2013 women challenge

[victorianfan]

http://www.peekabook.it/2012/12/2013...challenge.html

[TheFifthElement]

I noticed something similar a couple of years back victorianfan and resolved to increase my reading of female authors. I have to say, I haven't been disappointed. I'm game for this challenge.

Anyone else want to join?

First book of the year for me is The Purple Shroud by Stella Duffy. Still reading, but so far it's a great follow up to the excellent Theodora.

[JBI]

I noticed something similar a couple of years back victorianfan and resolved to increase my reading of female authors. I have to say, I haven't been disappointed. I'm game for this challenge.

Anyone else want to join?

First book of the year for me is The Purple Shroud by Stella Duffy. Still reading, but so far it's a great follow up to the excellent Theodora.

Just read Canadian literature.

[Dark Muse]

Sounds interesting.

Currently I am reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf and Mary Barton by Elisabeth Gaskell

[islandclimber]

Just read Canadian literature.

So true.

[qimissung]

OK, I have to admit I know little about Canadian literature. So...lots of women writers up there in the snowy north?

[islandclimber]

Yes, I would suggest this ice-bound north holds more than its share of quite talented female writers. If one were to list well-known Canadian writers, the first two names on the list might very well be Margaret Atwood and Alice Munro. Further on down this list they would be joined by Gabrielle Roy, Margaret Laurence, Carol Shields, Anne-Marie MacDonald, amongst others... I have my own preferences in Canadian Literature and I dislike a couple of these authors; so I likely would replace them with others who are not quite so recognized by the establishment (especially out of Quebec as French-Canadien literature has been absurdly undervalued); however, they are among the most recognized and stand right there alongside famous Canadian male authors like Mordecai Richler, Michael Ondaatje, Yann Martel, Rohinton Mistry, Robertson Davies, etc.

[victorianfan]

I've just started reading Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.

[YesNo]

The library was featuring the graphic novels it has and I just finished Victoria Roberts, After the Fall. Perhaps it is too short to include.

[qimissung]

Yes, I would suggest this ice-bound north holds more than its share of quite talented female writers. If one were to list well-known Canadian writers, the first two names on the list might very well be Margaret Atwood and Alice Munro. Further on down this list they would be joined by Gabrielle Roy, Margaret Laurence, Carol Shields, Anne-Marie MacDonald, amongst others... I have my own preferences in Canadian Literature and I dislike a couple of these authors; so I likely would replace them with others who are not quite so recognized by the establishment (especially out of Quebec as French-Canadien literature has been absurdly undervalued); however, they are among the most recognized and stand right there alongside famous Canadian male authors like Mordecai Richler, Michael Ondaatje, Yann Martel, Rohinton Mistry, Robertson Davies, etc.

Thank you, islandclimber. Now that they are right in front of me, I'm relieved to say I've heard of several of them (breathes sigh of relief). I read Oryx and Crake last year and loved it. Of course I've heard of Alice Munro, although I haven't read any of her short stories, something I plan to remedy this year. I've also heard of Carol Shields; I know she's a poet and I know she's won several awards. I've heard of all the male writers, except Mordecai Richler.

I have another question. Why do all the men have such exotic names-Mordecai, Yann, Rohinton, Robertson-and why do all the women have mostly ordinary names (except for Gabrielle Roy, and that may be ordinary by French-Canadian standards, I dunno)?

So, Fifth, I'm in! A few of these authors will be on my 2013 reading list.

I've looked at the first page of The Tin Flute and the first page of Fall on Your Knees, and so far I'm leaning toward The Tin Flute. We'll see. I have other things to read first.

[islandclimber]

I should have guessed you would recognize most of them. Most people just don't associate them with Canada. We don't have a real national literature, or easily identifiable one, seeing as so many of our writers are of different cultural backgrounds.

Carol Shields also wrote many novels. She won the Orange Prize for her novel Larry's Party, the pulitzer for The Stone Diaries, and has also been shortlisted for the Booker for her last novel Unless.

Mordecai Richler might be Canada's most famous male writer. You might have heard of Barney's Version? They made a film version of it a couple years ago with Paul Giamatti, Dustin Hoffmann, Minnie Driver, amongst others.

I've never thought about the exotic names of Canada's male writers. I know Yann Martel was born in Spain to French Canadien parents. Rohinton Mistry was born in India. Michael Ondaatje was born in Sri Lanka. Robertson Davies real first name is William, so it's not that exotic. And Mordecai Richler is of Jewish French-Canadien descent, so that might be a somewhat traditional name? The common theme among the foreign born authors was they moved to Canada at young ages and received their educations here. Canada is quite a multicultural land.

I'm not sure why the well-known female writers don't have these backgrounds. Most were Canadian born. Gabrielle Roy is a pretty ordinary French-Canadien name.

I'd like to read a few more female authors also. I'm going to read a few more of Ali Smith's works this year, Angela Carter's The Infernal Desire Machines of Dr Hoffmann deserves a reread, and Nights at the Circus I must read. I've been reading a lot of Eastern European literature and would be interested in discovering some translated female authors from that region. Anyone have suggestions there?

PS. You are certainly leaning in the right direction there. The Tin Flute is a far superior work in my opinion.

[qimissung]

Yes, I have heard of the movie, Barney's Version. It got good reviews, although I haven't seen it, or read the book. I didn't know Angela Carter was Canadian. I've been meaning to read something by her for awhile. So another one for the list.

Thank You, islandclimber.

[islandclimber]

Oh dear, it appears I'm spreading misinformation. She isn't Canadian. I was only saying I'd like to read more female authors as well. I highly recommend her work though. She is one of my favourite authors.

[TheFifthElement]

I'd like to read a few more female authors also. I'm going to read a few more of Ali Smith's works this year, Angela Carter's The Infernal Desire Machines of Dr Hoffmann deserves a reread, and Nights at the Circus I must read. I've been reading a lot of Eastern European literature and would be interested in discovering some translated female authors from that region. Anyone have suggestions there?

Angela Carter is my top favourite, though of course she is British I love The Infernal Desire Machines of Dr Hoffman if only for its glorious name, though in truth The Magic Toyshop is my favourite of her works (barring the short stories, which are brilliant) and then Heroes and Villains.

Ali Smith is brilliant too (also British!) - which of her works were you planning to read? I very much enjoyed Like.

Not sure about Eastern European female authors in translation, I'll see if I can find anything out. I suspect you'll find that female authors in translation are in scarcity, as female writers simply do not receive the same level of attention as their male counterparts. Sadly.

So, Fifth, I'm in! A few of these authors will be on my 2013 reading list.

Excellent

I just remembered, I wrote a blog post about great female writers I'd discovered, a while back. Shameless self-promotion follows: http://www.online-literature.com/for...female-writers

[islandclimber]

Carter is my favourite female writer. The Infernal Desire Machines of Dr Hoffmann is one of the best names ever for a novel. The work is pretty amazing as well. The Magic Toyshop is the only other work of hers I have read. I look forward to reading a few more. Thanks for the suggestions.

I've read Hotel World and There But For The. I just picked up Like at a local used bookshop. So that shall be great I suspect.

I've read the work of 1-5 and 10 on your list. I really like Lessing, Carter, Smith, Duras. Spark doesn't do much for me and for some reason I cannot handle Hilary Mantel. Though, historical fiction has never been my cup of tea, especially of the sort that really does fit into the genre.

Here's a list of books I'd like to read this year by female authors:

Wasted Morning: A Novel ~ Gabriela Adamesteanu
The Notebook, The Proof, The Third Lie: Three Novels ~ Ágota Kristóf (Looking forward to this one most)
Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book ~ Maxine Hong Kingston
NP ~ Banana Yoshimoto
The Funeral Party ~ Lyudmila Ulitskaya
The Slynx ~ Tatyana Tolstaya
Nights at the Circus ~ Angela Carter
Heroes and Villains ~ Angela Carter
Like ~ Ali Smith
Netsuke ~ Rikki Ducornet
Phosphor in Dreamland ~ Rikki Ducornet
The Life and Adventures of Trobadora Beatrice as Chronicled by Her Minstrel Laura: A Novel in Thirteen Books and Seven Intermezzos ~ Irmtraud Morgner
The Piano Teacher ~ Elfriede Jelinek
The Wall ~ Marlen Haushofer
They is Us ~ Tama Janowitz
The Male Cross-Dresser Support Group ~ Tama Janowitz
Nightwood ~ Djuna Barnes
Grotesque ~ Natsuo Kirino
Geek Love ~ Katherine Dunn