Hopefully this makes sense. Looking for a story or book that is written in the style and structure of a fantasy novel. but it's set in modern day with no magic or sci-fi stuff at all. Flowery prose that makes everything feel larger than life, even though the characters are actually doing pretty normal things. Something that elevates the mundane to heroic proportions.
sorry if I'm confusing.
by Appropriate_Rent_243
4 Comments
I haven’t read it, but I feel like Remarkably Bright Creatures could fit this request. I’ve especially heard the audiobook is great.
I also think North Woods by Daniel Mason would be great. I just finished and it was my first five star of the year. It has a little something for everyone and it feels like magic on the page.
Try *The God of the Woods*.
I know you don’t want magic and sci-fi, but have you tried magical realism before? There are a lot of options that fit your brief if you’re okay with a slight supernatural edge but the setting is anchored in our world. Some of my favorites are by Alice Hoffman. Another favorite: *Monkey Beach* by Eden Robinson.
I feel like you’re looking for David Mitchell novels. He’s probably my favourite author and I can’t quite put my finger on why this is other than I just really vibe with his writing style.
Many of his novels have fantastical elements in them (to varying extents), yet feel decidedly grounded and rooted in every day life. At the very least, I think it’s well worth giving one of his novels a try. There are a couple I haven’t read yet and some I’ve not read for some years so I’m not sure which would be best to recommend. Maybe Utopia Avenue – his latest novel.
(Note: there are some vague overlaps in characters between stories but I don’t think you’d be missing much reading them out of order other than an “ooh, so they’re back!”)
It’s not in a contemporary setting, but your description strongly reminds me of a book:
The Swedish Cavalier, by Leo Perutz.
Another book that casts a strange light on very mundane events (set in modern times) is:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime, by Mark Haddon.