The Economist reads

The best novels published in the second quarter of 2025

American and Irish writers dominate the list

Jun 26, 2025 12:45 PM

AT THIS TIME of year, many in the northern hemisphere will be gearing up to wind down on a summer holiday. A reprieve from work provides an opportunity to relax—and read. If you are looking for a novel to pack in your suitcase, consider one of these titles. Those stuck at home, or in a cold country, may also escape reality in their pages.

Among Friends. By Hal Ebbott. Riverhead Books; 320 pages; $28. Picador; £18.99

This elegant debut novel features two wealthy families who come together to celebrate a birthday at a country house in upstate New York. Misdemeanours and cutting comments cause tensions; a harsh betrayal puts longstanding friendships to the test. A tale of charmed lives and strained loyalties.

The Director. By Daniel Kehlmann. Translated by Ross Benjamin. Summit Books; 352 pages; $28.99. Riverrun; £22

This novel recreates the life of G.W. Pabst, an Austrian film director, in the 1930s and 1940s. When Austria becomes part of the Third Reich, Pabst is forced to make films for the Nazis. His decision to collaborate with the regime has a profound impact on his family and his reputation. Blending fact and fiction, this tale is a study of art and complicity.

Fox. By Joyce Carol Oates. Hogarth; 672 pages; $32. Fourth Estate; £18.99

When Francis Fox, a charismatic boarding-school teacher, goes missing, Horace Zwender is brought in to investigate. As the detective builds a profile of the mysterious Fox, he starts to uncover a catalogue of shocking crimes. This sprawling yet immersive novel is rich in suspense, diabolical secrets and psychological insight.

Fulfillment. By Lee Cole. Knopf; 336 pages; $29. Faber & Faber; £18.99

Emmett is an “unloader” at a distribution centre who aspires to become a screenwriter. His half-brother, Joel, has achieved success as an author and academic, but his marriage is on the rocks: his wife, Alice, yearns for a different kind of life. When the siblings are reunited at home in Paducah, Kentucky, tensions mount and a love triangle takes shape. A riveting tale about hope and desire.

Great Black Hope. By Rob Franklin. Summit Books; 320 pages; $28.99 and £16.99

Smith, a young black man, is arrested for the possession of cocaine in the weeks after the tragic death of his room-mate. His wealthy parents in Atlanta offer him guidance, but he opts to follow his own path—one that may lead to destruction or redemption. Revolving around a well-drawn protagonist, this is a sharply focused debut novel.

Let Me Go Mad in My Own Way. By Elaine Feeney. Harvill Secker; 320 pages; $19.99 and £16.99

Claire O’Connor returns to the west of Ireland from London to care for her dying father. But when she comes into contact with an old flame, Tom Morton, her attempt at a new start in life is hampered by memories of past pain. Claire’s story opens out into a multigenerational drama about love, reinvention and the lasting impact of trauma.

Ripeness. By Sarah Moss. Picador; 304 pages; £20. To be published in America by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in September; $28

In the summer of 1967, Edith travels to Italy to help her sister, Lydia, through the last stages of her unwanted pregnancy. In the present day, an older and wiser Edith is troubled by her friend Méabh, who is keen to welcome her unknown American half-brother to their Irish village, but opposed to the presence of African refugees. This novel weaves together two narratives to examine family ties and national identity.

The Wildelings. By Lisa Harding. HarperVia; 368 pages; $28. Bloomsbury; £16.99

With echoes of Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History”, this propulsive novel follows Jessica and her friends as they fall under the spell of Mark, a fellow student at a university in Dublin. When Jessica acts in Mark’s play, she becomes even more in thrall to him; soon he is directing her not just on stage, but off it, too. His manipulative games lead her into dangerous territory. This is dark academia at its most gripping. ■