modern literature

[imthefoolonthehill]

question: how many of you guys like modern books in addition to classic lit? What books do you think will define the era we are living in?

[azmuse]

loved the mists of avalon. dreamt about it before i ever read it. all other books aside that one had a huge impact on me. was so grateful when finally realized it was a book, and then when i was making my way through it, had the wonderful experience of "hearing" the characters speak as i was reading. was rather stunning, suprising, and completely wonderful. realize probably won't become one of the books that define our era, but marion zimmer bradley did have a pretty big impact on the s.f./arthurian genre.

[sloegin]

Define, modern, a time table.

[star blue]

on one hand, I consider the sirens of titan and slaughterhouse five to be classic literature, because they both came after the second half of the twentieth century. on the other hand, I also consider them to be modern literature, so I don't know.

[azmuse]

well what about modern poetry? i adore sonia sanchez, for example. her stuff is classic, and she's still prolific. there are plenty of others to list; she just happens to by my favorite. or do you all only prefer the works from dead guys?
not to be crass.

[IWilKikU]

Modern Fiction is so hard to find gems in because there's sooooo much crap mixed in, but I try my best to sift through it all and try and find good reads in our time. Although lately I've been on a big classics kick. Only modern fic I've read lately has been King and Jordan's Wheel of Time.

[Koa]

I don't know much modern stuff, I read mainly classics because, as I've explained somewhere else... they're much cheaper :D (yes libraries exist but all the ones I know have editions that seem to be from before Chrst, nevermind recent stuff :D). I think a lot of stuff I read as a kid was quite modern though...
Now anyway I'm happy about the classics cos there are many of them I'm curious about (and many I bought and haven't read yet).

Anyway I have read some recently written stuff, mainly 'mainstream' things like Coelho and Banana Yoshimoto (know her? I can't say I like her stuff, it seems a bit pretentious...like 'I'm a great philosopher', but then after you've read the book you find you have nothing left of it in mind...or sort of) ..and I can't think of anything else at the moment...Uhm...is Simenon considered modern? Whatever.

[piquant]

Most recently I read and loved Fear of Flying--does that count as modern?

[azmuse]

yes - i remember it on the bookshelf back in the '80's. which wasn't the dark ages yet.
;)
it was good? i tried to pick it up a few times, found it perky and boring...kept wanting to like it...

[piquant]

Hmmm...perky and boring, I could see that. I'd even go so far as to say that that is what I thought at first, but then when I finished it certain things about it stuck in my head, especially the questions it asked.

The book seems to revolve around her trying to find her way out of the spinster or suicide paradox of successful women. I'm not sure she found her way out, and that concerns me deeply, as I hope to be successful.

Another more recent book I read was The unbearable Lightness of Being. I was intensely befuddled by this book, and need to read it again. If anyone has the key to what is going on in this book, feel free to reveal it.

[subterranean]

Originally posted by IWilKikU
Modern Fiction is so hard to find gems in because there's sooooo much crap mixed in, but I try my best to sift through it all and try and find good reads in our time.


Yes, I agree with you Kik! I never think twice when I found a book by a clasic author, if I can afford it I buy it instantly. But not with modern stuffs. Ussually I'll try to ask my friends about the book and try to get some references from them.

But, when it comes to poetry, I prefer the modern ones than the classic.

[Sindhu]

Hmmm... On the whole, thinking about it, most of my favourite authors ARE "dead guys" (and gals :)
Not to say there aren't quite a few living folks out there whose work I like- but it's kinof 75 - 25! I tend to be a little cautious before actually buying a totally new author and I need some time to adjust into the framework of the latest even by people who've been around for a while.
Now WHAT does that imply abut my inclinations, I wonder?

[imthefoolonthehill]

I define Modern as within the last 15 years.

[Demona]

hm....i cannot say that I've read A LOT by modern writers....but from what I have read I'd single out Petrushevskaja and Akunin (letter for letter transcription from Russian. "u" should be read as [u]). I like the former because of the way she writes - she writes fairy-tales, very wise fairy - tales. They are about modern life and society but put in such a way that even a kid can read that. (For example, she represents the society and people as animals living in a forest and so on.) Akunin is just something that appeals to me due to the style and the way of narration. Basically, he imitates the detective stories of the 19th century or so....but the works are also very funny and witty. As to other stuff like Pelevin, for example, I read one book by him Life of Insects I liked the idea but I wouldn't say that it is something very special and a definite must to read.

what book can define the era? To my mind, all books to some extent define and reflect the era as long as they are about contemporary times...

[Koa]

B. Akunin (yeah :D)! I have heard of that from a teacher... :)

[IWilKikU]

I really like Chuck Palahniuk and Irvin Welsh.

[Munro]

Just win a few Booker prizes, an eventual Nobel Prize or a cult following and any of you budding writers will be classic lit in a few decades time.

[naomih]

So much current writing sounds as if the authors had either the same creative writing teacher or the same shrink. If I read about yet another disfunctional family or coming age I may scream. But there are some more contemporary writers that stand out for me--Michael Chabon, Carolyn See, Louise Erdrich and Eugenides are just a few off the top of my head. But then I go back reread Jane Austen or Dickens. I think you really need both.

[Sindhu]

Italo Calvino is one of the best "moderns" for me. I'd vote for Eco too and Bruce Chatwin was an Ace for travel writing. But yes, I go back and reread Austen and Co regularly!

[azmuse]

well, naomih, i see the value of writing about dysfunction. it's not only a social commentary, it has tremendous therapeutic value. for example, have you never read "go ask alice"? and if i were to write about my road back from 15+ years of bulimia, and do it well, it would probably benefit another(s) in the long run. and i do love austen. but there Is a place for those topics you dislike so.

[Demona]

Originally posted by Koa
B. Akunin (yeah :D)! I have heard of that from a teacher... :)

did you read anything? About Erast Fandorin for example? :)

[Koa]

No I didnt'...I'm not even sure those thinkgs are translated in my language and my Russian is still too poor (so are you Russian, by the way???). Definitely something else I should check out...

(should should...I always should and never do...:rolleyes:

[Demona]

Originally posted by Koa
No I didnt'...I'm not even sure those thinkgs are translated in my language and my Russian is still too poor (so are you Russian, by the way???). Definitely something else I should check out...

(should should...I always should and never do...:rolleyes:

too bad...they are really worth reading. If you have the opportunity - definitely read 'em :)
Yeah, I am. Well, at least Russian is my native language :)

[atiguhya padma]

I'm far more likely to read modern lit than classic stuff nowadays.

After all, how can classic lit be as relevant as modern lit?

Iain Banks, Alan Warner, Sarah Waters, Will Self, Toby Litt, David Mitchell, Ian McEwan, Graham Swift, Nicola Barker, Adam Thirlwell, AL Kennedy, Michael Frayn, Alasdair Gray, Matthew Kneale, Andrew Miller, Julian Barnes...

All these are either great established modern authors or great potential talents. And these are only the Brits!! There are absolutely tons of good writers out there. People who have something to say about where we are, who we are, where we are going.

And then there are the classics......

[Sindhu]

Originally posted by atiguhya padma
After all, how can classic lit be as relevant as modern lit?


Contemporaenity can't be the only or even THE major test of relevance in my opinion. Or,are we assuming that the authors we are talking of as "modern" today will be "irrelevant" a generation ahead? Makes the whole thing seem so ephemeral :(

[IWilKikU]

Originally posted by atiguhya padma
I'm far more likely to read modern lit than classic stuff nowadays.



Part of the reason that classics are classics (most of them anyways) is because they address universal themes that transend the barriers of time. Look at Shakespeare, there will always be forbidden love, betrayal, jelousy, murder, revenge, ect. ect. ect. When things stop being relevent, they usually start to fade out. The ones that survive are usually still applicable today.

[azmuse]

Originally posted by IWilKikU
Look at Shakespeare...The ones that survive are usually still applicable today.
Speaking of, I'm nearly finished with "Taming of the Shrew." Hadn't realized how similar I was to Katharine!
:( :) :( :)
(chagrined, amused, embarassed smilies.) Yes, they are!!

[IWilKikU]

haha. You cant be that much like her if you recognize that your like her... did that make sence? Anyways, Kathrine type people piss me off. And you havn't managed that yet. :D... YET :rolleyes: !

[azmuse]

LOL

Just you...Wait! :D

btw, thanks :)

[Robert E Lee]

Originally posted by IWilKikU
I really like Chuck Palahniuk and Irvin Welsh.

Irvine Welsh is OK, but Palahniuk is puke worthy. You'll grow out of it, kid.

The best modern writers are Philip Roth, Salman Rushdie, Russell Banks (he sort of sucks), and... I can't think of much else.

[sloegin]

Pynchon is still alive and kicking. Some of Delillo's, stuff is good. I like Rushdie, I really do, but Fury was pretty weak. Umberto Eco is around. Gabriel Garcia Marquez has his sh*t together. Naguib Mahfouz might have another book left in him, and the time to complete it.

[star blue]

I heard kurt vonnegut is working on a new novel (I'm aware that was redundant).

[azmuse]

Michel Rolff Trouillot's "Silencing the Past" was a must read (with time to spare) book; also i liked Antonio Benitez-Rojo's "The Repeating Island."

[Koa]

Yeah Garcia Marquez!!! That's great!

[crisaor]

Some of his stuff is really great, indeed.

[sloegin]

I hear, Rushdie, is about a year away from finishing his next work. Hopefully he has become blasé with, Padma.

[crisaor]

The other day I saw a picture of Rushdie and his woman. That guy's a winner. :p

[ajoe]

Has anyone had mentioned Frank McCourt? He rocks! :D