Six Books Worth Tracking Down

Six Books Worth Tracking Down

Many avid readers have a personal collection of books they return to for pleasure, learning, or escape. While these lists often contain popular works, they also include lesser-known novels cherished by a few. With countless printed materials, a once-celebrated book might fade in popularity or even go out of print. However, for its dedicated fans, a book's obscurity may actually boost its private value.

Here are six books that I believe are unfairly unheralded. These titles are no longer trendy, if they ever were. Some have been reprinted by indie presses; others can only be found in second-hand bookstores or niche websites. But if you manage to read one of these selections, you'll experience formal complexity and artistic delight that might make them permanent additions to your own collection.

Solo Faces by James Salter

James Salter's Solo Faces might be overshadowed by his accomplished novels Light Years and A Sport and a Pastime, but this lesser-known work deserves attention. The story follows Vernon Rand, a mountaineer and wanderer whose obsession with climbing alienates him from everyday life. The result is a lean, intense tale of a modern-day outlaw, a pure loner at odds with the world.

Salter tests his own brilliance here, capturing both climactic mountain rescues and interpersonal struggles with rhetorical control. This sophisticated work is a standout among sporting novels and remains in print from North Point Press.

Passacaglia by Robert Pinget

Passacaglia is one of my favorite books from the nouveau roman movement, which challenged traditional novelistic structures. Robert Pinget employs spare language and cryptic storylines to create a thrilling puzzle for readers. The book follows a man known as The Master, preoccupied with the recent death of an idiot who lived with him.

As he reflects on memories, talks with a local doctor, and writes in his notebooks, the death takes on a dreamlike quality that lingers long after finishing the novel. Though Passacaglia is sadly out of print in English, its haunting atmosphere makes it worth tracking down.

Yesterday's Burdens by Robert M. Coates

Robert M. Coates may be remembered only as Ernest Hemingway's first American friend, but he was also a daring literary experimenter. Coates' 1926 debut, The Eater of Darkness, was hailed as the first Dada novel in English. His 1926 novel Yesterday's Burdens, an admirer of Coates' work, showcases his distinctive linguistic style.

The novel follows restless Henderson, a young man wandering Manhattan's speakeasies and parties to escape despair. Coates' visual language, influenced by painterly elements, creates rich, cubist sketches that capture NYC's energy. After decades out of print, Yesterday's Burdens was revived in 2020 by Tough Poets Press and remains a fresh, masterpiece capturing New York in language that still feels modern.

The Crazy Hunter by Kay Boyle

Kay Boyle, another Lost Generation writer, struggled against the tide of obscurity like Coates. Her 14 novels, while smaller in number, are psychologically perceptive and form-focused, resembling short stories given room to run. Boyle's archetypal work, The Crazy Hunter, centers on an English country girl who fights to save a blind horse despite her domineering mother's determination to have it put down.

The novel offers restrained moral subtlety, avoiding melodrama. While not as flashy as other modernists, Boyle's writing deserves a place alongside other American greats of her time. Pushkin Press reissued The Crazy Hunter in 2024, making it accessible to new readers.