OT: Fiction

[Lefty2one]

I decided to finally dive into fiction a few years ago. I'd had enough autobiographies, biographies, history, and other non-fiction books that are 300 pages but could be neatly summarized in 10-15 pages. It's interesting re-reading some classics that I read 20+ years ago in HS. Of course you have a very different perspective reading these as an adult.

• East of Eden has to be my favorite. Bonus points for the story beginning in Connecticut.
• Pillars of the Earth is fantastic. The mass-market paperback might be the most intimidating book I've ever opened: about 1,100 pages, the tiniest font imaginable, and no wasted space/margins. Talk about a situation where the premise of a book sounds boring (monks build a cathedral in 12th century England) yet it's anything but.
• Portnoy's Complaint was absurd, I didn't know it was possible to laugh so much while reading. I have all of Roth's books from the 90s on my to-read list.
• John Updike is the one author who I can read no matter what. The man was obnoxiously talented. I'd say it's a testament to his abilities that he mostly wrote about the boring and mundane yet his books have yet bore me. I even bought some of his short story anthologies; never in my life did I think I'd read short stories. He was a creepy pervert but good grief could he write. For my money, he was the best writer of the latter half of the 20th century.

At the moment I'm halfway through Blood Meridian, which has been mentioned a few times in this thread. I don't think I've ever had to look up so many words during a single book. This site summarizes it nicely. I've never had to be so slow and deliberate when reading a book before. It's pretty wild but absolutely worth it. I read The Road and No Country For Old Men before that. Perhaps McCarthy's border trilogy will be next.

 

[intlzncster]

Fantasy:

• Obligatory - Song of Ice and Fire
• My favorite - Name of the Wind + Wise Man's Fear by Pat Rothfuss.
• My real favorite because I'm not mad at them for not finishing books - Brandon Sanderson's oeuvre: "The Cosmere". Specifically Mistborn series and new Way of Kings series.
• Currently audiobooking the "Broken Earth" trilogy by Jemisin which won an unprecedented 3 straight Hugos.

What is it with these guys for not doing their job?

I liked all three of your first ones. Perhaps you would like R Scott Bakker's The Second Apocalypse series. It's a bit more esoteric, but very interesting concept and the dude paints a vivid picture. First trilogy is The Prince of Nothing--a totally stand alone trilogy. The sequel quartet, The Aspect Emperor, pickups up 20 yrs later and is currently awaiting the third book.

You're probably familiar with, or have read, David Erikson's The Malazon Book of the Fallen series. An epic 10 book effort, published one every year to completion, which gets him massive kudos from me.

The first book is a bit of a slog, but it really picks up once you figure out what's going on. One of the most interesting world building efforts I've seen. And great empathetic characters to boot.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Love these threads - I will throw some favorites out there. My problem too many books so little time!

Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier
Matterhorn, Ken Marlantes I think it is the best war novel I have ever read
Shes Come Undone (UConn's own Wally Lamb)
Hawaii, Michener (the first big boy book I read with the measles!)
The Shining (King's best in my opinion)

 

[Edward Sargent]

Forgot Kent Haruf's Eventide and Plainsong. His understated development of his characters in these books is beautiful

 

[Taco]

Refuse to Lose - John Calapari

 

[Taco]

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami
Franny & Zooey - JD Salinger

 

[auror]

What is it with these guys for not doing their job?

I liked all three of your first ones. Perhaps you would like R Scott Bakker's The Second Apocalypse series. It's a bit more esoteric, but very interesting concept and the dude paints a vivid picture. First trilogy is The Prince of Nothing--a totally stand alone trilogy. The sequel quartet, The Aspect Emperor, pickups up 20 yrs later and is currently awaiting the third book.

You're probably familiar with, or have read, David Erikson's The Malazon Book of the Fallen series. An epic 10 book effort, published one every year to completion, which gets him massive kudos from me.

The first book is a bit of a slog, but it really picks up once you figure out what's going on. One of the most interesting world building efforts I've seen. And great empathetic characters to boot.

Think I read the first 4 Malazan books, then just fell out of it. i liked them, especially the epic multi-thread climaxes he built to in every book. But I think i tried to read the 5th one and it was just like "We're 5 books into the series and this book started not just with new characters, but new characters, new races, a new timeframe, and maybe even a different dimension ." I kept getting distracted, having to re-read the beginning, and just never kept going.

Maybe I'll try again in audiobook form on my commute once I finish broken earth.

 

[Walker11]

I decided to finally dive into fiction a few years ago. I'd had enough autobiographies, biographies, history, and other non-fiction books that are 300 pages but could be neatly summarized in 10-15 pages. It's interesting re-reading some classics that I read 20+ years ago in HS. Of course you have a very different perspective reading these as an adult.

• East of Eden has to be my favorite. Bonus points for the story beginning in Connecticut.
• Pillars of the Earth is fantastic. The mass-market paperback might be the most intimidating book I've ever opened: about 1,100 pages, the tiniest font imaginable, and no wasted space/margins. Talk about a situation where the premise of a book sounds boring (monks build a cathedral in 12th century England) yet it's anything but.
• Portnoy's Complaint was absurd, I didn't know it was possible to laugh so much while reading. I have all of Roth's books from the 90s on my to-read list.
• John Updike is the one author who I can read no matter what. The man was obnoxiously talented. I'd say it's a testament to his abilities that he mostly wrote about the boring and mundane yet his books have yet bore me. I even bought some of his short story anthologies; never in my life did I think I'd read short stories. He was a creepy pervert but good grief could he write. For my money, he was the best writer of the latter half of the 20th century.

At the moment I'm halfway through Blood Meridian, which has been mentioned a few times in this thread. I don't think I've ever had to look up so many words during a single book. This site summarizes it nicely. I've never had to be so slow and deliberate when reading a book before. It's pretty wild but absolutely worth it. I read The Road and No Country For Old Men before that. Perhaps McCarthy's border trilogy will be next.

I have a very similar taste. I love all McCarthy books and probably finished Pillars in like a week. The book is as good as the synopsis is boring. Plus East of Eden is just favorite book ever.

Love these threads - I will throw some favorites out there. My problem too many books so little time!

Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier
Matterhorn, Ken Marlantes I think it is the best war novel I have ever read
Shes Come Undone (UConn's own Wally Lamb)
Hawaii, Michener (the first big boy book I read with the measles!)
The Shining (King's best in my opinion)

I loved Matterhorn. One of the best books I have read in years. It affected me emotionally as much as any novel I ever read

 

[Drumguy]

Fantasy:

• Obligatory - Song of Ice and Fire
• My favorite - Name of the Wind + Wise Man's Fear by Pat Rothfuss.
• My real favorite because I'm not mad at them for not finishing books - Brandon Sanderson's oeuvre: "The Cosmere". Specifically Mistborn series and new Way of Kings series.
• Currently audiobooking the "Broken Earth" trilogy by Jemisin which won an unprecedented 3 straight Hugos.

I'm on the same page - have you tried the Red Son RIsing Series;?

Am in Book 12 of Wheels of TIme by Jordan - Sanderson finsihed the last 3 books.

Any of the Lincoln Child & Douglas Preston Books except the Pendergast series (Relic, etc.)

 

[NHalan]

I'm on the same page - have you tried the Red Son RIsing Series; Am in Book 12 of Wheels of TIme by Jordan - Sanderson finsihed the last 3 books.

Any of the Lincoln Child & Douglas Preston Books except the Pendergast series (Relic, etc.)

 

[NHalan]

I don't usually read books by women, but I like Gillian Flynn.

Gone Girl was excellent, movie good also.
Sharp Objects was good also.

 

[intlzncster]

Also really loved the book “ready player one”

Ready player one

Yes to that. Absolutely 'no' to the movie. It was terrible. And if you watch before you read, it'll be a real buzz kill.

Book was fun. Very nostalgic.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Fantasy:

• Obligatory - Song of Ice and Fire
• My favorite - Name of the Wind + Wise Man's Fear by Pat Rothfuss.
• My real favorite because I'm not mad at them for not finishing books - Brandon Sanderson's oeuvre: "The Cosmere". Specifically Mistborn series and new Way of Kings series.
• Currently audiobooking the "Broken Earth" trilogy by Jemisin which won an unprecedented 3 straight Hugos.

Wasn't a fan of George RR Martin's writing style.

• The Kingkiller Chronicles from Pat Rothfuss are tremendous. Hope he finishes the trilogy soon.
• Mistborn was good
• Dresden Files by Jim Butcher remains my favorite series
• Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka is good
• Lord of the Rings trilogy obviously
• Much of Mark Twain's work
• Steven King's early novels before he went off track, especially the Stand, Shining, Pet Cemetery, Carrie, Salem's Lot etc.
• Bram Stoker's Dracula is excellent
• Most Charles Dickens....even if often unpleasant

 

[intlzncster]

Mother Night
Blood Meridian
The Outsiders

Amazing book on so many levels. If one doesn't want to read about violence, definitely give it a miss.

The Outsiders was awesome too.

 

[intlzncster]

Thank you. I've also read everything he's published. He was a literary genius, so sad when his demons took him down. Cycled between brilliant work at Amherst College and mental hospital stays. I've got a two degrees of separation to DFW that I will always cherish.

Those two things are often irrevocably intertwined.

 

[intlzncster]

Just started these on a whim. They are surprisingly good. Martin creates a world and stays true to it. The characters are compelling and Martin is willing to write off main characters, which I love. Just enough foreshadowing to make things interesting but not enough to make the books too predictable. Strongly recommend.

Until you get through book 5 and start the wait for book 6. At first, you will be heartened by claims of mid next year release. You eventually find out that 'mid next year release' is a permanent state of being in which George RR goes to conventions, opines on the Jets, and cranks out pet projects. My best to you

 

[browndog319]

Love these threads - I will throw some favorites out there. My problem too many books so little time!

Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier
Matterhorn, Ken Marlantes I think it is the best war novel I have ever read
Shes Come Undone (UConn's own Wally Lamb)
Hawaii, Michener (the first big boy book I read with the measles!)
The Shining (King's best in my opinion)

She’s Come Undone is GREAT - how he writes with a woman’s voice so well is bizarre

 

[Lefty2one]

Re: Blood Meridian

Does the sporadic purple prose not bother anyone else? Some of the passages are ridiculous IMO. There's poetic, highbrow literature and all that but some parts of the book seem so over the top, especially since McCarthy plops them in irregularly. Every other chapter, maybe, things are going along as normal and then he drops something like this:

They rode on. They rode like men invested with a purpose whose origins were antecedent to them, like blood legatees of an order both imperative and remote. For altogether each man among them was discrete unto himself, conjoined they made a thing that had not been before and in that communal soul were wastes hardly reckonable more than those whited regions on old maps where monsters do live and where there is nothing other of the known world save conjectural winds.

The book is still fantastic but this takes away a little bit for me, calling it a 9/10 instead of a 10/10 isn't bad! It messes with the flow a little bit IMO, when I know I've arrived at another pretentious ultra-flowery paragraph to say something simple, then he gets back to his usual amazing writing.

It's interesting reading this book after The Road, which is as sparse and simple as a novel gets. No Country For Old Men was a bit of a middle ground, and Blood Meridian is on some highbrow nonsense at times. All are great books though.

 

[the Q]

Yes to that. Absolutely 'no' to the movie. It was terrible. And if you watch before you read, it'll be a real buzz kill.

Book was fun. Very nostalgic.

I’ve said this in another thread, but the book just was never going to translate well to a movie.

You can’t play joust 1000 times in a movie.

The Pac-Man and space camp stuff didn’t work either.

My biggest complaint was they took away the EPIC night club scene from the book and replaced it with a time grenade.

 

[tzznandrew]

The Pale King. David Foster Wallace. Absolute favorite. It'd take me a while to explain this, but you folks wouldn't understand. So, carry on.

You can't explain any DFW novel, which is part of the reason people love him, and part of the reason why people hate people who like DFW.

I enjoyed Broom of the System and Infinite Jest. Haven't yet read more than the first pages of The Pale King. They did crack me up.

 

[tzznandrew]

How to Read “Infinite Jest”

I think everyone should read his short stories. They're astounding.

Pale king and infinite jest are too much for your average reader.

Different book, same truths. I have read everything he's written. The guy had something figured out the rest of us didn't.

See my above post.

I do love DFW, though.

 

[tzznandrew]

Light in August by Faulkner.

This is the correct answer to "Best Faulkner Novel," and maybe also "Best American Novel of the First Half of the 20th Century."

There are other good ones--and other good Faulkner--but I do love this novel.

 

[tzznandrew]

Just started these on a whim. They are surprisingly good. Martin creates a world and stays true to it. The characters are compelling and Martin is willing to write off main characters, which I love. Just enough foreshadowing to make things interesting but not enough to make the books too predictable. Strongly recommend.

My favorite is the Master and Commander series by Patrick O'Brian. Excellent writing especially if you like historical fiction.

Michael Shaara's the Killer Angels would also be right up there.

Someone mentioned The Lord of the Rings which is a great series. I've always like The Hobbit more.

I'm not a huge fantasy reader, but was thinking of reading Martin in a Spanish or French translation to boost my reading fluency. Anyone think they would translate well?

 

[tzznandrew]

Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerny is amazing for people interested in misspent youth and redemption in 1980's NYC. I reread it often, particularly when I'm feeling low.

The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe is also 1980s NYC about human frailty and the crash that comes when people are blinded by hubris. Very funny and well-written.

The Cabinet of Curiosities by Preston and Child is a pulpy thriller with a few great twists. Perfect beach book.

Anything by George Saunders and Donald Ray Pollock.

George Saunders is such a great recommendation. Really enjoyed Tenth of December and CivilWarLand in Bad Decline.

 

[tzznandrew]

• Portnoy's Complaint was absurd, I didn't know it was possible to laugh so much while reading. I have all of Roth's books from the 90s on my to-read list.

A somewhat forgotten classic because you can't possibly teach it in high school, and it takes a lot to seek out Roth on one's own...but he's such a great writer. I love his American Pastoral as well.

 

[tzznandrew]

• John Updike is the one author who I can read no matter what. The man was obnoxiously talented. I'd say it's a testament to his abilities that he mostly wrote about the boring and mundane yet his books have yet bore me. I even bought some of his short story anthologies; never in my life did I think I'd read short stories. He was a creepy pervert but good grief could he write. For my money, he was the best writer of the latter half of the 20th century.

His poetry is surprisingly good, particularly the late stuff. His fiction almost comes too easy, but you really never regret reading his books.

 

[CL82]

I'm not a huge fantasy reader, but was thinking of reading Martin in a Spanish or French translation to boost my reading fluency. Anyone think they would translate well?

I think they would generally. It's not like the vocabulary is all that elevated. The things that would be problematic are the "Westron" (I think) words that are fairly close to their English equivalent (Ser versus Sir). The device is obvious in English but might come less naturally reading in a foreign language. Otherwise, sure.

 

[tzznandrew]

Refuse to Lose - John Calapari

This doesn't have enough likes for being in the fiction thread.

 

[tzznandrew]

• Most Charles Dickens....even if often unpleasant

Love Dickens. Great Expectations was my least favorite book when presented to me by Mrs. Martins at Crosby in 9th grade, but as an adult I came back to it (by force--I had to teach it) and I freaking love it. By turns tragic and laugh out loud funny. Bleak House, Little Dorrit, and David Copperfield all rank really highly in my book (though the two other common high school ones beside Great Expectations--A Tale of Two Cities and Hard Times--aren't books I rank very highly). I just started Our Mutual Friend and I'm already digging it.

 

[HuskyHawk]

This is the correct answer to "Best Faulkner Novel," and maybe also "Best American Novel of the First Half of the 20th Century."

There are other good ones--and other good Faulkner--but I do love this novel.

Haven’t read Faulkner since I lived in a dorm in Storrs. Perhaps I’ll try this one. I need something to read.

I have fallen into a trap in recent years in mostly reading fun, exciting fiction, rather than anything with intellectual heft. Should probably adjust that at least in part.

As for your query about J R R Martin, I just don’t think he’s very good. Created a cool world, but his writing style doesn’t work for me. Rothfus is world’s better if you want to try fantasy in a foreign language.