe that's where we find "lad lit." Tim O' Brien for example. Look for the writers featured in Equire.

Posted by: cali dem | Feb 12, 2006 2:21:56 PM

Hey, I'm a girl and I LOVED Eggers. Why do you think it's geared towards men?

Posted by: Kate | Feb 12, 2006 2:27:14 PM

i would think tom clancy would be important to this genre

Posted by: dan | Feb 12, 2006 6:59:26 PM

Well the Oprah reference in Cali Dem's comment makes me think of David Foster Wallace - a lot of his short story collections would seem to lean toward being "lad" lit.

Posted by: Armand | Feb 12, 2006 7:53:08 PM

I'm a girl and I love David Foster Wallace but didn't like Eggers.

I don't know, what, if anything, that contributes to the discussion. But I think a lot of other women like DFW.

Posted by: Lauren | Feb 12, 2006 8:57:58 PM

what is lad/chick lit?

Posted by: rtaycher1987 | Feb 12, 2006 11:40:20 PM

Hmm... might Jonathan Safran Foer be Lad Lit? I'm kinda swinging in the dark here, but I get the feeling he's more geared toward the gents than the ladies, though I have no idea if that's actually true or not.

Posted by: Julian Elson | Feb 13, 2006 6:19:53 AM

You're joking, right? What ISN'T lad lit?

Posted by: Jimmm | Feb 13, 2006 8:31:19 AM

what about Martin Amis? I haven't read his other stuff, but I think The Rachel Papers is archetypal Lad Lit.

Posted by: Kathleen | Feb 13, 2006 10:09:30 AM

drop those zeros and read the heroes.

real men read joseph conrad.

Posted by: harry near indy | Feb 14, 2006 2:33:36 AM

Real men read George Macdonald Fraser. He's known mostly for his wonderful "Flashman" series, but he has other characters and also a splendid autobiography of his time serving in the British army in the Burma campaign. And how manly is this: he wrote the script for one of the James Bond movies! Harry Flashman is a gloriously unPC Victorian-era soldier/spy/diplomat/all-around coward and bounder. His adventures extend around the world, mainly in various episodes from British history (e.g., charge of the Light Brigade), but also other events. The books are characterized by their scrupulously researched historical detail and ruthless judgements of the real persons who participated. Exotic locales; high adventure; comely, generally willing female companions; genuine "Great Game" skullduggery -- true lads lit if there ever was.

Posted by: Steve | Feb 15, 2006 11:13:58 AM

I am surprised by the ignorance and comments by some people. Lad lit is not simply male based hero characters: instead a category used to fit the short prose, linear narrative, plot driven themes as opposed to the female circular narrative, domestic motifs, character interation and interal based ethos of the characters. Not simply "busty" girls.

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