The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride
One of my recent favorites. Kind of like a female Joyce at times, not just in Irishness but in psychology. A book about two people falling in love–we learn their names one at a time, late in the book. There’s almost no explaining and no sentimentality. There’s sex but it’s handled deftly. Learning his story, through an extended bit where we hear his voice, exactly as he speaks it to her, is thrilling. And it manages a happy ending that’s not in the way you’d expect. Once you get in the rhythm of the voice it’s hard to stop.
Amy P. Knight 