Interview

Jennifer Egan: ‘Data is useless if it tells us very little about each other'

The acclaimed author’s novel, The Candy House, looks at contemporary America through the addictive but often destructive prism of social media

Jennifer Egan: ‘The only good writing I can do, as a fiction writer, is to get beyond what I can think of consciously.’ Picture: Fergal Phillips

“I am such a believer in incremental progress. I feel like it’s really underrated,” says Jennifer Egan. The Brooklyn-based author is sitting across from me in the Alex Hotel in Dublin. She has been touring Europe to promote her sixth novel, The Candy House; a much-welcomed “sibling” to her 2010 bestseller A Visit From the Goon Squad.

When asked to reflect on her long and illustrious career, she’s quick to highlight the hazards of good ...