The Curator: on becoming an author completionist
loving an author enough to read everything they've ever written. Plus living for the Olympics and some top notch articles to read.
As part of my content brain the last few weeks discussing the best books of the 21st-century list, I asked what other lists we might like to see, and a top contender was the idea of author completionism.
I love this topic because how we use our finite alive time says buckets about who we are and what we care about individually and collectively. There are functionally an infinite number of books to read on this planet (because you would die before being able to read them all). Therefore, every book you choose to read is a choice NOT to read every other book in existence. To spend even part of your life getting to know the body of an author’s work is a commitment of spirit that frankly should not be undertaken lightly (unless you are an eleven-year-old girl determined to read every Sweet Valley High book ever written, R.I.P.).
While the deluge of new books and high-quality marketing campaigns would have us believe shoveling books in our faces as fast as humanly possible makes us Readers, I think, based on the number of pieces I’ve read (and even written) on the topic, none of us actually want or believe that. We crave a reason to slow down and spend unshamed hours with one very good book.
“It’s better to know one book intimately than a hundred superficially.”
- Donna Tartt, The Secret History
the completionist journey
So then, how do we begin on a journey of author completionsim? It’s simple to pick up that first one. What inspires us to try a second? The hope that we will extract the same type of feeling as our first foray? Curiosity about what else they have written, where else they might take us? Both perhaps. Even deeper than that though, I admit I feel a parasocial effect happening when I get to know an author’s work intimately. I see this most frequently in others with authors like Donna Tartt (generously quoted and listed here in my own completist diaries!) or Sarah J. Maas or other fantasy writers. Their words and worlds and characters become ingrained into our lives like a shadowy microfiche layered over our own waking moments. We self-identify in a way that can be harmless or harmful, depending on how far we take it (yes I own a Harry Potter wand, no I do not cosplay a wizard at work).
I find it deeply satisfying that I might be able to write or think or talk with someone (you dear readers) deeply about an individual author - their prose style, the way their writing has changed or deepened over time, how their storylines have matured, how a later book is in conversation with a previous one. It provides a richness of context and understanding that is lost when we hop from author to author. These are the motivations for author completionism.
With that said, I still struggle with lacking any sort of obsession strong interest in reading repeat authors. Perhaps it was simply easier to become a completionist before the days of constant book content, content of which I am just as culpable of creating (pot meet black). The days of discovering for yourself are (mostly) over. But it's still possible and a task worthy of our attention, if only to challenge ourselves to dig deep rather than wide.
the completionist diaries
I am 175 pages away from becoming a Donna Tartt completionist, which is not difficult because she has only written three books. The same is true with another favorite, Marisha Pessl, who I discovered on my own pre-book social media and, therefore, had permission to dive into her catalog guilt-free. I am also a Jane Austen completionist, thanks to UCSB offering an entire course on Jane Austen and Jane Austen alone (that class is truly one of my fondest memories).
There are a few others that I am close to and fully intend to complete their major body of work, including Bret Easton Ellis (7/8), David Mitchell (6/8), and Jennifer Egan (4/6). I confront the equally strong desire to leave the last few books by each so as never to be fully finished (like the time I refused to watch the final episode of Schitt’s Creek for a whole year so as to pretend it was not over). And I would have bet money I was a Roald Dahl completionist, but alas, the MFer wrote over 40 books.
What does this say about me? One, that I love me some classic white (mostly American) writers which was not a conscious choice but certainly is a choice (and one I am actively working to break). Also that I tend towards one-and-done because I too feel the pressure to read widely - the phrase “I can’t believe I still haven’t read [author]” could justifiably be written on my tombstone.
Looking forward, I want to add at least two more authors to this list who would bring the kind of thinking above. Some in consideration include Toni Morrison, Zadie Smith, and/or Colson Whitehead, along with Emily St. John Mandel and Ann Patchett.
I am always open to suggestions though. Do you have any completionist authors on your list? Where should I take this journey and with whom?
READING 📖→
Still The Nix by Nathan Hill and still Will and Testament by Vigdis Hjorth. At first, I only had a W&T physical copy, which meant I couldn’t read it at the gym or at night in bed or on my Kindle. I got to the gym the other day and literally could not even consider reading anything else - I cycled through three books until I chanced the Libby app and found an ebook just waiting for me to check out. I read on the treadmill until I forgot I was exercising, and then got off the treadmill and into a ten-minute sesh in the free massage chairs. W&T book has transfixed me and I can’t wait to finish and then try something else from this author (since that’s the theme of the day, isn’t it).
I picked back up The Little Friend, as mentioned above because it bothers me that I’ve left this novel incomplete. In continuing, I am reminded why I paused in the first place - it does not have the strongest plot and is slightly depressing. Alas, we continue on!
More Karin Slaughter audiobooks. I don’t know what else you want from me.
WATCHING 📽️→
Well the Olympics. It’s beautiful to see people come together to celebrate the world’s best athletes, who give up their lives and livelihoods for the passion of a sport, and share that with the world and each other. It's also beautiful to turn on your TV at any hour of the day and become deeply invested in women’s rugby or synchronized swimming or a man in a t-shirt wielding a gun(?). I’ll watch a ten-second event and think about how many hours were spent practicing and eating just right and suffering pain or fear just to make those ten seconds count. The world may be a shithole sometimes but it’s our shithole, and moments like these make it bearable.
Example. Suni Lee in the artistic gymnastics all-around competition. Last apparatus, last tiny chance for the reigning Olympic champ to medal. Nails her first pass. Just look at that face. One of the all-time best moments in Olympic history. I’m still rewatching it and still crying.
BOOKS IN MY SHOPPING CART 🛒→
Childhood by Tove Ditlevson - this is thanks to W&T, as the narrator mentions her works repeatedly. It sounds dark and dangerous but SO AM I.
What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena - Lapena is one of those thriller writers I’ve been hearing about for ages and just haven’t picked up yet (mostly thanks to my obsessive behavior re: Karin Slaughter). Her novels seem like super solid popcorny thrillers, if that’s your jam.
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield - only rave reviews on this title. Armfield has a new book coming out this year so I’d love to see this one through first.
BOOK NEWS & RESTACKS 📰→
The Maris Review reflects on the passing of a YA legend (Substack)
The God of the Woods is the book of the summer (Book Riot)
15 books on Jennifer Check’s TBR from one of my new favorite Stackers
(Substack)What adults lost when kids stopped playing in the street (Atlantic gifted article)
AND CATS 🐈⬛→
Be Mine.
LET’S CHAT 👻→
Are you an author completionist? Do tell!
Have you been watching the Olympics? What are some of your favorite moments?
What are you reading currently, and is it any good?
In Case You Missed It 🖤
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See you around the bookshelf!
Anaïs Nin. I’ve probably read 95% of everything she has written publicly. Hermann Hesse, Pablo Neruda, and Marguerite Duras, I’m almost there as well. I’ve read both The Goldfinch and The Secret History but I haven’t pulled the trigger on The Little Friend.
Working on reading everything by Stephen King and Anne Rice but that is a LIFELONG ENDEAVOR 😭
Kitty is as delicious as ever!!!!!
Thank you for another BANGER 💥😍
I am not an author completionist and I never thought about it before because like you said there are soooo many books out there. However, I am an accidental John Green completionist. Remember in the early 2010s when YA was all the rage haha. John Green was my go to author. Then a couple of months ago I read his non-fiction and I realized that I’ve read all his works.