What to read next?

[Dark Muse]

I have once again come to a point where I don't know where I should go next in my reading, and thus I will turn myself over to my fellow Litnetters and but my literary fate into their hands as to what book to pick up next:

The Wings of the Dove by Henry James, I generally enjoy the work of James, and though I cannot pretend to understand it completely, I find it compelling and interesting, and I haven't read him in a while.

The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Brown This will be a grab bag for me, I have not read this author before and haven't really heard anything about the book, but it is on my list.

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser I have heard this book mentioned and discussed before and it sounds intriguing and like the sort of thing I probably would enjoy.

Of Human Bondage by W. Soomerset Maugham I first heard of this book when it was alluded to in something else I read, so I looked it up and thought it sounded like it could be interesting.

The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington I have had this book sitting on the shelf for a while, though I don't actually know much about it.

[Virgil]

The Good Soldier is a great novel!! I loved it. It has nothing to do with military.

[Emil Miller]

A difficult choice but I would go for either Of Human Bondage or Sister Carrie they are both marvellous books with very interesting characters and great storylines. There have been two unsuccessful attempts at filming OHB and a great film of Sister Carrie with Jenifer Jones and Laurence Olivier. The Good Soldier is an interesting novel which deals with catholicism and adultery and is set largely in Germany and England.

[Night_Lamp]

I've read most of James' novels, and to be honest, they're beautifully written but after two or three you get tired of him. I would recommend them if you haven't read many yet, but I think James' masterworks are his ghost stories- I enjoyed them much more than any of his novels. Read The Turn of the Screw, or his collection called Tales of the Supernatural.

Of the choices given, my vote's with Of Human Bondage.

[Modest Proposal]

I voted for The Good Soldier. Keep in mind if you read it that it is one of the most important and early works to explore--or at least to exemplify--a certain popular literary mode.

[dfloyd]

but I voted for Of Human Bondage which is one of my favorite novels. The James novel and The Good Soldier are the most slow moving. While I haven't read this particulur novel by James, I know that he can take several pages describing the handle of a tea cup. After you've read this long Maugham novel, be sure to follow it up with The Moon and Sixpence, Cakes and Ale, and The Razor's Edge, then his collected short stories.

Don't discount Sister Carrie. It is Dreiser's second best novel with American Tragedy being the best. Both are from the school of American Realism.

I just watched the Magnificent Amberson's movie made by A&E. The 1940-41 Orson Well's version is better, and should not be missed.
See the movie and read the book.

No matter how important The Good Soldier is in the scheme of Literary progression, it is inescapably boring. But much of James is too. The only books more boring are To The Lighthouse and Mrs Dull Away.

[Dark Muse]

Thank you all for your advice and your interesting and insightful replies, and I do intend in due time reading each of these books, just don't know which one to pick up first.

And thank you Virgil for the heads up on The Good Solider, on account of the name I had thought it would be a war/millitary book along the lines of Farewell to Arms or something of that nature.

[giventofly]

The only one I've read on your list is Sister Carrie... and I would recommend it. Dreiser is fantastic. I've read other novels from James, but I wouldn't exactly call any of his works "leisure reading"..... very dense stuff, but good if that's what you're looking for. Portrait is a classic, but I would recommend The American. It's my fav James' works. Happy Reading!!!

[kelby_lake]

The Good Soldier is a good example of modernism. If you're not used to/not expecting modernism, you may not like it, but it is a brilliant book once you get used to the narrative style.

[kasie]

I must be the only LitNetter who doesn't like Of Human Bondage - I first read it years ago and just couldn't feel any sympathy towards the main character, then on reading some positive comments here last year, I decided I ought to give it a second chance and re-read it. I still want to shake Philip and I still don't believe in the way his life turns out: I could say more but it would be a spoiler. But don't let me put you off.....

As for the others - lay them on a table, shut your eyes, shuffle them round, pick one at random. Open your eyes and start reading.

[kelby_lake]

And thank you Virgil for the heads up on The Good Solider, on account of the name I had thought it would be a war/millitary book along the lines of Farewell to Arms or something of that nature.

It's an exploration of adultery, basically. Ashburnham is a cad- the title may be ironic like with Gatsby.

[Dark Muse]

It's an exploration of adultery, basically. Ashburnham is a cad- the title may be ironic like with Gatsby.

That sounds like it will be difficult to read on a personal level, I have very strong feelings about adultrey, but I will give it a fair chance.

[kelby_lake]

It's critical of adultery- one of the few books that are- although our perspective is skewed through the cuckolded husband.

[Emil Miller]

I must be the only LitNetter who doesn't like Of Human Bondage - I first read it years ago and just couldn't feel any sympathy towards the main character, then on reading some positive comments here last year, I decided I ought to give it a second chance and re-read it. I still want to shake Philip and I still don't believe in the way his life turns out: I could say more but it would be a spoiler. But don't let me put you off.....


Interestingly enough, although Philip Carey is the protagonist of the novel and his experiences are detailed throughout, it is Mildred Rogers who tends to stay in the mind. She is one of literature's most sharply drawn characters who, without anything to commend her socially, physically or temperamentally, has an unbreakable attraction for Philip. It is this quality that gives the book its strength. In an earlier novel of Maugham's The Merry-Go-Round, a similar situation occurs when the middle-class protagonist falls for a barmaid, but in that case the girl is physically attractive. The fact that Mildred isn't but still has Philip in thrall to her is a masterstroke which keeps the reader engrossed in the relationship because we have all known instances where we think, 'I don't know what he sees in her', and vice versa.
If someone mentions Of Human Bondage to me, the first person that comes to mind is Mildred rather than Philip. It is Maugham's masterpiece and any lover of English literature is missing out if they haven't read it.