Stream of conscious, books?

[shingo]

Hi,
Out of nowhere I suddenly have the desire to read a novel in this style. Could anyone perhaps reccomend one which fits the following style I try to describe?

Something Kerouac-esque and not prentencious, as I find Atwood to be. A droning monologue style intertwining naturalistic settings, poetic but not in form, only in imagery. Not modern, yet not set in any particular period. Creates an atmosphere of whisky and rough cigarette smoke. Preferably a male author although not obligatory.

I am aware of how obscure and random that description was, and how hard it is likely to be for anyone to make reccomendations from it, but it's all I could put to describe the kind of book I am after.

Thanks.

[DecemberSun]

The stream of conciousness literary technique often provides a great read, so I can understand your interest.
Some authors experimenting with this kind of writing are James Joyce, Knut Hamsun, William Faulkner and Virginia Woolf.
'Mrs. Dalloway', 'The sound and the fury' and 'Hunger' are great novels.

More than anything I'd recommend that you read the works of some other authors of the beat generation: Ginsberg, Burrough etc..

Or give Bob Dylans ab 'Chronicles' a chance, if it doesn't have to be a novel.

[johann cruyff]

Yes, try Virginia Woolf, Joyce, and, obviously, Faulkner. Also, I'd suggest Proust.

[shingo]

Thankyou for your reccomendations. I have read the Bob Dylan Chronicals already, but I shall check out the authors suggested.

[johann cruyff]

Thankyou for your reccomendations. I have read the Bob Dylan Chronicals already, but I shall check out the authors suggested, would you reccomend any of their works in particular?
Thanks again.

Faulkner - The Sound and the Fury, As I lay Dying
Woolf - Mrs Dalloway, To the Lighthouse
Hamsun - Hunger
Joyce - A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Ulysses
Proust - In Search of Lost Time (Remembrance of Things Past)

[DecemberSun]

Faulkner - The Sound and the Fury, As I lay Dying
Woolf - Mrs Dalloway, To the Lighthouse
Hamsun - Hunger
Joyce - A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Ulysses
Proust - In Search of Lost Time (Remembrance of Things Past)

I absolutely agree, although I am not a big Joyce fan myself.
The others are simply brilliant novels.

[Leo The Lion]

Tropic Of Cancer - Henry Miller

That may help create a atmosphere of whiskey and rough cigarette smoke.
I think he is quite a bit underrated, but maybe my opinion is distorted.
He tackles sexuality in a nonchalant way, not tiptoeing around it for a minute, as done in others.. Joyce..etc.

[shingo]

Thank you for all your suggestions I have acquired 'The Growth of the Soil', 'Tropic of Cancer' and trying to get hold of 'Hunger'.

Since this was so successful I was wondering if you could reccomend other books still adhering to the stream of conscious narrative style but with a different atmosphere, as I would like to try some out after reading these.

This time maybe a film noir styled setting with a lone protagonist which reads like a voiceover. A bit gritty, set in a city-scape.

Thanks ever so much.

[JBI]

Honestly, the best spot to start is Mrs. Dalloway, Tropic of Cancer isn't even a major work of literature, and seems to have survived because of its notorious reputation.

Beat Generation writers too seem to be fading away, as their work, once controversial, now seems tame by our standards, and, as a result, no longer has its counter-culture relevance.

You're far better off with Woolf, or Joyce, or Faulkner than with any of those works, the reason being that those I mentioned are pioneers of the style, and show it in its primary forms, making it easier to understand.

[R.A]

As I Lay Dying is the best as I think.... I made a seminar paper on it...I feel I was in the atmosphere of dreams... sth which can't be described....for me Faulkner is the best..

[benvincent]

The ultimate work of stream of consciousness in my opinion would be the work of James Joyce, Ulysses.

And out of curiosity, would anyone consider Charles Bukowski's work 'stream of consciousness'? I think it walks a fine line between truth, autobiography and stream of consciousness.

[byquist]

Conrad's Under Wester Eyes maybe.

[R.A]

mm, Well.....It comes to my mind The Leaf Storm by Marquez...

mm, what esle?? maybe for Conrad: Heart of DarknessIt's not that totally stream-of-consciousness, but it's good to delve deep and forget urself, though its atmosphere is gloomy:(

[carlin08]

Jean Rhys' novel, _Voyage in the Dark_, is also quite good. It is not on the same level as _Mrs. Dalloway_, but it highlights the fragmentation of memory/consciousness, and it presents a very gritty portrayal of 20th century London (dark, ominous, antagonistic). Rhys is an excellent writer. She also wrote _Wide Sargasso Sea_, which presents as interesting take on the famous "mad woman in the attic" in _Jane Eyre_.

[Erichtho]

Doves in the Grass by Wolfgang Koeppen.

[eric1172]

Sarte's Nausea might fit what you're describing. Not a great work of literature but a decent read.

[johann cruyff]

Sarte's Nausea might fit what you're describing. Not a great work of literature but a decent read.

Although it is preferable that the topic creator has some basic interest in philosophy as well, since Nausea may not be the best and easiest introductory read to existentialism.

[LitNetIsGreat]

I am surprised that no one mention the novel The Waves by Virginia Woolf, this I find much more extreme in style to Mrs Dalloway. Just a thought maybe.

[ThomasBernhard]

The description you gave reminds me somewhat of The Sea by John Banville (won The Booker Prize in 2005). It is a very melancholic, lyrical, reflective prose written in what I think fits the definition of the stream of consciousness. It's a monologue about memory, time and death and such told by an aging man, the only part of your description it might not match is that you could perhaps find it pretentious. Still, I really liked it a lot...

[LitNetIsGreat]

That sounds quite good actually, I love the sea, hence The Waves does it contain heavy sea imagery also? Just interested, I am not a sea stalker weirdo or anything.

[ThomasBernhard]

Well, an excerpt of the first chapter of the book is online it seems, so you can have a look if you like the style of the prose and the way he works with the motifs of the sea...

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/27/books/chapters/1127-1st-banv.html

[LitNetIsGreat]

Oh, that is great, thanks.

Joining this forum could mean not reading the books I am supposed to be reading.

[Equality72521]

I'm gonna throw this out there, but I hate Virgina Woolf and Mrs. Dalloway. I cried while reading that book, not because the book was sad, but because I had to read the book. That was terrible.

[LitNetIsGreat]

I'm gonna throw this out there, but I hate Virgina Woolf and Mrs. Dalloway. I cried while reading that book, not because the book was sad, but because I had to read the book. That was terrible.


Half way through Mrs Dalloway at present, there is a lot there to say the least, but it is slow, careful reading I think, very dense, not easy or a barrel of joy I will admit.