Rarer is a debut that announces a talent like Cunningham’s.”—The New York Times
“One of the smartest and most involving political novels I’ve read in ages.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Vinson Cunningham’s sparkling debut novel, set during the Obama campaign, earns its comparisons to Henry James.”—Slate
“An innovative, resolutely distinctive book . . . ceaselessly searching and inventive . . . indispensable.”—The Nation
“Cunningham’s remarkable first novel matches the scale of its namesake.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Alive in its intellectual detours, with Cunningham considering religion, race, sex, film, politics, fatherhood, and more . . . A top-shelf intellectual bildungsroman.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“This is a novel of so many things—love and pride and pity and politics and sex and God and fatherhood—but, ultimately, it is about the human ambition to make sense of the troubled waters of our times. Brilliantly written, piercingly smart, quietly subversive, Great Expectations will be one of the talked-about novels of the year.”—Colum McCann, author of Let the Great World Spin, winner of the National Book Award
“The aptly titled Great Expectations announces Vinson Cunningham as a novelist of singular style, wit, and ambition. Read Great Expectations and see our recent past, our present, and even our future anew.”—Angela Flournoy, author of The Turner House, finalist for the National Book Award
“Vinson Cunningham’s Great Expectations is epic, intimate, and brimming with brilliance. [It’s] is a phenomenal, transfixing work, and Cunningham is a singular, dazzling writer.”—Bryan Washington, author of Family Meal and Memorial
“In Great Expectations, gospel is both a formative rhythm and a means of seduction. Cunningham writes thoughtfully about aspiration, fatalism, and the complexity of bearing witness to the creation of a mythology. I always look forward to reading his work.”—Raven Leilani, New York Times bestselling author of Luster
“Recent history becomes both thrillingly vivid and achingly past in Vinson Cunningham’s spellbinding debut novel, Great Expectations. A coming-of-age novel of the richest, most expansive kind, it’s a rare debut, one that feels both intimate and revelatory.”—Megan Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of The Turnout
“An electrifying first novel and bildungsroman of consummate artistry and sensitivity, honed vision and wit.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Great Expectations tackles questions of politics, race, religion, and family with Cunningham’s characteristic poise and insight.”—The Millions
“The vivid attention to detail in Great Expectations creates a singular, and sobering, mood—an ambient rumination on the recent, and seemingly very distant, past.”—The Boston Globe
Great Expectations by Vinson Cunningham is a clear-eyed, charming coming-of-age-story set in the world of power, money, and political campaigns. Cunningham joins us to talk about choosing the title for his book, the connections between art and identity, what it means to write about politics and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. This episode of […]
After another great month of reading (and podcast episodes), we’ve got a stack of stand-out novels from authors you won’t want to miss. From a fresh take on an American classic to a deliciously propulsive page-turner, a comprehensive look into an iconic artist and a unique take on a memoir, these are the best reviewed […]
In like a lion and out like a lamb: We have some terrific author interviews coming this month, some live in our flagship stores on New York’s Union Square and at The Grove in Los Angeles. We’re kicking off March with poet/translator/novelist Idra Novey and our newest Fiction Monthly Pick, Take What You Need, a […]
With a new year comes stacks of exciting new fiction to look forward to. Some of these authors are fresh on the publishing scene while others are familiar names trying something novel for a change. Whatever the case, we’re thrilled to give you a carefully curated list of our favorite brand new stories to keep […]