Reading order#
| # |
Title |
Published |
Author |
Buy on Amazon |
| 1 |
The Invisible Circus |
1994 |
Jennifer Egan |
Buy |
| 2 |
Look at Me |
2001 |
Jennifer Egan |
Buy |
| 3 |
The Keep |
2006 |
Jennifer Egan |
Buy |
| 4 |
Manhattan Beach |
2017 |
Jennifer Egan |
Buy |
Jennifer Egan’s standalone novels show her range as a literary writer. “The Invisible Circus” (1994) follows a young woman retracing her dead sister’s steps through 1970s Europe. “Look at Me” (2001) was a National Book Award finalist. “The Keep” (2006) nests a gothic story within a prison writing class. “Manhattan Beach” (2017) is a historical novel about New York’s waterfront during World War II.
Each novel experiments with form and perspective while telling a compelling human story.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books are in the Jennifer Egan Standalone Novels series?
There are four books in the Jennifer Egan Standalone Novels series, published between 1994 and 2017.
What is the first book in the Jennifer Egan Standalone Novels series?
The first book in the Jennifer Egan Standalone Novels series is The Invisible Circus, published in 1994.
Which Jennifer Egan standalone novel should I read first?
“Manhattan Beach” (2017) is her most accessible standalone — a historical novel about a female diver at the Brooklyn Navy Yard during World War II. “Look at Me” (2001) is more experimental, exploring identity and image in pre-9/11 America. “The Keep” (2006) is a gothic mystery with metafictional layers.