Sam Munson's first novel, The November Criminals, will be published in April by Doubleday.

As summer’s end draws near and students start packing, eight novels that capture the absurdity, drama, and pitfalls of university life. Sam Munson salutes Kingsley Amis, Richard Russo, and other classic collegiate novels. Plus, the best colleges in America.

In honor of the hallowed holiday of 4/20, Sam Munson, author of November Criminals, picks out the best novels, from Invisible Man to Wonder Boys, featuring marijuana and its users.

Two new books put a contemporary spin on age-old myths with mixed results. Sam Munson on why we can’t help reinventing classics like the Odyssey.