Which Fiction Writer's Style Do You Most Associate With? (1/24/21)

[Marc]

Is there a fiction writer (or writers), whose style you most associate with?
Or, perhaps, in other words, the question is really, which fiction writer (or writers) most speaks to you?

[Hugh]

At the moment I'd say Ali Smith, because I agree with her about so much of what is going on and she always brings fresh perspectives.

[Robert]

Rather than a specific author, I gravitate towards a certain type of style. In fact I call them bob books.

Generally these consist of a narrator who observes society and remarks on their quirky habits, while acknowledging their own. On surface it seems mundane but then a deep dig reveals that the narrator is talking about serious topics. Examples are:

Sorry to Disrupt the Peace

A Gate at the Stairs

The Pisces

There But For The

Mezzanine

The Portable Veblen

Luster

The reason being that I find little oddities a fascinating as it displays behaviour that is generally not seen in public i.e. - eating food in the street and getting it on one's face, picking one's nose intensely while driving, we had one character at school who would bury his bread crusts in a far corner of the playground etc.

When the following auhtors talk about these things, I can relate as I've seen people act in that manner.

[Ang]

I love Mezzanine, Robert. Nicholson Baker is one of my favourites and does exactly as you describe.

[Stacia]

Vonnegut because I lean toward the cynical (even though there is some piece of optimism buried deep in my heart) and can still appreciate this absurd thing we call life on top of a spinning rock.

[Lark]

wow this question made a pinball machine out of the inside of my head.

[Lyn]

He hasn't written new things in years, but Tom Robbins writes this bubbling froth of joy mixed with cynicism and sly intelligence. Still Life With Woodpecker was my favorite book in college.

[Lark]

ok, I'm going with Vladimir Sorokin. Events in The Blizzard seem to map perfectly onto my brain.

[Tea73]

I like books where you want to read the dialog out loud because it's just so good.

[Jenny]

Hard question to answer, but I’ll go with Lidia Yuknavitch.

[Nadine in California]

Jenny wrote: "Hard question to answer, but I’ll go with Lidia Yuknavitch."

I read her The Book of Joan and loved it, and considering how much I avoid body horror, that's pretty amazing for me. I had clues that there were underlying philosophical themes that I don't know much about, but I bet a philosophy class would have a good time following them.

I've got The Small Backs of Children on my shelf, I just have to find the right emotional state to read it ;)

[Marc]

Tea73 wrote: "I like books where you want to read the dialog out loud because it's just so good."

And do you ever read the dialogue out loud, Tea73?

I will occasionally read out loud kind of randomly to see if it changes my impression of a book, to hear what a certain passage might sound like, or to harass the cats while they're eating or waiting for something other than my reading performance.

[Marcus]

Marc, this must rank as one of the hardest questions you have posed. Much more subtle than what's your favourite book.

I'm going to say Rachel Cusk, because I was so in tune with Outline Transit and Kudos.
If I went back a little further into my reading history then I would add Herman Hesse and Graham Greene.
That was a lot of thinking for three names! Very enjoyable question.

[Kathleen]

This is a wonderful question. I've been pondering it all week. I think I'll say the style that most speaks to me has some mystical quality-- some meaning and magic, along the lines of Toni Morrison and Isabel Allende and Emily Brontë.