Huffington Post: The 15 Most Overrated Authors

Joonbug1 · 04-07-2011, 02:46 PM

jgaiser · 04-07-2011, 03:00 PM

First off, I hate the Huffington Post website (got that off my chest).

Except for Amy Tan, I've never heard of any of the rest. Is my reading that insular?

jkeene · 04-07-2011, 03:08 PM

That article already has over seventeen hundred comments.

covingtoncat73 · 04-07-2011, 04:08 PM

Hmmm...I think I agree. I had heard of Tan, of course. I found her writing kind of forgettable. Lahri, I haven't read but I loved the movie Namesake, which was based on her book. The author of the article does say the movie was better than the book. As to Diaz, I listened to "Oscar Wao" as an audiobook, which I actually purchased from iTunes, instead of borrowing from the library (sigh). I agree with the article's assessment there. Safran Froer, I haven't read but I did like the Everything is Illuminated movie. So, that is three I had heard of. I hadn't heard of any of the others.

issybird · 04-07-2011, 05:16 PM

It's spot-on about Michiko Kakutani. I find it telling that Kakutani and Dowd (the plagiarist) are apparently bestest buds.

curtw · 04-07-2011, 05:17 PM

(nevermind)

pholy · 04-07-2011, 05:31 PM

I have heard of Amy Tan...

As I struggled to make sense of his criticisms, one sentence jumped out at me:

Quote:

Bad writing is characterized by obfuscation, showboating, narcissism, lack of a moral core, and style over substance.

Which brought to mind another quote:

Quote:

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

I guess I'm just a Phil-istine

After forty years of writing C and Cobol programs. I like to read simple exciting stuff by people like CJ Cherryh, Jane Fancher, and Neal Gaiman, or the opposite by CG Jung.

SensualPoet · 04-07-2011, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joonbug1

What a great article.

It's come to this. Literary criticism reduced to a slideshow. Speaks volumes.

kennyc · 04-07-2011, 09:13 PM

I can't say I disagree for the most part, but I do like a lot of Sharon Old's first couple of books -- Satan Says for example.

BenG · 04-08-2011, 12:28 AM

I've read Foer's Everything Is Illuminated. I liked the movie better. The Joy Luck Club is the only Amy Tan I've read. It wasn't so bad. Cunningham and Diaz are the only others I'm familiar with.

Catlady · 04-08-2011, 10:31 AM

Never heard of any of them except Amy Tan. There seemed to be a fair number of poets in the list, so I'm not surprised those weren't familiar to me.

Catlady · 04-08-2011, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

It's come to this. Literary criticism reduced to a slideshow. Speaks volumes.

One of my pet peeves is this method of relaying information. I really only wanted to see a list of the names in text. Instead I had to waste time clicking through slides. Why?

Joykins · 04-08-2011, 10:48 AM

Well, I like Billy Collins even if they don't.

kennyc · 04-08-2011, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catlady

Never heard of any of them except Amy Tan. There seemed to be a fair number of poets in the list, so I'm not surprised those weren't familiar to me.

I am aware of the poets and as I said agree for the most part. Both Sharon Olds and Billy Collins have some good work though.

the rest....meeeeh...

SeaBookGuy · 04-08-2011, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catlady

One of my pet peeves is this method of relaying information. I really only wanted to see a list of the names in text. Instead I had to waste time clicking through slides. Why?

I believe the idea was that if they're going to trash the authors, it was only fairly to explain why in some detail.

I've read Tan, Cunningham and Lahiri -- decent writers, but I can agree with their inclusion. I've not read Foer or Vollman, but was familiar with the names.

Some of them really sounded like hard-core Ivory Tower navel gazing, combined with audacious self-promotion!

04-07-2011, 02:46 PM	#1
Joonbug1 Groupie Posts: 185 Karma: 409000 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: none	Huffington Post: The 15 Most Overrated Authors What a great article. Wow.

04-07-2011, 05:17 PM	#6
curtw Outside of a dog Posts: 871 Karma: 4457646 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston, TX Device: Kindle Voyage	(nevermind) Last edited by curtw; 04-07-2011 at 05:21 PM.

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04-07-2011, 03:00 PM	#2
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,283 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	First off, I hate the Huffington Post website (got that off my chest). Except for Amy Tan, I've never heard of any of the rest. Is my reading that insular?

04-07-2011, 03:08 PM	#3
jkeene Connoisseur Posts: 83 Karma: 85586 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle 3	That article already has over seventeen hundred comments.

04-07-2011, 04:08 PM	#4
covingtoncat73 Wizard Posts: 2,745 Karma: 83407757 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Lenovo Duet Chromebook, Moto e	Hmmm...I think I agree. I had heard of Tan, of course. I found her writing kind of forgettable. Lahri, I haven't read but I loved the movie Namesake, which was based on her book. The author of the article does say the movie was better than the book. As to Diaz, I listened to "Oscar Wao" as an audiobook, which I actually purchased from iTunes, instead of borrowing from the library (sigh). I agree with the article's assessment there. Safran Froer, I haven't read but I did like the Everything is Illuminated movie. So, that is three I had heard of. I hadn't heard of any of the others.

04-07-2011, 05:16 PM	#5
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,294 Karma: 234636059 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	It's spot-on about Michiko Kakutani. I find it telling that Kakutani and Dowd (the plagiarist) are apparently bestest buds.

04-07-2011, 09:13 PM	#9
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,897 Karma: 119230421 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	I can't say I disagree for the most part, but I do like a lot of Sharon Old's first couple of books -- Satan Says for example.

04-08-2011, 12:28 AM	#10
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,730 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	I've read Foer's Everything Is Illuminated. I liked the movie better. The Joy Luck Club is the only Amy Tan I've read. It wasn't so bad. Cunningham and Diaz are the only others I'm familiar with.

04-08-2011, 10:31 AM	#11
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,418 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	Never heard of any of them except Amy Tan. There seemed to be a fair number of poets in the list, so I'm not surprised those weren't familiar to me.

04-08-2011, 10:48 AM	#13
Joykins Wizard Posts: 1,610 Karma: 9211856 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: kindle Oasis 2018, kindle 4 NT, kindle PW2, iPhone, iPad mini	Well, I like Billy Collins even if they don't.