Chapter 36 in which I rant about literature and ask a favor

[lezbianthezbian]

 I've noticed that the books I stumble into on my own tend to be ok but not spectacular while the books people recommend to me are awesome. For example: Infinite Jest, House of Leaves, The Poisonwood Bible, The Color Purple, Six of One, The Princess Bride, The passion of Michel Foucoult,  Vonnegut, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Ursula K.

Comments

[spookster_z]

I recommend Diana Wynne Jones for fiction, although I have no idea if you'll like her or not. She has a TON of books though, I've read a good handful of them and loved them all. They're mostly geared more towards young adults, which I like because they're relaxing and make me smile. She's British, clever, funny, and original. Her characters are awesome. About a gazillion times better than Harry Potter.

Also, you mentioned The Poisonwood Bible -- have you read Barbara Kingsolver's other works? she is amazing, another one of my favorites. I'd recommend The Bean Trees, Pigs in Heaven, The Prodigal Summer, and anything else you can find by her. :)

Also check out Philip K. Dick, perhaps Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Bladerunner was loosely based on that book, if you enjoy that movie at all -- but they're quite different. Both take place in futuristic dystopias though.

I recently finished Ishi: Last of his Tribe by Theodora Kroeber. It's pretty short and I don't know if it would interest you. It's semi-non-fiction, in that it's an account of the last Yahi Native American. The Yahi were a tribe in California in the Sacramento Valley area who were wiped out by the invading whites searching for gold. (Honestly. AUGH!) It's really sad but really interesting.

The Chosen by Chaim Potok is a really fascinating account of two Jewish boys growing up in NY in the early 40's. It might not sound that interesting, but it is. Really well written too.

I also recommend Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman, though I think you probably don't need it. :) It's not written brilliantly as it was his first book and he never really planned to be a writer, but I found it really interesting and useful, and perhaps even life-changing.

I thought Fight Club the book was better than Fight Club the movie, but I tried to read something else by Chuck Palahniuk and was completely disgusted. I think he should have only written Fight Club and now should stop writing and go do something else.

Sorry bout the mega comment!

[lezbianthezbian]

Palahnuik seems to pick mainly subjects I know about--gender identity and the trans community, anarchy--and then write about them as through he knows absolutely nothing about them and that gives off a huge false impression to his readers about those things. This is why I find him maddening.

Thank You! I will have to check these out.

[spookster_z]

That is indeed maddening. It's sad when someone or something gains recognition as being one thing and traps a bunch of followers into seeing it that way, when in fact the person or subject in question is totally bogus -- or at least delivered in a totally bogus way. (for example, "The Secret")

no prob, and thanks for the recommendations in your post, I'm definitely gonna check them out.