Contemporary Literature Lovers

[TheFifthElement]

It was commented on another thread that there might be, hidden away in dusty corners of Lit-net, some people who want to discuss contemporary literature. So here is a thread just for that.

So, who here reads contemporary literature and what recent books have you read that you'd strongly recommend?

Personal recent favourites include:
- All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld
- The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
- This Book Will Save Your Life by A M Homes
- The Last Samurai & Lightning Rods by Helen DeWitt
- A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
- The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
- We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulaweyo
- The Powerbook by Jeanette Winterson
- Dept of Speculation by Jenny Offill

which is quite a lot really. I'm currently reading Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and it's shaping up pretty well too.

Anyone have any favourite contemporary writers?

[R.F. Schiller]

I don't know where the cut-off date is for contemporary authors, but I've enjoyed the works of:

David Foster Wallace
Philip Roth
Kazuo Ishiguro
Amy Tan
Maxine Hong Kingston
David Mamet

I don't know if these are considered "contemporary" or not.

[wordeater]

My favorite novels after 2000:

Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Snow - Orhan Pamuk
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
My Summer of Love - Helen Cross
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen - Paul Torday
The Solitude of Prime Numbers - Paolo Giordano

[Paulclem]

I think it's healthy to try to keep up with contemporary novels. I like Hilary Mantel - I got Bring up the Bodies recently. It's in my growing to read pile.

Orhan Pamuk is great - Snow is a book I'll definitely re-read. I'm currently reading Q by Luther Blisset and I recently finished Haruki Murukami's After Dark. I find them demanding and interesting to read, and it would be great to read and predict a classic.

[tonywalt]

After Dark - Haruki Murakami (not as widely known as others)
The Hired Man -Aminatta Forna
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Americanah - Chimamanda Adichie
Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Adichie
The Passion - Jeanette Winterson
Disgrace - JM Coetzee
Summertime - JM Coetzee
Running with Scissors - Augusten Burroughs (technically a 'memoir' but much artistic' license)
The Unexploded - Alison MacLeod
The Unlikely pilgramage of Harold Fry - by Rachel Joyce

[Paulclem]

I find that despite constantly reading and reading about books, there are many authors I've never heard of when we start threads like this. Do others find this? I suppose one of the reasons is the limited number of reviews that can be written and distributed and then picked up. I think it's worth keeping up with contemporary publishing. One authir I picked up was Philip Kerr who wrote a series of books about a Berlin detective and then private detective over WW2. A new author is always a punt, but he's great and combines my taste for thrillers, history and warfare.

I don't suppose I'll even read the list of classic authors - particularly as some hold no interest for me such as Jane Austen. Reading contemporary lit does offer the opportunity to discover a great writer though. It adds that bit more impetus to read and review.

[kev67]

I think it's healthy to try to keep up with contemporary novels. I like Hilary Mantel - I got Bring up the Bodies recently. It's in my growing to read pile.

Orhan Pamuk is great - Snow is a book I'll definitely re-read. I'm currently reading Q by Luther Blisset and I recently finished Haruki Murukami's After Dark. I find them demanding and interesting to read, and it would be great to read and predict a classic.

Presumably not the Watford centre forward during the 1980s.

[kev67]

I think it's healthy to try to keep up with contemporary novels. I like Hilary Mantel - I got Bring up the Bodies recently. It's in my growing to read pile.

Orhan Pamuk is great - Snow is a book I'll definitely re-read. I'm currently reading Q by Luther Blisset and I recently finished Haruki Murukami's After Dark. I find them demanding and interesting to read, and it would be great to read and predict a classic.

Presumably not the Watford centre forward during the 1980s.

[Paulclem]

Presumably not the Watford centre forward during the 1980s.

Even more intriguing!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Blissett_(nom_de_plume)

[mal4mac]

My favourite critic, John Carey, suggested that reading the old classics was "safest". You can never be sure if contemporary novels are good or hyped. Old classics have stood the test of time. So I tend not to buy contemporary novels, as you never know what you are getting. But my local public library seems quite good at selecting contemporary novels, and I borrow the most likely candidates from the "new shelf". I find myself giving up on many of these, but ones I have enjoyed in the last year, or so, in order of preference from most liked, are:

An Artist of the Floating World - Ishiguro
Things fall apart - Achebe
The view from Castle Rock : stories - Alice Munro
The collector of lost things - Jeremy Page.
Never let me go - Ishiguro

Generation X
The Queen and I - Sue Townsend
The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency
The skull and the nightingale
The collector - Fowles

The first five on this list, for me, bear comparison with the likes of Austen, George Eliot, Hardy, Conrad, Dickens and other old masters. (The list of those I didn't enjoy is longer, but I shall refrain from mentioning them, as I wouldn't want to feed the hype...)

[mal4mac]

Disgrace - JM Coetzee
Summertime - JM Coetzee

He's great! I also recommend the first two parts of his "autobiography", especially "Youth". His first novel, Joseph K, is also worth seeking out.

[TheFifthElement]

Kazuo Ishiguro

Oh Ishiguro! Yes, he is an excellent writer. Also definitely contemporary ( I don't know the exact definition of contemporary either, but I think as long as they're writing now they probably hit the criteria). Ishiguro has a new novel coming out next year, which will no doubt be worth a read.



Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell


I love David Mitchell too. Ghostwritten is really worth a look too, as is The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet.


I think it's healthy to try to keep up with contemporary novels. I like Hilary Mantel - I got Bring up the Bodies recently. It's in my growing to read pile.


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.


After Dark - Haruki Murakami (not as widely known as others)
The Hired Man -Aminatta Forna
[...]Disgrace - JM Coetzee
Summertime - JM Coetzee
[...]The Unexploded - Alison MacLeod


Of course Coetzee is also excellent, one of the best writers around. What did you think of The Unexploded? It is on my 'interested' radar. Goodness, how did I forget Aminatta Forna? The Hired Man is excellent.

Another writer to add to the list: Helen Oyeyemi. Also, Marilynn Robinson hasn't written a bad word. Ever.


My favourite critic, John Carey, suggested that reading the old classics was "safest". You can never be sure if contemporary novels are good or hyped.
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. The difficulty with contemporary fiction, I think, is that there is so much of it and it is always growing, so on balance of probabilities you're probably more likely to happen across a 'bad' one (e.g. Fifty Shades). If I just went into a bookshop, I'd probably find myself disappointed more often, but now I tend to get most of my 'to read' contemporary books by recommendation, either from a friend who has good taste in books (tonywalt, for example, is an excellent source of recommendations :) ) or a particularly good critic (e.g. John Self via Twitter is pretty flawless). It takes more effort than selecting from the classics pile.



Things fall apart - Achebe
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?

[tonywalt]

Margaret Atwood - Cat's Eye
Geraldine Brooks - March
Geraldine Brooks - Calebs crossing

[aliengirl]

I find that despite constantly reading and reading about books, there are many authors I've never heard of when we start threads like this. Do others find this? I suppose one of the reasons is the limited number of reviews that can be written and distributed and then picked up. I think it's worth keeping up with contemporary publishing. One authir I picked up was Philip Kerr who wrote a series of books about a Berlin detective and then private detective over WW2. A new author is always a punt, but he's great and combines my taste for thrillers, history and warfare.



I agree with you that this kind of thread introduces us to many authors we may have never heard of. I won't describe myself as a lover of contemporary literature. It's just too broad a genre to say that. But I do read a lot of contemporary works. Some of my favorite authors are:

Margaret Atwood - The Blind Assassin, Alias Grace
Orhan Pamuk - My Name is Red, Snow, The Black Book, Istanbul (I'd recommend it very much.)
Chinua Achebe - Anthills of Savannah, Things Fall Apart
Gabriel Garcia Marquez - One Hundred Years of Solitude (Love in the Time of Cholera has been on my TBR for a long time.)
Yann Martel - Life of Pi
Hilary Mantel - Wolf Hall, Bring up the Bodies (Enjoyed both novels. Eagerly waiting for the last volume.)
Neil Gaiman - Neverwhere (Highly recommended), The Ocean at the End of the Lane, American Gods, Anansi Boys (I love pretty much everything he writes. He knows how to weave a really interesting tale and has a wicked sense of humor.)

[aliengirl]

Margaret Atwood - Cat's Eye
Geraldine Brooks - March
Geraldine Brooks - Calebs crossing

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.

[Iain Sparrow]

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.

[Hawkman]

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.

[mal4mac]

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...)

[aliengirl]

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.

[Iain Sparrow]

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.

[aliengirl]

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.

[aliengirl]

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? :)

[Iain Sparrow]

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.:)

[aliengirl]

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?

[Hawkman]

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.

[TheFifthElement]

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.

[Iain Sparrow]

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?

[Paulclem]

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.

[mal4mac]

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.

[mal4mac]

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!)

[aliengirl]

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.

Thank you. We may discuss the details later.



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.

I've read Midnight's Children and The Moor's Last Sigh and I felt exactly what you said. He seems to be laughing at the reader and very smug about his own cleverness. Well, that may have worked once but when you see it again, it gets pretty annoying. But try saying it in a university classroom in India and you'll be damned.

[aliengirl]

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. ... 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!)

Yes, it is Everyman's hardcover edition. Thanks for giving the go ahead signal. I'd start as soon as I finish reading The House of the Spirits.



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?

I'm afraid we've turned this contemporary literature thread into Neil Gaiman thread. :D

That's a good question Iain. I'd love to be in Door's place. For God's sake who does not want to open a few special doors. I might as well just go and see my mom who is some thousand miles away. Or I may turn up on your doorstep. ;) Jokes apart, I liked the way she stayed calm in dangerous situations and was able to pull herself together even when it looked liked they've lost everything. I'm somewhat like that, unfazed in the face of difficulties. Also I can relate to her because of her special relationship with her dad. As for Richard Mayhew, I felt the same as you did. If he'd have really appeared when I was reading the novel, I'd have given him a hug and ruffled his hair. :)

I agree that every character in Neverwhere is absolutely well-crafted. While reading the novel around Christmas last year, I also listened to an audio rendition of it on BBC radio 4. They had put together a great cast with James McAvoy as Richard, Natalie Dormer as Door, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Islington.

[Iain Sparrow]

I'm afraid we've turned this contemporary literature thread into Neil Gaiman thread. :D

That's a good question Iain. I'd love to be in Door's place. For God's sake who does not want to open a few special doors. I might as well just go and see my mom who is some thousand miles away. Or I may turn up on your doorstep. ;) Jokes apart, I liked the way she stayed calm in dangerous situations and was able to pull herself together even when it looked liked they've lost everything. I'm somewhat like that, unfazed in the face of difficulties. Also I can relate to her because of her special relationship with her dad. As for Richard Mayhew, I felt the same as you did. If he'd have really appeared when I was reading the novel, I'd have given him a hug and ruffled his hair. :)

I agree that every character in Neverwhere is absolutely well-crafted. While reading the novel around Christmas last year, I also listened to an audio rendition of it on BBC radio 4. They had put together a great cast with James McAvoy as Richard, Natalie Dormer as Door, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Islington.

I've listened to it, it's like most BBC productions and is really well done.
I didn't actually read Neverwhere, I listened to it as an audiobook. I was at the local secondhand bookstore and it seemed interesting, the lady who owns the store said it was exceptional so I bought it.

What really hooked me in was the way Richard began the story as this sort of shallow fellow who wasn't too quiet and wasn't to loud, neither this nor that, had his life all mapped out ahead of him... well, it was his girlfriend who had it mapped out for him, and because of one moment of kindness and helping this odd girl with a queer name, his life is turned inside out and he begins to grow.

Anyhow, we better stop gushing over Neverwhere or we'll seem like those fanboys and fangirls who can't stop talking about the Twilight books.:)

[Paulclem]

The major book competitions are a good place to pick up excellent contemporary literature - such as the booker - but it's always a chance you take with unknown authors.

I intend to read more Delillo after reading Cosmopolis and White Noise which were excellent meditations on corporations and death respectively. I will also read more McCarthy - I have Suttree ready. His range is excellent, and I think he uses his novels to ask particular questions such as how will individuals react after a devastating catastrophe in The Road, and what would a man with a psychopathic dedication to a philosophical purity deal with the modern american man? He explores these to a satisfying degree in both those books.

[Whosis]

Could you be more specific about what you mean by booker prize? When I google it, it comes up with something that says about a prize that has not been offered to Americans until lately. I don't think I'm as familiar with recent English/Irish authors.

I think you are right all around. Some recent authors have been privileged to win major prizes, like Don DeLillo. I find, though, that in the history of prize winners, there are so many obscure winners that stand far in the distance from those like Steinbeck and Hemingway, who also won awards.

[Whosis]

Sorry. Computer went on the fritz, and I'm not sure how to delete second post.:prrr:

[mal4mac]

The major book competitions are a good place to pick up excellent contemporary literature - such as the booker - but it's always a chance you take with unknown authors.

I don't trust the major book competitions. They are often gongs handed out by members of the elite to other establishmentarians because, "it's Jim's turn to win", and may not reflect real literary merit, and are very unlikely to pick out the best books of the year, or even a "good read".



I intend to read more Delillo after reading Cosmopolis and White Noise which were excellent meditations on corporations and death respectively.


I've only tried Delillo (Underworld) and didn't like it, another one I gave up on. But I keep hearing good things about White Noise so may give that a try at some time. I think the best way to choose contemporary fiction is this second approach of yours - find an author you really like and read more of his/her books (obvious really!)

When thinking about reading a new author, or giving an author a second chance, I think the best thing is to wait until "the noise" about an author "forces" you to read him/her. This may come partly from winning prizes, but I think several other indicators have to "click on" before it's worth taking a chance (good reviews by several, favourite critics and authors, appearance on Radio 4 book club, mentions in forums, librarian's choice,...)

Example - Donna Tartt recently ticked all these boxes, so I've just borrowed "The Secret History" from the library new shelf. No Guarantee of course, but at least I'll find out whether to place more trust in certain reviewers or not...

[Paulclem]

I don't think you can say that if you look at the list of winners and shortlisted authors in the booker. I've just brought up the list and there are loads of good authors represented each year. It's up to you of course.

I gather recommendations from lots of sources - reviews, discussions here and elsewhere. It's good to keep an open mind but nowadays I don't often pick something rubbish, and, like you, I do follow authors through if I like their work.

[Pearlstein]

I've read Mao II and White Noise from Delillo. White Noise was significantly more entertaining to me.

Only read Disgrace from Coetzee and really enjoyed that. Will find more from him in the future.

I suppose it's more of a humor book, but Straight Man by Richard Russo is one of my favorite modern books. Easily the funniest thing I've ever come across.

[TheFifthElement]

I've only tried Delillo (Underworld) and didn't like it, another one I gave up on. But I keep hearing good things about White Noise so may give that a try at some time.
I love Don DeLillo and there were moments of brilliance in Underworld, but in the end I gave up and didn't finish it. DeLillo's work works much better in a more condensed format; Underworld became too repetitive and perhaps more repetitive with enough of a background in his work to see how themes recur in his work. White Noise is a really good read, as is Mao II and Cosmopolis.


Example - Donna Tartt recently ticked all these boxes, so I've just borrowed "The Secret History" from the library new shelf. No Guarantee of course, but at least I'll find out whether to place more trust in certain reviewers or not...
Ah, I read The Goldfinch last year and it's excellent. I have The Little Friend in my to read pile. You'll have to let me know what you think of The Secret History.

Adding Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to my top class contemporary writers list. Half of a Yellow Sun is an excellent, complex and intelligent read.

[qimissung]

I love "The Secret History."

[mal4mac]

I've finished "the Secret History". It's certainly a page turner, a nice combination of campus novel and murder "mystery". I think a bit more could have been made of the protagonists attempts to relive the culture of the Ancient Greeks, and a bit less of the campus parties and drunken behaviour. It was a bit long and repetitive, but certainly a decent first novel. (Not as decent as Thomas Hardy's "Under the Greenwood Tree", which I read right after it. This is a miracle of a first novel, and *really* draws a picture of a rural idyll.) I recently re-read Malcolm Bradbury's "The History Man" - my favourite campus novel. Tartt doesn't quite match it, she doesn't get as deeply into the warped souls of her main protagonists, and isn't as humourous. Given the recent hype for Tartt, in the UK, I was expecting a bit more, but (that said) I wasn't too disappointed. I have "Little Friend" on the shelf and certainly feel disposed to read it sometime soon, she's an author I feel inclined to read again, to see if she improves after a "reasonable" start.

[masonblake]

Coetzee.

Paul Auster

Murakami.

David Mitchell

[Kafka's Crow]

DM Thomas: The White Hotel
Hilary Mantel: Wolf Hall
Hilary Mantel: Bring Up the Bodies
Arundhotti Roy: The God of Small Things

[ChicagoReader]

I agree with the aforementioned DeLillo, and also wasn't able to finish Underworld; got halfway through:
White Noise -- My favorite
Mao II -- been wanting to re-read this for awhile but new book always get in the way
Cosmopolis -- Read it twice, enjoyed it each time

Denis Johnson gets a lot of hype but I've only really enjoyed Jesus' Son (also read Tree of Smoke and Train Dreams)

Murakami:
Norwegian Wood is my favorite; also,
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

David Mitchell
Cloud Atlas -- Was about 75% done when I took it to the library to renew it, only for them to tell me someone had it on hold and they took it! Never finished it and been kicking myself for it.

Kevin Powers
The Yellow Birds -- Absolutely loved this book; highly recommended

David Foster Wallace
Any of his nonfiction -- I think he's brilliant

Kazuo Ishiguro
The Remains of the Day -- A masterly novel
Never Let Me Go -- A good page-turner

Roberto Bolano
2666 -- Truly an experience; a rewarding read
The Savage Detectives

Cormac McCarthy
Blood Meridian -- One of my favorite novels, definitely worth rereading over and over
Suttree

Tim O'Brien
Going After Cacciato
The Things They Carried

William H Gass
Guy is an absolute genius, way over my head, but I enjoy scraping together what I can from his nonfiction:
Finding a Form
The World within the Word

[islandclimber]

William H Gass
Guy is an absolute genius, way over my head, but I enjoy scraping together what I can from his nonfiction:
Finding a Form
The World within the Word

Gass is probably my favourite contemporary American writer. The man is brilliant. If you like his non-fiction, I'd highly recommend his fiction also. Starting with the disturbing and circumlocutory brilliance of The Tunnel. His latest Middle C is also quite the book. And Omensetter's Luck is another I adored.

For me... Contemporary Lit...

Parallel Stories ~ Péter Nádas
The Melancholy of Resistance ~ László Krasznahorkai
Primeval and Other Times ~ Olga Tokarczuk
The Tunnel ~ William H. Gass
Blinding ~ Mircea Cartarescu
Dagny, Or A Love Feast ~ Zurab Karumidze
The Museum of Abandoned Secrets ~ Oksana Zabuzhko
Sisters ~ Brigitte Lozerec'h
A Treatise on Shelling Beans ~ Wiesław Myśliwski
The Third Body ~ Helene Cixous
Journey to Karabakh ~ Aka Morchiladze
Farewells to Plasma ~ Natasza Goerke
Minuet For Guitar ~ Vitomil Zupan
The Literature Express ~ Lasha Bugadze
Brecht At Night ~ Mati Unt
Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade ~ Assia Djebar
The Fear of Losing Eurydice ~ Julieta Campos
Against the Day ~ Thomas Pynchon
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts ~ Amos Tutola
An Army of Lovers ~ David Buuck
Dreams and Stones ~ Magdalena Tulli
The Last Supper ~ Pawel Huelle
Pirate Talk of Mermalade ~ Terese Svoboda

I think I should end this list now...

[Pearlstein]

Murakami:
Norwegian Wood is my favorite; also,
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle


David Foster Wallace
Any of his nonfiction -- I think he's brilliant



I went on a large Murakami kick last year with Kafka on the Shore, Windup Bird Chronicle, Norwegian Wood, 1Q84 and South of the Border West of the Sun.

I'd also say Norwegian Wood is my favorite. The long ones are express the amazing imagination and story telling, but Norwegian Wood is a much more powerful story.

DFW non fiction should really just be mandatory reading for everyone. His ability to deconstruct real life and the individual response to life is so beneficial.

[mal4mac]

I've only read "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" and it didn't inspire me to read more, though I'll give him another chance...

I've just read my first Dave Eggers ("A Hologram for the King") and that *does* inspire me to read more.

I also just finished Pat Barker's "Redemption" trilogy, after reading the first part I just had to read the next. Gripping, harrowing stuff... and this is surely the year to read novels about WWI. Are there better than this?

[WICKES]

Jeanette Winterson: Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

Julian Barnes: Flaubert's Parrot

Edward St Aubyn: The Melrose series

I have only just discovered St Aubyn's Melrose novels and they are superb: beautifully written, savage, dark and funny with dazzling, witty dialogue. It is odd that this guy receives so little attention here in England. I suspect it is because he is a white, middle aged male from an upper class/ privately-educated/ Oxford background. If these novels had been written by a young African immigrant they would be promoted relentlessly.

[mal4mac]

Edward St Aubyn: The Melrose series

I have only just discovered St Aubyn's Melrose novels and they are superb: beautifully written, savage, dark and funny with dazzling, witty dialogue. It is odd that this guy receives so little attention here in England. I suspect it is because he is a white, middle aged male from an upper class/ privately-educated/ Oxford background. If these novels had been written by a young African immigrant they would be promoted relentlessly.

Come off it, the "middle aged male from an upper class/ privately-educated/ Oxford background" *is* promoted relentlessly - Julian Barnes, Martin Amis,... (Not saying that these guys don't deserve to be promoted, just that they *are* promoted.) Longer list here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_University_of_Oxford_people#Novelists_and_ story_writers

[ennison]

Gass? The Tunnel does have brilliant passages but it is bloated. A lack of the ability to be self critical and a great desire to be deliberately obscurantist do not make a writer interesting.