'Modern' writers

[El Jefe]

I really enjoyed Chabon's Gentlemen of the Road recently. His earlier works were weighed down with some pretentions to literature - in GotR he drops this and writes an enjoyable book

Or:
Chabon is a fantastic writer who rather than pretending to literature, writes in a light but wonderful way that whilst really skilful, never wears its skill heavily. However, Gentlemen of the Road is a poor pastiche of a style he's not suited to.

i could do this all day.

 

[twistedAM]

The Shipping News - Annie Proulx

 

[Dillinger4]

The Shipping News - Annie Proulx

I enjoyed that one as well.

 

[Brainaddict]

i could do this all day.

Yes, being wrong about literature is a 24-hour business - one must be not just wrong, but commitedly wrong

 

[Santino]

In all seriousness, do you think there is an aversion to putting anything close to adventure or melodrama or excitement in novels because of the perception that: plot = genre fiction = trash?

Dickens and Hardy and Tolstoy and Orwell and Borges and Dostoevsky and Hemingway and plenty of others managed to write books with fucking plots in them. (Not that I am a fan of all those writers.)

 

[El Jefe]

In all seriousness, do you think there is an aversion to putting anything close to adventure or melodrama or excitement in novels because of the perception that: plot = genre fiction = trash?

Dickens and Hardy and Tolstoy and Orwell and Borges and Dostoevsky and Hemingway and plenty of others managed to write books with fucking plots in them. (Not that I am a fan of all those writers.)

Don't you think you're painting modern writers with a rather fucking broad brush?

 

[El Jefe]

Yes, being wrong about literature is a 24-hour business - one must be not just wrong, but commitedly wrong

You're a natural

 

[Santino]

Don't you think you're painting modern writers with a rather fucking broad brush?

I'm not saying that no one is writing plot-filled epics, but that there is a tendency in critical circles and the Academy to associate 'literature' with medidative, relatively incident-free novels.

 

[Dillinger4]

Personally, I do not like many of the 'critically acclaimed' modern writers (Ian McEwan being one, I think somebody mentioned Philip Roth as well, those sorts of writers).

but that doesn't mean there is not brilliant modern literature. It is just the stuff that is championed seems a bit up itself, mostly.

 

[Santino]

but that doesn't mean there is not brilliant modern literature. It is just the stuff that is championed seems a bit up itself, mostly.

Succinctly put, sir.

 

[Brainaddict]

You're a natural

My wrongness only exhibits itself in other areas


But back to modern writers. I recommend The Black Album by Hanif Kureishi.

 

[El Jefe]

My wrongness only exhibits itself in other areas

On the contrary, you're doing well here. Anyway who thinks Gentlemen of the Road is a better book than some other Chabons; and who thinks Chabon has 'pretensions to literature' is a drooling chuffmonkey.

In my opinion, of course. And lots of others who have a clue, too

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Beyond the Great Indoors by Ingvar Ambjørnsen.

 

[El Jefe]

My wrongness only exhibits itself in other areas

Like music?

 

[senny dreadful]

Read Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides; being a big genre fan, not the sort of book I'd normally pick up, but it was a brilliant read.

 

[Brainaddict]

El Jefe hijacked my tagline

 

[El Jefe]

Read Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides; being a big genre fan, not the sort of book I'd normally pick up, but it was a brilliant read.

I loved Virgin Suicides which was absolutely brilliant, but haven't got round to this yet..

 

[senny dreadful]

I loved Virgin Suicides which was absolutely brilliant, but haven't got round to this yet..

Ooo, it's good. I only picked it up because there was a damaged copy on the proof pile at work, and it's one of the best things I've read in a while.

Likewise, I've yet to get to the Virgin Suicides.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

What about some Zadie Smith/ I recently read "On Beauty" and thought it was superb.

 

[Maurice Picarda]

As far as the intersex bildungsroman genre goes, Middlesex is okay. Rose Tremain's Sacred Country is a much better transgender-themed novel if that's what you're after.

 

[May Kasahara]

Who out there is writing books about interesting things happening to interesting characters?

Crime writers? Read some Joe Lansdale, lots of interest and incident there.

Anyway, if the OP likes Murakami then they might also like Rupert Thomson. Book of Revelation and The Insult are both great.

 

[Maurice Picarda]

Rupert Thomson. Book of Revelation and The Insult are both great.

Just read Death of a Murderer. Not bad. Bit thin though - I'm worried that he's running out of ideas now. Divided Kingdom was fun but a loony premise. Soft might be the best introduction.

 

[May Kasahara]

See, I loved Death of a Murderer. I didn't read it as him running out of ideas at all, just writing something that is more meditative than previous works and not built on such an out-there conceit. It had a very relaxed feel to me.

 

[Maurice Picarda]

See, I loved Death of a Murderer. I didn't read it as him running out of ideas at all, just writing something that is more meditative than previous works and not built on such an out-there conceit. It had a very relaxed feel to me.

Mm. Know what you mean. I like a book to leave some sort of trace or mark and DOAM didn't really impinge. I just want Thomson to produce a masterpiece and I'm scared that he won't.

 

[May Kasahara]

I'm happy for him to just keep turning out his own weird visions tbh

 

[Vintage Paw]

Ooo, it's good. I only picked it up because there was a damaged copy on the proof pile at work, and it's one of the best things I've read in a while.

Likewise, I've yet to get to the Virgin Suicides.

I did exactly the same (do you work for the golden W?)

I concur, excellent book and much overlooked. I thought it was about cricket for so long

 

[DotCommunist]

I'm not saying that no one is writing plot-filled epics, but that there is a tendency in critical circles and the Academy to associate 'literature' with medidative, relatively incident-free novels.

hmm books where authors seem to give a shit about plot and aren't just wanking off to their own genius character development and descriptive prose?


genre fiction ftmfw

 

[Idris2002]

Now, Paul Auster is a fan's man. He writes for his fans. Well, that's a bit simplistic, but this over-cooked pomo stuff gets his fans wet.

At least that's the gist of my dissertation

Which did you try? Book of Illusions is very good, The New York Trilogy is a classic: 3 novellas brought together. About writers. Of course. It may have been that one you read - Paul Auster is in it.

As for me, I love the work of Percival Everett. Hardly anyone has heard of him, but I think he's great. A funny and easy one to start off with is American Desert, about Ted. Ted wants to kill himself, so he sets off to do so but gets in a traffic accident and is decapitated. At his funeral he wakes up, and starts a media circus as various religious groups think he's either the messiah or the devil, and jolly japes ensue. My favourite by him is Erasure - just brilliant. I'm writing about it for my masters.

I thought Erasure was one of the best books I've *EVER* read, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

 

[damnhippie]

oops i missed most of this thread

anyway at the OP - Ghostwritten by David Mitchell is probably the best recent book I've read in a long time. not a million miles from Murakami in a strange kind of a way.

and no it's not the same guy that does Peep Show.

 

[Vintage Paw]

A couple of randoms I read and enjoyed:

Ella Minnow Pea - quite amusing and a quick read, letters go missing. Not written letters, alphabetic letters.

How I Paid For College - amusing, set in 80s America, lad wants to go to performing arts college but can't afford the tuition and it's about his exploits and japes trying to get the fees paid the summer before he's due to go.

Apex Hides the Hurt - lead character is a nomenclature consultant who has to go and help a town choose its new name. A bit poncy, but good nonetheless.

The Echo Maker - about a guy who loses his memory. A bit of an eco-novel too.

For crime I quite like James Ellroy, but have only read a couple.

After reading a short story by him I'm looking into reading more by Kevin Brockmeier. The story was 'Parakeets' in Granta 97. It's included in his latest short story collection. Magic realism, but good (reminded me of my favourite Brautigan story).

What about Perfume? Or maybe Vernon God Little or Life of Pi - all ones celebrated - of course that can come with drawbacks as others have mentioned, but they might just strike a chord.

I really enjoyed Midnight's Children, but this is coming from someone who likes poncy novels, but who also enjoyed Captain Corelli's Mandolin

I hugely enjoyed Snow Falling on Cedars, but if you don't like old man contemplation books steer clear of his other novel, East of the Mountains - I was praying for the lead character to kill himself each time I turned the next page.

It's sad that I haven't read a great deal over the past 3 years that hasn't been on my course, or as supplementary reading for it.