Critically acclaimed author Jay McInerney has confirmed that his upcoming novel, See You on the Other Side, will serve as the final chapter of his celebrated Calloway series, ending a literary journey that began over three decades ago, per parade.com.
Originally thought to be a trilogy following 2016’s Bright, Precious Days, McInerney’s latest work transforms the saga into a tetralogy. The series, which follows the lives of glamorous New York couple Russell and Corrine Calloway, first captured readers’ imaginations in 1992 with the bestseller Brightness Falls.
In a poignant note shared via his publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, the 71-year-old author revealed that the new novel was born from the uncertainty of the global pandemic.
“The title took on new significance as I approached the end,” McInerney noted. “Together, the four novels create a social history of New York in my time here, at the apex of the city’s brilliance.”
The series has long been praised for its ability to anchor fictional drama within real-world milestones. While the first book explored the excesses of the late 80s, subsequent instalments navigated the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and the 2008 financial crisis.
See You on the Other Side opens at the dawn of March 2020, taking its name from a hopeful sign the author spotted in a coffee shop window during the early days of lockdown. Though McInerney insists the book stands alone, it provides a definitive “final send-off” to the characters he has lived with for 34 years.
See You on the Other Side is scheduled for release on April 14.
•Featured image: Jay McInerney/Getty Images
