Need literary fiction recommendations

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by GERGE

The Secret History is twenty years old.

Sorry, I missed the new part.

[Eastlondonboy]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I loved Homer and Langley by Doctorow, but not sure if you consider that literary fiction or not. Also Last Night on Twisted River by John Irving.

And one of the best things I've read - The Road by Cormac McCarthy - some might call that SF though.

OK, I'll check that out. I've read Doctorow before, his seminal work, which I can't remember the name of...is it Ragtime? It was great anway.

I found the opening pages of Cormac McCarthy's Road too excruciatingly depressing, although I am a fan of the film version.

John Irving isn't an author I'm familiar with. I'll check him out.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Eastlondonboy]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

Sorry, I missed the new part.

Lots of books on there, an interesting blog.

[Eastlondonboy]

Originally Posted by GERGE

Yes.



Why would I joke? Here is a review: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/bo...ew/Kois-t.html

The book was also in the Booker this year.

OK, thanks. Although the boarding school in the British Isles isn't selling me on location!

[DixieGal]

Google for the "orange prize" and read the winners.

[Eastlondonboy]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Google for the "orange prize" and read the winners.

Thanks for the recommendation, Dixie Gal. Babylon is somewhere that interests me. Will look into it.

Oops, I actually thought it was a historical book about Babylon lol

[DixieGal]

Their winners are controversial to me as an American. But it is thoughtful controversary and seeing a different world view. 2009's (or2008?) was the story of a Hiroshima survivor who had a burning hatred for Americans. If I remember right, she falls In love with an American. Something along those lines.

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by Eastlondonboy

Lots of books on there, an interesting blog.

Thanks. I'm starting it back up in the new year. I had a really high goal of books to read this year and didn't have time to work on it.

[TGS]

I'm just reading "C" by Tom McCarthy - also shortlisted for the Booker Prize. It's full of interesting literary devices and by no means a conventional narrative.
I would say "A Death in The Family" by James Agee is the best thing I have read this year.

[Eastlondonboy]

Originally Posted by TGS

I'm just reading "C" by Tom McCarthy - also shortlisted for the Booker Prize. It's full of interesting literary devices and by no means a conventional narrative.
I would say "A Death in The Family" by James Agee is the best thing I have read this year.

Thanks. I read an excerpt of C, and thought it was interesting, but wasn't convinced enought to buy.
I'll check out James Agee for sure. Thanks for the suggestion.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Eastlondonboy

Thanks. I read an excerpt of C, and thought it was interesting, but wasn't convinced enought to buy.
I'll check out James Agee for sure. Thanks for the suggestion.

Well since we are talking about NEW books, that particular one "A Death in the Family" is a half-century old.

It's available on-line at google books (not downloadable though):
http://books.google.com/books?id=Rin...page&q&f=false

[Eastlondonboy]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Well since we are talking about NEW books, that particular one "A Death in the Family" is a half-century old.

It's available on-line at google books (not downloadable though):
http://books.google.com/books?id=Rin...page&q&f=false

Is this available on Kindle? I never heard of this author. I always thought William Faulkner was the main man in the south - ignorance of American literature, I suppose!

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Eastlondonboy

Is this available on Kindle? I never heard of this author. I always thought William Faulkner was the main man in the south - ignorance of American literature, I suppose!

Yep. Just click that link and the the Amazon link on the left.

There are a number of "Southern "gothic" writers

[toomanybooks]

Comedy in a Minor Key by Hans Keilson. Not new but newly translated into English. It is a Dutch novel about hiding Jews during WWII.

[Eastlondonboy]

Originally Posted by toomanybooks

Comedy in a Minor Key by Hans Keilson. Not new but newly translated into English. It is a Dutch novel about hiding Jews during WWII.

GReat, thank you. I'm discovering so many new authors here!