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Originally Posted by gmw
Perhaps "Greatest" was a literary studies assessment? I cannot offer an opinion as I have never read any of his work, but I don't recall ever hearing anyone speak of his books in flattering terms so I have never been tempted.
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It's the Nobel, of course. Winning it means the author is both important and good, or so one is supposed to think. It's the whole problem with literary prizes; there are a lot of factors, many of which have nothing at all to do with merit. Just looking at the list of largely unreadable early Nobelists should put paid to the notion that the Nobel is a measure of anything but a combination of the zeitgeist and politics.
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Having brought up the Miles Franklin Award*, I have to admit that I have not read any of her books either.
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I've read a few of her books and I thought they were pretty forgettable. At least I've mostly forgotten them. I know I thought
Bring the Monkey was extremely unfunny. But it was set in London, IIRC, so maybe that doesn't count.