The beginning of a new academic year is a period for dynamic personal rebranding, even more so than New Year’s. A new academic year wipes the slate clean, motivations are at their highest, and goals for the year have not yet become dredged down by obligation. No literary genre motivates and inspires more than the aptly named ‘campus novel’, which curates a vibe encapsulating the atmosphere of the autumn semester and often, the romanticisation of university. The following texts range in genre and theme, but all embody their own distinct academic atmosphere, which aligns perfectly with the crisp air and soggy pavements of the autumn semester.
The Secret History (1992) by Donna Tartt – starting with a classic. The aesthetic of this text leans into the gothic and moody characterisations of ‘dark academia’ (akin to what you may see in the Edinburgh Old Town). The novel follows a group of Classics students so absorbed within Classical Mythology and their own intellectualism that they collectively descend into chaos and murder.
If We Were Villains (2017) by M. L. Rio – The Secret History, if you were to swap out the Classic’s element for Shakespeare. Rio’s text leans less heavily on intellectual elitism and takes a more emotional approach to the murder mystery element of the plot.
Babel (2022) by R.F. Kuang – set in Oxford’s Royal Institute of Translation in 1828, we follow Robin Swift, a Chinese orphan, as he grapples with colonialism, oppressive power systems and the influence of language, during his time studying in Oxford. Kuang mingles historical fiction with fantasy as she weaves elements of magic into the narrative.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (2022) by Gabrielle Zevin – while not exclusively a ‘campus novel’, we follow our two central characters through many decades of pre- and post-academia. This novel follows three central characters as they grapple with ambition, creative partnership and academic burnout through their careers in video game development.
Norwegian Wood (1987) by Haruki Murakami – this novel follows Toru Watanabe’s journey as he revisits memories from his university years. Set within 1960s Tokyo, Murakami explores many themes of death, love and mental health. The core of this text lies within Murakami’s narrative tone as he produces a novel that is both introspective and often challenging (while a wonderful text, it is not the most cheerful)
Stoner (1965) by John Williams – this novel, while fantastic, also has a sadder tone to it than the previous few. Stoner follows William Stoner, a literature professor, as he lives an ordinary and unassuming life. Williams tackles meaning within the ordinary by examining the human condition against a backdrop of academic passion.
“Oxford students walking to their exams” by jimmyharris is licensed under CC BY 2.0