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Thread: Contemporary Literature Lovers

  1. #16
    Registered User Iain Sparrow's Avatar
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    Michael Chabon - 'The Yiddish Policemen's Union', and also 'The Final Solution'.
    Michael Chabon is the absolute best modern writer I've come across.

    Clive Barker - Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War


    As mentioned above by aliengirl, Gaiman is great!
    I hadn't read fantasy in years until I decided to pick up Neverwhere. It got me hooked on Urban Fantasy. However, I was not nearly so keen on The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which was too whimsical for my taste. Neil wrote a short story some years back called 'The Problem of Susan' which took a serious stab at what CS Lewis did to the poor girl in his Chronicles of Narnia. Best short story I've ever read.

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    I've got Coetzee on my 'to read' list too. I can, however, recommend Zakes Mda, particularly The Heart of Redness & The Whale Caller. I'm just about to start Ways of Dying.

  3. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheFifthElement View Post
    I love David Mitchell too. Ghostwritten is really worth a look too, as is The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet.
    I've only read The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, and thought it was excellent. I'll definitely be reading more by him.

    Hilary Mantel is also awesome. Bring up the Bodies isn't as good (in my opinion) as Wolf Hall, but still excellent. You start to see Cromwell turning. I am very interested in the final book of the trilogy.
    I thought Wolf Hall was OK, if a bit slow and a bit heavy on the historical detail. Being an old brit. maybe I've just had enough of the Tudors I much preferred Zoet! I'd probably read more Mantel if she appeared on the library new shelf, but I wouldn't go out of my way to read more.

    It could be argued, however, that classics are hyped in a different kind of way (e.g. by academia) and no guarantee that you'll find them either 'good' or 'enjoyable' as the debate on over-hyped classics evidences...
    True, which is why you need to not just listen to academics, other writers and public opinion are also important.

    I'd love to hear what you think about Achebe. He's another writer on my 'interested' radar.

    So many writers, so little time huh?
    Superb. In "Things Fall Apart" he seems, to me, to really capture the impact of Colonialism on his part of Africa, and the novel is an exciting page turner. It's far easier going, and deeper, IMHO, than those other much touted "modern classics of colonial literature" 100 Years of Solitude & Midnight's Children, both of which greatly disappointed me, both of which I didn't bother to complete. I think I dislike magic realism as much as modernism. Try reading "Things Fall Apart" alongside Conrad's "Lord Jim" to get the picture from both sides! (And a rollicking good read in both cases...)

  4. #19
    Beyond the world aliengirl's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Iain Sparrow View Post
    As mentioned above by aliengirl, Gaiman is great!
    I hadn't read fantasy in years until I decided to pick up Neverwhere. It got me hooked on Urban Fantasy. However, I was not nearly so keen on The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which was too whimsical for my taste. Neil wrote a short story some years back called 'The Problem of Susan' which took a serious stab at what CS Lewis did to the poor girl in his Chronicles of Narnia. Best short story I've ever read.
    Seems to me that you picked up The Ocean at the End of the Lane after reading Neverwhere. In my opinion all other works of Gaiman pale in comparison to Neverwhere. The problem with 'The Ocean...' is that it's meant for children also. Thinking from the perspective of a child of twelve or so, it's a pretty good read.
    I've not read the short story that you mentioned. Time to look for it.
    I must create a system, or be enslaved by another man's. ~ William Blake

    Captivity is consciousness,
    So's liberty. ~ Emily Dickinson

  5. #20
    Registered User Iain Sparrow's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aliengirl View Post
    Seems to me that you picked up The Ocean at the End of the Lane after reading Neverwhere. In my opinion all other works of Gaiman pale in comparison to Neverwhere. The problem with 'The Ocean...' is that it's meant for children also. Thinking from the perspective of a child of twelve or so, it's a pretty good read.
    I've not read the short story that you mentioned. Time to look for it.
    That was it, in fact Neverwhere was my introduction to Gaiman.
    I really wish he'd just knock it off with all the pretense and write a damn follow-up to Neverwhere. Perhaps the sequel takes place under New York or Paris, but he needs to get crack'n on it.

  6. #21
    Beyond the world aliengirl's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Iain Sparrow View Post
    That was it, in fact Neverwhere was my introduction to Gaiman.
    I really wish he'd just knock it off with all the pretense and write a damn follow-up to Neverwhere. Perhaps the sequel takes place under New York or Paris, but he needs to get crack'n on it.
    Love that idea. Let's send a request to Gaiman about it. I can wait for five years, nay even ten, if he writes a sequel as good as Neverwhere. I liked him since I read the introduction that he wrote for the Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy. Soon after that I watched Stardust which is based on Gaiman's eponymous novel. Right then I knew that I was going to enjoy his works.
    I must create a system, or be enslaved by another man's. ~ William Blake

    Captivity is consciousness,
    So's liberty. ~ Emily Dickinson

  7. #22
    Beyond the world aliengirl's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hawkman View Post
    I've got Coetzee on my 'to read' list too. I can, however, recommend Zakes Mda, particularly The Heart of Redness & The Whale Caller. I'm just about to start Ways of Dying.
    Thanks for the recommendation Hawk. I searched about Mda and found his works interesting. To be honest, I've not read much literature from South Africa (or Africa in general) and their stories are quite intriguing (as in works of Achebe).

    As for Coetzee, we may read one of his works together. Care to be a reading buddy?
    I must create a system, or be enslaved by another man's. ~ William Blake

    Captivity is consciousness,
    So's liberty. ~ Emily Dickinson

  8. #23
    Registered User Iain Sparrow's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aliengirl View Post
    Love that idea. Let's send a request to Gaiman about it. I can wait for five years, nay even ten, if he writes a sequel as good as Neverwhere. I liked him since I read the introduction that he wrote for the Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy. Soon after that I watched Stardust which is based on Gaiman's eponymous novel. Right then I knew that I was going to enjoy his works.
    I already emailed him on that matter through his website years ago... his reply was hilarious. Since then he's gone from 'absolutely no way in hell', to 'well, maybe'.

    I betcha he does write a sequel in the end, but in true Gaiman fashion it will likely be something that neither of us are expecting. As long as he retains Richard & Door, I don't care what direction the tale takes.

  9. #24
    Beyond the world aliengirl's Avatar
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    Oh, you did! I'm glad he has come to 'maybe'. I'd not like him to write what I expect. I enjoy the way he springs a surprise.

    I agree that Richard and Door are quite endearing characters. Have you noticed how all his male protagonists are shy, diffident, and a little awkward in the beginning and go on to become a hero in their own way?
    I must create a system, or be enslaved by another man's. ~ William Blake

    Captivity is consciousness,
    So's liberty. ~ Emily Dickinson

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    Quote Originally Posted by aliengirl View Post
    Thanks for the recommendation Hawk. I searched about Mda and found his works interesting. To be honest, I've not read much literature from South Africa (or Africa in general) and their stories are quite intriguing (as in works of Achebe).

    As for Coetzee, we may read one of his works together. Care to be a reading buddy?
    Ok Rippers, I've got Age of Iron, and Disgrace to be going on with, but I'm writing on Mda at the moment. I shall be looking at Coetzee for my dissertation, when I'll be able to give him my full attention. I'll be starting at the beginning of May.

  11. #26
    Internal nebulae TheFifthElement's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mal4mac View Post
    Superb. In "Things Fall Apart" he seems, to me, to really capture the impact of Colonialism on his part of Africa, and the novel is an exciting page turner. It's far easier going, and deeper, IMHO, than those other much touted "modern classics of colonial literature" 100 Years of Solitude & Midnight's Children, both of which greatly disappointed me, both of which I didn't bother to complete. I think I dislike magic realism as much as modernism. Try reading "Things Fall Apart" alongside Conrad's "Lord Jim" to get the picture from both sides! (And a rollicking good read in both cases...)
    That's good to hear. Achebe will be back on my list when I'm reading books written by men again (probably when David Mitchell's new book comes out later this year...). Just finished reading Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, which covers the Nigerian-Biafran war and it was an epic, a lot to absorb. She's an excellent writer.

    I felt similarly to you about Midnight's Children (haven't read 100 Years of Solitude yet), it was disappointing. I found the story interesting but Rushdie writes as a vehicle to promote his own cleverness and that put me off quite a lot. Enjoyed Arundhati Roy, as a representative of Indian writing, much more.
    Want to know what I think about books? Check out https://biisbooks.wordpress.com/

  12. #27
    Registered User Iain Sparrow's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aliengirl View Post
    Oh, you did! I'm glad he has come to 'maybe'. I'd not like him to write what I expect. I enjoy the way he springs a surprise.

    I agree that Richard and Door are quite endearing characters. Have you noticed how all his male protagonists are shy, diffident, and a little awkward in the beginning and go on to become a hero in their own way?
    It's funny too, because personality-wise I'm not much like Richard but yet I really attached myself to him, was pulling for him to find his courage and even win Door's heart. Actually, the entire cast of characters in Neverwhere are all exceptionally well done... when you end up appreciating the likes of Croup & Vandemar, even when they're torturing someone, you know the writing is damn good.

    And likewise, the female characters in many of Gaiman's stories are strong and confident, if somewhat fatalistic. Did you find enough qualities in Door to put yourself in her place?

  13. #28
    TobeFrank Paulclem's Avatar
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    One of the things I like about contemporary literature is that there's not a received view of it, and it is open for interpretation. I think that can be a bit daunting. A lot of the long discussions on here are about established classics and there is much less on more contemporary work. It might be that many people won't have read similar contemporary works and prefer the safety of classics where arguments are perhaps well established or can be verified with a bit of reading.

    Another aspect that I think is very interesting in contemporary works is the variety of uses of the narrator and the increasing use of reader knowledge or perhaps narrative intelligence on the part of the readership by the author. Hilary Mantel's character narrator comes across in a stream of consciousness style which often plunges on with the story, leaving you initially, a little bit at sea before you get used to the style. A book I'm currently reading - Q by Luther Blisset - is narrated by 2 characters, and uses multiple flashbacks which provided a rich contrast of significant scenes. I really do like that variety.

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    Quote Originally Posted by TheFifthElement View Post
    I found the story interesting but Rushdie writes as a vehicle to promote his own cleverness and that put me off quite a lot. Enjoyed Arundhati Roy, as a representative of Indian writing, much more.
    I keep on meaning to read her. I rate Vikram Seth ("Golden Gate..."), V.S. Naipul ("A House for Mr Biswas",...), and Hanif Kureishi ("My Beautiful Laundrette",...) far higher than Rushdie.

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    Quote Originally Posted by aliengirl View Post
    Geraldine Brooks and J. M. Coetzee are there on my TBR list. Any recommendations for the start?

    Has anyone read Alice Munro? A selection of her short stories is waiting on my shelf.
    Is that the v. comprehensive Everyman hardback selection? If so, dive in, she's great! One caveat - I found it slightly repetitive, because she tends to deal with the same issues across several stories, so in a comprehensive edition I think you can't fail but start thinking that she's covering some of the same ground. This is really a minor quibble though, she is a truly great writer fully deserving of *that* prize. I was really blown away by "The View From Castle Rock", which may be a reaction to her critics saying she only writes about "small town Canada", mid 20th C. In this collection, she ranges across across three centuries, two continents, and an ocean (her writings about life on board an old sailing ship compares well with Golding and Melville!)

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