The beginner's guide to Rainbow Rowell
I adore Rainbow Rowell. Her work is funny, smart and deeply interesting, plus she writes maybe the best first kiss scenes of anyone, ever. If you’re a Rowell newbie and you’re considering reading her books, first ask yourself if you are open to books that may include a combination of these three things: teenage protagonists, pop culture references and romantic entanglements. Did you answer yes? Excellent, come right this way.
Here’s my recommended reading order for Rowell’s books:
1. Eleanor & Park
When an author is particularly famous for one of her books, then I usually think you should start there. Things are popular for a reason, and reading an author’s most well-known work is the perfect entry point when deciding how deep to go into their books. Also, Eleanor & Park is an amazing book and very deserving of its success, so that helps.
The novel is the story of two teenage misfits falling in love, set in 1980s small-town America. It covers issues such as family violence, racism, poverty and self-esteem, all the while delighting in one of the gentlest, loveliest teenage romances of all time. Eleanor, our female protagonist, and Park, the male lead, are both characters unlike anything that you’d usually see in this kind of book. This is a very much a cross-over novel – there’s as much for adults to enjoy in this book as teens. There’s currently an Eleanor & Park movie in the works, and it’s unlikely a film could capture the intense magic of this novel, so I very much encourage you to read this book as soon as possible.
2. Fangirl
I love them both immensely, but I think Fangirl is my favourite book by Rainbow Rowell (with Eleanor & Park running a very, very, very close second). Fangirl was the first book of Rowell’s I ever read. I was lucky enough to pick up an advance copy at a book expo in New York, and when I finally got around to reading it back in Melbourne, I was blown away. I spent an entire Saturday on my couch, book in hand, smile on my face, burrowing into the pages. It’s a very pop-culture focused book, with fan-fiction playing a major part, and it’s also got a satisfying love story, an interesting sibling dynamic and juicy family issues.
Set during an awkward, introverted young woman’s first year at college, it’s a near perfect coming of age story.
3. Landline
Landline is Rowell’s most recent novel. It’s an adult book, looking at a marriage between two people – Georgie and Neal – who fell in love in college and are now parents to two adorable children, and struggling with their relationship and career obstacles. What I like and enjoyed about this book: Rowell’s trademark humour and writing style are there; it’s a really interesting exploration of a stay-at-home father and ambitious, successful mother and the particular strains this dynamic puts on their relationship; Rowell knows how to write cute kids; the flashbacks to Georgie and Neal falling in love in college are wonderful and my favourite parts of the novel. What I didn’t enjoy: the magic phone. It’s a bold plot device (Georgie discovers a landline phone that allows her to speak with Neal in the past) but I don’t think it quite works. That said, there’s still plenty to enjoy in the book and I recommend it to anyone who devoured Eleanor & Park and Fangirl and is hungry for more Rowell.
4. Attachments
This is the point where I say: die-hard Rainbow Rowell fans only. Attachments is Rowell’s first book, and I confess, I don’t like it very much. Her wit is there, her writing is strong, and she captures a friendship between two women really well, but I couldn’t get on board with the male character Lincoln. I just didn’t warm to him, and I didn’t enjoy the sections written from his perspective. It doesn’t help that he works in IT security and falls in love with one of the female leads after reading her private work emails. But! The world is full of many different readers, and I know this book has many fans, so if you’ve enjoyed everything Rowell has written up until this point, then definitely give Attachments a go.
