Discover books similar to "The Intuitionist"

Colson Whitehead

John Henry Days

A compelling narrative that explores the history of America through the story of a fictional African-American folk hero, John Henry, and a modern-day journalist covering the commemoration of the hundredth anniversary of his legendary race with a steam drill. Like 'The Intuitionist', this novel combines elements of historical and contemporary society, and challenges the reader to think about race, identity, and the myths that shape our understanding of the past.

Colson Whitehead

The Underground Railroad

A powerful reimagining of the Underground Railroad as a literal network of tracks and tunnels beneath the soil of the American South. The novel follows a young slave named Cora as she escapes from a Georgia plantation and makes her way north, encountering a wide range of characters and situations that reveal the brutal history of slavery and its lasting impact on American society. Like 'The Intuitionist', this novel explores themes of race, identity, and the struggle for freedom in a deeply evocative and thought-provoking way.

Paul Beatty

The Sellout

A biting satire that explores the history and legacy of racism in America through the story of a young black man who attempts to reinstitute segregation in a fictional Los Angeles neighborhood. The novel challenges the reader to confront the absurdities and contradictions of race relations in America, and offers a provocative and often hilarious critique of our society's ongoing struggles with inequality and injustice. Like 'The Intuitionist', this novel uses humor and irony to explore serious social and political issues.

Junot Díaz

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

A sweeping novel that tells the story of a young Dominican man growing up in New Jersey, and his family's complicated history in the Dominican Republic. The novel explores themes of identity, history, and the immigrant experience, and offers a rich and complex portrait of a community that is often overlooked or misunderstood. Like 'The Intuitionist', this novel challenges the reader to think about the ways in which our past shapes our present, and the ways in which we navigate the complexities of identity and belonging.

Edward P. Jones

The Known World

A powerful and deeply moving novel that explores the world of black slave owners in antebellum Virginia. The novel tells the story of Henry Townsend, a freed slave who becomes a successful farmer and slave owner, and the complicated web of relationships and power dynamics that shape his world. Like 'The Intuitionist', this novel challenges the reader to think about the history of race and inequality in America, and the ways in which our past continues to shape our present.

Elizabeth Kolbert

The Sixth Extinction

A Pulitzer Prize-winning exploration of the current mass extinction event that is threatening life on Earth. The book offers a compelling and often harrowing account of the ways in which human activity is destroying the natural world, and the consequences of this destruction for both human and non-human life. Like 'The Intuitionist', this book challenges the reader to think about the relationship between technology, progress, and the natural world, and the ethical implications of our actions.

Isabel Wilkerson

The Warmth of Other Suns

A sweeping narrative history of the Great Migration, the mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North during the twentieth century. The book tells the stories of three individuals who made this journey, and offers a powerful and moving account of the challenges and opportunities they faced as they sought a better life for themselves and their families. Like 'The Intuitionist', this book explores themes of identity, history, and the immigrant experience, and offers a rich and complex portrait of a community that is often overlooked or misunderstood.

Brit Bennett

The Vanishing Half

A sweeping family saga that explores the lives of twin sisters who are born in a small, southern black community and who ultimately choose very different paths in life. One sister passes for white and starts a new life in California, while the other remains in their hometown and raises a family. The novel explores themes of identity, race, and the complexities of family relationships, and offers a rich and moving portrait of the human cost of prejudice and discrimination. Like 'The Intuitionist', this novel challenges the reader to think about the ways in which our past shapes our present, and the ways in which we navigate the complexities of identity and belonging.

Richard Powers

The Overstory

A sweeping, ambitious novel that tells the story of nine individuals whose lives become intertwined through their connection to trees and the natural world. The novel explores themes of identity, community, and the relationship between humans and the natural world, and offers a powerful and moving critique of our society's ongoing destruction of the environment. Like 'The Intuitionist', this novel challenges the reader to think about the ethical implications of our actions, and the ways in which we are all connected to the world around us.