The Literary List

[harmony_bites]

I've been reading off this list from The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List and did posts on the The Romance List and the Fantasy List. I now just polished off the Literary Fiction List so thought I'd post on those

Comments

[kellychambliss]

What an impressive list! I've just skimmed it for the moment -- too eager to see all the titles to stop and read carefully yet.

I've read quite a few of these books, though by no means all; clearly I need to get busy on literary stuff and stop reading fanfic. /g/

I share your overall view of Oates and Gibbons. But I had to sob at the idea that Mrs. Dalloway is something to suffer through (it's on my list of top-ten favorite "literary" novels). I haven't read Empire Falls, though I love Russo's Straight Man (probably because it's set in a school similar to ones I've taught in).

I'm fascinated by your comments on Middlesex, because I had the same fears about turgid post-modernism that you did. I'll give it a try now.

I'm looking forward to returning to this list in more detail.

[harmony_bites]

I've read quite a few of these books, though by no means all; clearly I need to get busy on literary stuff and stop reading fanfic. /g/

Heh. I deliberately read through this list hoping it might clear my palate and maybe inspire me to write again. I had a friend who teaches writing at a university who believes you're are who you read--and if you read too much fanfic your writing would turn to mush *g* Besides--I seriously did over-saturate myself. I am glad I tackled this list--reading it is in itself like a writing course even without a class or people to bounce opinions off--they're so rich in technique. As someone who has been almost exclusively a middlebrow genre reader since finishing school and the Required Reading List(tm), this was a rich experience.

I share your overall view of Oates and Gibbons.The Gibbons book is so short that since its the only work of hers I read, I wouldn't know if its typical of her to judge her solely based on that. As I said, at least there, unlike with McCarthy, I can see a rationale for the style

[kellychambliss]

Mrs Dalloway was my bete noir. It kept getting assigned to me in high school

You know, the educational system has a lot to answer for. /g/ So often we assign titles before kids are developmentally ready for them. Topic, theme, style in Mrs. D -- none of these is really suited to high schoolers and most people in their early years of college. It's not that the kids aren't smart enough to understand them; it's just that the books aren't likely to "speak" to them. We've ruined The Scarlet Letter and The Red Badge of Courage for generations of readers by assigning them too early (and then usually teaching them in tedious ways).

I once had a grad school professor who insisted that "no one can understand King Lear before they are 40." I was insulted -- I thought -- I've read KL, and I certainly understood it, thank you. It wasn't until I was 40 that I understood what the professor meant: The emotional core of KL requires some age/experience before we really feel it. I suspect Mrs. Dalloway is the same way.

even if I hate the

[harmony_bites]

You know, the educational system has a lot to answer for. /g/ So often we assign titles before kids are developmentally ready for them. Topic, theme, style in Mrs. D -- none of these is really suited to high schoolers and most people in their early years of college.

And by the time I tried Mrs Dalloway again, it was already ingrained as something I hate. (Although I have a friend who adored Woolf from her teens--but she's a complete lit geek and writer who is going for a doctorate in literature) I did read Woolf's essay "A Room of One's Own" as a teen and adored it. It makes me want to love her more.

I have the same reaction to Joyce -- yes, I can see his brilliance, importance, and influence. But god, I hate everything after Dubliners

I've been told--endlessly--Ulysses is the great novel in English. But we hates it, my precioussssssss.

I realize now that I have tried to read The God of Small Things. Boadicea (partner) loves it and gave me a copy, but I couldn't get past the first few chapters. I don't think I even made it to the

[lariopefic]

I've read most of these, and predominantly share your opinions, which seems about right

[harmony_bites]

I'm fascinated by your comments on Middlesex, because I had the same fears about turgid post-modernism that you did. I'll give it a try now.

I think it just hit so many pet peeves of mine. Take italics for instance. So many authors use it as it its' this artistic gauze--but it's hard to read and completely necessary in long passages--particularly for flashback. So I was irritated before I ever reached the first chapter. I also hated Janine--not simply the character but the idea of the character. She was such a complete bimbo bitch it all felt borderline misogynist to me. That said, I could see what others might love in it. Touches of humor. Some great character sketches. Rich themes. I liked the father/daughter relationship in particular giving how miserable most "literary" families are.

I reread Kavalier and Clay this past weekend, and being re-immersed in it made me love it even more than I had the first time--and sent me into one of those spirals of ambition/depression that only books I truly love and truly ADMIRE can do.If it

[kellychambliss]

sent me into one of those spirals of ambition/depression that only books I truly love and truly ADMIRE can do.

Sorry to barge into your comment, but I just had to say how glad I was to read this, because I didn't realize other people felt this way, too. "This is fabulous; I love this -- now I feel terrible." /g/ I've had this reaction to both pro- and fanfic writers.

[harmony_bites]

I've felt this way often.

*glares at you for being one of those people*

[harmony_bites]

I've given up finding anything of Oates' that I'd read.

That makes two of us. Do not get her reputation. (But then I could say that of several writers on this post).

Thought Perfume was masterful in its single-mindedness and in finding that many words for smells.

I agree. Were I not rating on a curve I might have bumped it up a star--despite truly hating the ending which I found such a WTF. But not one I'm sorry I read at all. Seriously creepy in a good way. I don't usually love stories with unsympathetic protagonists, but it might have helped that Grenoulle was designed to be a monster--I was repelled--but in the good horror book way. (While Roy's God of Small Things made me want to yell, get me out of here. And Rabbit Run--well...)

Rabbit, Run felt like what Holden Caulfield might have become had he lived.

Other than Grenoulle, I don't think there's a more despicable protagonist on this post. And yeah, Holden all groan up is about right. Ack. I kinda liked Updike's style--enough I might try The Three Witches of Eastwick someday

[harmony_bites]

Oh, and Stone Diaries. I actually liked it the more I got into it and was impressed with it in a writerly way--the way she used so many narrative devices and some of the language was lovely. But I could see how you might find it disappointing--here I get to the end and I feel Daisy is still a cipher.

[bluestocking79]

I've read a lot of these, and have been planning to read others... and then there are those I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole, because I've encountered the authors in other works and wasn't eager for another go. (See: McCarthy and DeLillo, both of whom I consider to be hugely overrated. McCarthy is particularly repellant to me though, both in style and content. I will never, ever forgive my American Lit prof in grad school for forcing me to read De Lillo, Pynchon and McCarthy's Blood Meridian in the same semester. The last one scarred me for life and is the nastiest thing I've ever, ever read

[harmony_bites]

See: McCarthy and DeLillo, both of whom I consider to be hugely overrated. McCarthy is particularly repellant to me though, both in style and content. I will never, ever forgive my American Lit prof in grad school for forcing me to read De Lillo, Pynchon and McCarthy's Blood Meridian in the same semester. The last one scarred me for life and is the nastiest thing I've ever, ever read.

*hugs* I feel your pain! Hell, you're kinder than I am. I can see some glimmer of talent in McCarthy but thought De Lillo a truly crappy writer. Truly--in a line by line sense--he's almost a caricature of bad writing with comparisons and imagery that are clunkers. I'm just floored at what I've read of his reputation as one of the "great" American writers. And I can't understand McCarthy being popular giving I found All the Pretty Horses unreadable. Yet more than one person I respect have glowing things to say about The Road. Never read Blood Meridian--don't want to. Reading All the Pretty Horses and watching No Country for Old Men is ENOUGH. (Never read

[harmony_bites]

Oh, and was just curious. I noticed on GoodReads that you rated The Kite Runner only two stars. Why didn't you like it? Was it how disturbing a lot of the material was? I can get that (although in that respect it doesn't hold a candle to The God of Small Things). But I loved it for how it immersed me in a unfamiliar culture and it was one of those minority of books on this post that never dragged for me.

[mundungus42]

Rather than respond to every entry that I've read in common with you (that's what goodreads is for, yah?), may I preemptively thank you for warning me of DeLilo?? I've been contemplating reading him and I'm SO glad to know that someone whose taste I trust doesn't like him. I hear him most praised from pro-DFW quarters, which tempts me because I love DFW, but I know better than to take such praise at face value.

YOU RULE!

[harmony_bites]

LOL. Although at least the thing with Delillo, is that he's a hack the hallmarks of his style is evident within the first two pages. Truly, just glance at that, and you'd know if you'd love or hate him. Better that, than something like say The Tortilla Curtain where the style keeps you puttering along--and then at the end of over 300 pages you want to throw the book against the wall!

(Although one of the pleasures of posting this--see Bluestocking's comments--is knowing I'm NOT alone)

DFW?