Discover books similar to "The Master"

Michael Cunningham

The Hours

Like 'The Master', 'The Hours' explores the inner lives of complex characters. This novel, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, interweaves the stories of three women: a 1920s housewife, a 1950s mother and wife, and a contemporary editor and writer, all of whom are grappling with their own existential crises.

Rebecca Skloot

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Similar to 'The Master', this nonfiction book delves into the intersection of art and life. 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' tells the story of a poor black tobacco farmer whose cancer cells were taken without her knowledge and used to create the first immortal human cell line, which has been instrumental in scientific research ever since.

Chad Harbach

The Art of Fielding

Fans of 'The Master' will appreciate the richly drawn characters and nuanced exploration of themes like ambition, identity, and the search for meaning in 'The Art of Fielding'. This novel centers on a gifted baseball player at a small liberal arts college and the people in his orbit, including his coach, teammates, and a gay professor.

Sebastian Barry

The Secret Scripture

Like 'The Master', 'The Secret Scripture' is a beautifully written novel that explores the inner lives of its characters in exquisite detail. Set in a mental institution in Ireland, the novel tells the story of a woman who has been confined there for most of her life and the psychiatrist who tries to uncover the truth about her past.

Alan Hollinghurst

The Line of Beauty

Readers who enjoyed 'The Master' will appreciate the lush prose and nuanced exploration of sexuality in 'The Line of Beauty'. This novel, which won the Man Booker Prize, follows a young gay man who moves into the home of a wealthy politician in the 1980s and becomes embroiled in a world of privilege, politics, and desire.

Kiran Desai

The Inheritance of Loss

Like 'The Master', 'The Inheritance of Loss' is a multilayered novel that explores themes of identity, culture, and the legacies of colonialism. Set in the Himalayas, the novel tells the story of a retired judge and his orphaned granddaughter, who are struggling to come to terms with their place in the world.

Philip Roth

The Human Stain

Readers who enjoyed 'The Master' will appreciate the psychological depth and moral complexity of 'The Human Stain'. This novel, which won the PEN/Faulkner Award, tells the story of a middle-aged classics professor who is forced to confront the secrets of his past when he becomes embroiled in a scandal involving a student.

Barbara Kingsolver

The Poisonwood Bible

Like 'The Master', 'The Poisonwood Bible' is a richly textured novel that explores the impact of colonialism on individuals and communities. Set in the Belgian Congo in the 1960s, the novel tells the story of an evangelical Baptist minister who takes his wife and four daughters on a missionary trip to Africa and the consequences that ensue.

Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner

Readers who enjoyed 'The Master' will appreciate the emotional depth and moral complexity of 'The Kite Runner'. This novel tells the story of an Afghan man who must confront the consequences of his cowardice and betrayal of his childhood friend during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Junot Díaz

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Like 'The Master', 'The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao' is a multigenerational saga that explores themes of identity, culture, and the legacies of colonialism. Set in the Dominican Republic, the novel tells the story of a young man who is struggling to come to terms with his family's past and his own place in the world.

Paul Beatty

The Sellout

Readers who enjoyed 'The Master' will appreciate the satirical wit and incisive social commentary of 'The Sellout'. This novel, which won the Man Booker Prize, tells the story of a young black man who attempts to reinstitute segregation and slavery in a fictional Los Angeles suburb as a way of grappling with the legacy of racism in America.