Today in Bookish and Literary History, January 23

 1926 Great God Brown by Eugene O'Neill - US

The Great God Brown by Eugene O'Neill is a thought-provoking play that delves into the complexities of identity, ambition, and the masks people wear to conceal their true selves. Set in the early 20th century, the play centers around the lives of two childhood friends, Dion Anthony and Billy Brown, whose paths diverge as they navigate the challenges of adulthood. While Dion pursues success and social acceptance, Billy retreats into a world of artistic expression and self-discovery. As their lives intersect and intertwine, they grapple with the masks they wear to conceal their innermost desires and fears. Through a series of flashbacks and surrealistic scenes, O'Neill explores the themes of authenticity and alienation, probing the depths of the human psyche and the elusive nature of truth. The Great God Brown is a powerful exploration of the masks we wear in our daily lives and the struggle to reconcile our public personas with our innermost selves.

1964 After the Fall by Arthur Miller - US

Often called the most autobiographical of Arthur Miller s plays, After the Fall probes deeply into the psyche of Quentin, a man who ruthlessly revisits his past to explain the catastrophe that is his life. His journey backward takes him through a troubled upbringing, the bitter death of his mother, and a series of failed relationships.

2023 Wednesday's Child by Yiyun Li - China

A new collection―about loss, alienation, aging, and the strangeness of contemporary life―by the award-winning, and inimitable, author of The Book of Goose.

• Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize
• Finalist for the Story Prize
• Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction
• Finalist for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award

2024 The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James - US ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (My Review)

A “mesmerizing...wildly entertaining” (The Boston Globe) magical realism western in the vein of Cormac McCarthy meets Gabriel García Márquez, The Bullet Swallower follows a Mexican bandido as he sets off for Texas to rob a train, only to encounter a mysterious figure who has come, finally, to collect a cosmic debt generations in the making.

2025 Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan - UK/Malaysia

Funny, sharp, and poignant, Disappoint Me is a sweeping exploration of love, loss, trans panic, race, millennial angst, and the relationships—familial and romantic—that make us who we are.