Literary Award Winners Fiction Book Club discussion
General Topics
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INTRODUCTIONS
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Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the books that we read and discuss.
Greetings from northern California! I am always drawn to smaller groups focusing on prize winning books for some reason and it seems like you all have created a nice niche here at GoodReads. I have way too many TBR piles in my house (yes, the shelves are double stacked and my walls have no room for more bookshelves - ooops). I would probably bring Proust with me to a desert island as it is both long and thoughtful. Plenty of things to think about as the years go by on the beach. I wouldn't mind getting stuck in an elevator with Tolstoy as long as I was fluent in Russian and if he could be reincarnated (no zombies please). I have no crush on a character (as far as I can recall), but rather with the realm of words. Recently, Rebecca West's writing mesmerized me. Just wanted to say Hello!
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I know what you mean about too many books on my shelves that are on the TBR list. I am a regular thrift and second hand bookshop visitor.
I read Swann's Way earlier this year. An interesting read with some truly great paragraphs, however I would prefer to take Crime and Punishment or Anna Karenina. Haven't read any Rebecca West. Do you have a recommendation?
Look forward to reading your opinions on the books we read and discuss.
Thanks George! I can see why you would bring Dostoyevsky or Tolstoy, but Proust's would probably last longer. Perhaps a Kindle with a solar-powered unit would be cheating? The West book I just read was The Return of the Soldier (a short and sweet read). However, I have my eyes on Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, but I cannot recommend it as I haven't read it. It just seems inviting and interesting in so many ways.
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Hello everyone :) My name is Olivia, I'm 32 years old and I live in England with my partner and our two dogs. Just outside of London actually, far enough away to have the countryside on our doorstep and close enough to be able to attend musicals, concerts and visit museums etc. whenever it pleases us.I grew up reading serious literature because both my parents seem to have filled their shelves with only the best. I actually wasn't allowed to read genre fiction as a child, and my mother frowned a lot when I started my teenager years steered away from Goethe. I mention Goethe because I grew up speaking German, in Switzerland.
As an adult I started reading fantasy and sci-fi and I also really like to snack on YA books every now and then. However now I'd like to also make a conscious effort of reading more classics and more of the award winning books.
My island books? Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco, Atonement and the Count of Monte Cristo.
Ten years ago I would have said the entire Austen collection, but I've read those far too many times by now.
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Looking forward to reading your opinions on the books we read and discuss.
Thank you, George, and I agree, the Count of Monte Cristo has a brilliant plot that is perfectly crafted from the very beginning to the end. Everything falls into place.Now for Foucault's Pendulum. I prefer it to The Name of the Rose. It's such a brilliant story, essentially Eco re-interprets the entire history of Europe based on a small conspiracy theory, and the best thing about it? It's believable. It starts out as this ridiculous story three friends make up together and slowly transforms into something more along the lines of, 'hey, what if this is actually the truth?' I was utterly fascinated by it.
Mansfield Park is possibly Austen's most mature work, I need to re-read it because it's the one I liked least in my 20's. Lady Susan is a very short read and probably her funniest book.
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I had to read The Odyssey when I was doing Latin and Ancient Greek at school, I do not remember it fondly. And I never managed to get through Ulysses. It's on my shelf, possibly mocking me. Now Infinite Jest. I said above I'm not a native speaker so I found it really hard. No paragraphs, often page after page of long sentences without a break... so I downloaded the audio book and I now actually listen to the audio while reading it, making it easier for me not to get lost in the sentences. The other option would have been picking up the German copy, but I don't like reading translations when I actually am capable of reading the original language.The footnotes are tedious, often unnecessary, in my opinion, but many of them are necessary and add to the story, which makes it impossible to skip them.
I'm about 200 pages into the book and I'm not yet sure if it's pretentious rambling or brilliant. It could be both. I'm not in love with it, yet, but the story hasn't come together. He spends the first few hundred pages introducing characters and talking about them without anything tying things together. Apparently that will change. I'll let you know once I'm further into the book. At the moment I listen to it for about half an hour to an hour every morning.
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Hi! I'm Carol, longtime teacher in a first profession, then elementary school librarian, then public librarian. Although all the best books don't have awards, I enjoy reading the winners and runners up along the way as well. Now in the Midwest USA, I grew up on the East Coast. Once upon a time I had an idyllic week car trip from Perth down the coast, stopping at wineries along the way. Beautiful country!
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Atonement by Ian McEwan, Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese, The Goldfinch by Donna Tart. Have been wanting to read Richard Ford's Canada - glad you mentioned him.
I have a soft spot for The Great Gatsby that goes way back, but I fall in love with passages in books like Cutting for Stone that are so beautiful I have to read them over and over. In The Goldfinch, I so loved the character who owned the antique shop...so real, so living breathing wonderful.
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You did well visiting South Western Australia. The large trees, (for Australia) the coast, caves, small towns...a nice part of the country.
From Manila, hello! I'm Riddick. I'm an editor at a publishing house. It was just the second half of last year that I started seriously reading—serious as in habitual and persistent reading and "serious" as in "literary." I have a personal project going on right now which is to read all the Pulitzer-winning novels from The Executioner's Song (1980) to The Sympathizer (2016). Hoping to be done before April ends!Like what George said (on Jan. 17, 2017), I think these kinds of reading projects—like tackling award-winning novels—are a "gateway to discovering great authors." Marilynne Robinson has become a love of mine ever since reading Gilead last December (eventually, Home), and I'm looking forward to reading Housekeeping and Lila to sneak in on my project.
I hope to contribute as much as I can, as much as my shelf permits me.
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I'm looking forward to reading them especially Updike's. American Pastoral was such a trip -- Philip Roth is something else! The synopses of the Rabbit books sound like Roth's and Swede Levov's.I'm intimidated by The Executioner's Song and The Goldfinch, possibly the two longest books in this project, but I'll cross the bridge when I get there. Thank you for the warm welcome, looking forward to fruitful discussions!
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Hi there, I'm martha and self-confessed book nerd! I love books, bookshops, libraries, writing...anything book related. My preferred genre is modern literature but I'm open to reading other genres. I often look to award winning books as choices for my selection so was drawn to this group. I'm from Ireland and am a teacher.
I'd really like to join the group and was wondering about the "challenge question"? I hadn't seen a thread for it.
Anyway, thank you
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Sure! Modern literature is always one of those tricky ambivalent terms, but I would range it from the latter part of the 20th century also. Yes, Irish writing seems to be going through a real resurgence...the names you mentioned along with new voices like Sara Baume, Rob Doyle, Colin Barrett to name just a few. The short story is a form I also enjoy and for which many of these writers have made their names. I also look forward to reading Maeve Brennan, whose work is also enjoying something of a resurgence since she would have been 100 this year.But it's not only Irish literature or indeed modern that I read. Since studying French in college, Proust is a favourite, though very lengthy writer. I do also like to read classics and probably my favourite of these was Anna Karenina.
I am currently reading "Two Gentlemen on the Beach" by Michael Kohlmeier, which tells of the real and deep friendship between Chaplin and Churchill, using both historical sources and imagination to bring the story to life. I'm enjoying it very much.
Looking forward to participating further in discussions
Hello everyone, I live in Manchester, UK and am an avid reader of literary fiction, history and anything to do with Homer. I have kept a note of every book I have read since I was 12 and when I joined GR I transferred this to my shelves as I panicked that I would lose the old school book they were kept in.I have a great, though old, credential to be part of this group. In the 1980s I was a assistant university librarian for the sciences. I complied a bibliography of all Booker shortlisted and winning titles since the prize started. I encouraged library staff to read books on the list and donate 25p to Oxfam. After a term we had staff, academics and students joining in. I had a leader table and it became a friendly competition. This bibliography found its way to the Library Association who asked me to expand it and it was published in 1989. I received an advance of £600. It is now well out of print but I have just seen one up for sale at 39p.
Currently I am reading Mary Beard's SPQR (NBC winner 2015).
I would have liked to be stuck in a lift with Ian Banks as he would be very funny. On the Desert Island Disc's desert island I would take Homer in the Ancient Greek, plus a translation, plus a Teach Yourself Ancient Greek. That would probably see me through.
I'd love to connect with other readers.
Does this answer the challenge question?
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Just! Welcome Anne. What are your favourite literary fiction novels? I hope to read Homer this year in my quest to read Ulysses by James Joyce and will be reading more Philip Roth, who I enjoy.
Now you are asking George. Homer, the ancient Greek playwrites, Shakespeare, Austen, the Brontës, Hardy, Farrell and Peake amongst the classics.
Ishigiro, Mantel, McEwan, Tyler and Unsworth amongst the current literary fiction writers.
Some of the most moving reads last year were, Ishigiro's Buried Giant, Macrae Burnet's His Bloody Project and Kent's Burial Rites which I read one after the other. At the end I only wanted to watch wall-to-wall Death in Paradise.
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One of my all time favourite novels that I think you might enjoy is Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. It's about two couples who meet every so often, staying in touch over their lives. Just a lovely story about growing old, friendship. The characters are beautifully developed.
I enjoy McEwan's style and last year found The Children Act entertaining and thought provoking. I too read His Bloody Project and Burial Rites pretty close together. I like historical fiction and these were well done.
George wrote: "I haven't read any of the Greek playwrights since high school ..."Playwright of course, apologies. I had a crisis of memory, comes with age.
Mervyn Peake wrote the Gormenghast trilogy. Reading it I felt he might have been influenced by Woolf's Orlando, for example, the knight who rides into the castle, charges down the stairs and is never seen again.
Buried Giant is deeply moving. I was in floods of tears at the end. From the heart rather than head. Losing Nelson had one of those endings that makes you rethink everything you have read. Like Ian Banks's Wasp Factory.
Kent has a new novel out, The Good People, set in Ireland. Interestingly the review I read yesterday was by Macrae Burnet.
I am a long term fan of McEwan. I use the term the McEwan moment where something dark happens or a choice is made which changes everything for the worse.
I do not know Crossing to Safety but will read it and let you know.
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Playwright of course, apologies. I had a crisis of memory, comes with age.
Mervyn Peake wrote the Gormenghast tri..."
Anne, if The Sense of an Ending doesn't get enough votes I would still like to read it again and could buddy read it with you whenever you want to. I only have one copy!
Which is your favourite Hardy novel? Mine is Far From the Madding Crowd. If you like Hardy, what about George Eliot and D. H Lawrence? Middlemarch and Sons and Lovers are two very good novels.
Hi, I'm Jane from Oregon, USA. I love reading well written books besides the Pulitzers and that's why I'm here. I'm usually working on 3 books at a time including an Audible. One of my current books is the third book of the trilogy The Awakening Land by Conrad Richter. The third book, The Town, won the 1951 Pulitzer for fiction.Do you allow audio books?
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Hi, I'm Alison from Bacchus Marsh in Victoria, Australia. I love reading just about anything. Currently reading A Gentleman in Moscow and The Shadow of the Wind (again).
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Hello, I'm Alice from Oxfordshire (UK), new to Goodreads and enjoying reading about everyone's favourite books! I tend to judge books on their titles and covers so sometimes end up reading outside my comfort zone (good) and sometimes end up ploughing through books that aren't worth my time (bad). To avoid this I like picking books that have won or been nominated for prizes - hence I've found this group!The most recent book I've read that I really enjoyed was Rook by Daniel O'Malley, which was in fact my first fantasy novel; also John Green's The Fault in Our Stars which is YA fiction and again a first for me (since the time I was YA at least). My favourite author is probably EM Forster, but a modern author I've enjoyed is John Lanchester (Capital).
Looking forward to doing some more directed reading and sharing thoughts and impressions with others in the group!
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Prize Winning books generally are worth a read so the odds of a satisfying read increase.
I have got to the point where I will read a number of reviews before I choose to read a book. If I am in a bookshop, before I purchase a book I will read the first page. If I like the way the story is being told then I will purchase the book.
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I prefer humorous, witty novels but they tend to be few and far between and not as likely to be to most people's reading tastes. For instance, I loved The Sellout by Paul Beatty but for some the loose plot was a negative.
A favourite read of late was A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley which this group discussed a couple of months ago.
Do you have any other favourite reads?
No bookstores! I notice on google maps that Cozumel is on an island and a fair distance from Mexico City.
Hello! I'm Sarah from Grand Rapids, Michigan (USA). I am new to groups on Goodreads, but love the idea of reading and discussing award-winning books with others. My favorite author is Margaret Atwood. I have trouble picking favorite books, but some that I've enjoyed recently include "The Power" by Alderman , "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Hosseini, and "Americanah" by Adichie.
I'm looking forward to getting to know you! :-)
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I also enjoyed The Power and Americanah. Crazily even though a loved The Kite Runner, I haven't read anything else by Hosseini. My reading whims carry me all over the place. Normally if I love a book I read more of the author. I'll put Hosseini on my to be read in the next year list.
Thanks for the welcome, George! My two favorite Margaret Atwood novels are the Handmaid's Tail and The Heart Goes Last. I agree with reading whims carrying me in many different directions. I love that this group has already introduced me to a new author (Paul Scott).
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One of the many benefits of this group is reading books you might not necessarily pick up on a whim and discovering an author you particularly like the writing style of. We read Being Dead by Jim Crace a while back and I was so taken with Crace's writing style that I have read a number of his other books since. Same happened for me with Iris Murdoch. Another benefit I find is in making me reread books. My favourite novel reads deserve to be reread but I find it so hard to do. My TBR list is out of control! I am doing well if I reread five of my favourite books a year. Through this group I reread A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley, a favourite book of mine.
Hi Everyone, I just figured out how to introduce myself! I'm Julia, from Ohio. I pretty much only read award winners, but often struggle to find anyone else who has reads the same, so this club is perfect for me! I just listened to the Maddaddam Trilogy by Atwood. I also really liked the Handmaid's Tale. I've NEVER read East of Eden, but saw it mentioned throughout this thread. I will have to check it out.
It's so hard to name favorites...but, I always prefer the noir.
I guess I can say my favorite authors are Cormac McCarthy, and Faulkner. Also, I'm a sucker for a twist, westerns, and historical settings.
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Howdy y’all! I’m BAM. I’m from KY. Really trying to beef up my true literature reads. Thought this would be the perfect group. I actually have a “desert island” shelf, but The Reader, Gone with the Wind, The English Patient, Matilda, and the Harry Potter series would def need to be with me if I’m stranded somewhere. I can’t really say I have one favorite author. I read too much too narrow that down. I have a 28 year old daughter that I’m fighting to start reading like she did when she was younger. It really saddens me that I can’t inspire the same obsession in her.
I like to collect T-shirt’s with book sayings on them. This is something I’ve started within the last year. So far I think I have six. If you ever see a funny one send me the link!
Hi, I am Kathy from Toccoa, GA. I am mostly interested in historical and speculative fiction. However, I find that a lot of the literary prize (Man Booker/Pultizer/National Book Award) lists have exposed me to some pretty fantastic books and authors. Looking forward to joining in with the discussions.
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Hi BAM, welcome to the Book Club. I have enjoyed reading all the books you have listed. I usually only give 5 stars to books I will read again but had to give The Reader 5 stars. I loved the short sentences and powerful plot momentum. The tragic story probably means I do not expect I will reread it.
Currently I am enjoying the Elena Ferrante My Brilliant Friend, 4 book series (2 down 2 to go) and Anthony Powell's A Dance to the Music of Time, 12 book series (4 down 8 to go). Ferrante I recommend for literature lovers. Powell is very English and lovers of Orwell, Huxley and Waugh should enjoy the series.
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Hi Kathy, welcome to the book club. I am guessing speculative fiction includes dystopian fiction / science fiction. Recently read John Wyndham's The Midwich Cuckoos which I enjoyed. Also enjoyed Stephen King's The Stand and Cormac McCarthy's The Road.
I am currently trying to read through the '1001 books you must read before you die' list, (438 read so far), and have discovered lots of amazing authors. For example, this year I have discovered Elizabeth Bowen, Rebecca West, Milan Kundera and Kurt Vonnegut. There's just too many books to choose from!
Speculative fiction includes anything that is in the genres of scifi, fantasy, horror, apocalyptic, mystery. It started as a dissatisfaction with the "rules" of most genre fiction like science fiction having to hold to strict scientific principles. Speculative fiction allows for a more expanded, open, imaginative fiction basically a no-rules format for these genres. Some well-known specfic writers are Margaret Atwood, Kazuo Ishiguro. Doug Adam's The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a great example of specfic. Harlan Ellison used the term to avoid being pigeonholed as a writer. Ellison tried to break out of genre modes, and was a proponent of writers embracing more literary and modernist directions. A lot of speculative fiction is included in Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.
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Literary Award Winners Fiction Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Black Lamb and Grey Falcon (other topics)The Return of the Soldier (other topics)
Lila (other topics)
The Road (other topics)
Wolf Hall (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Richard Flanagan (other topics)Haruki Murakami (other topics)
I'm Ailsa. I am from London but I have been living in Bogota, Colombia for the last 3 years with my Venezuelan husband. I teach English (lang & lit) at an international high school. I wanted to join a book club but one which is flexible so I thought this group would be perfect for me. Like other people I often use the awards on this group as a guide for what I read. I am looking forward to reading the suggested novels in the group.