From Powells.com
Discover the books that made our 2022 list.
Staff Pick
This wonderfully cynical debut is a character study of an unnamed, 58-year-old English professor as her seemingly mundane world is fractured by the actions of herself and others. As her interest in her new colleague, Vladimir, spirals into obsession, it becomes apparent that she will inevitably decide to act upon her desire. I was delightfully shocked and horrified at the lengths our protagonist is willing to go to. The characters, their choices, the questions they ask, and the repercussions that follow all highlight the subjectivity of morals and what makes something "right" or "wrong." Vladimir will leave you wondering what you would do in the same situation. Settle in and enjoy! Recommended By Charlotte S., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
A provocative, razor-sharp, and timely debut novel about a beloved English professor facing a slew of accusations against her professor husband by former students — a situation that becomes more complicated when she herself develops an obsession of her own...
"When I was a child, I loved old men, and I could tell that they also loved me."
And so we are introduced to our deliciously incisive narrator: a popular English professor whose charismatic husband at the same small liberal arts college is under investigation for his inappropriate relationships with his former students. The couple have long had a mutual understanding when it comes to their extra-marital pursuits, but with these new allegations, life has become far less comfortable for them both. And when our narrator becomes increasingly infatuated with Vladimir, a celebrated, married young novelist who's just arrived on campus, their tinder box world comes dangerously close to exploding.
With this bold, edgy, and uncommonly assured debut, author Julia May Jonas takes us into charged territory, where the boundaries of morality bump up against the impulses of the human heart. Propulsive, darkly funny, and wildly entertaining, Vladimir perfectly captures the personal and political minefield of our current moment, exposing the nuances and the grey area between power and desire.
Publisher Weekly Reviews
"Like the man she shackles to a chair in the prologue, once this narrator has you, she won't let go. A remarkable debut." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Review
"Timely, whip-smart, and darkly funny." People
Review
"A deliciously dark fable of sex and power....Earmark an entire afternoon to devour this propulsive story of obsession, scandal, and transgressive desire." Esquire
Review
"Delightful….a witty dance with the ghost of Nabokov and a razor-edged commentary on academia at our current fraught moment….by turns, cathartic, devious and terrifically entertaining." The New York Times<.em>
About the Author
Julia May Jonas is a playwright and teaches theater at Skidmore College. She holds an MFA in playwriting from Columbia University and lives in Brooklyn with her family. Vladimir is her debut novel.