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A book-nerdish game of sorts.....
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message 51:
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karen, future RA queen
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May 21, 2011 01:47PM
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karen wrote: "yeah - here's a secret - sometimes i disagree with some of these distinctions..."Heresy!
These are new ways of categorizing for me so I try to follow the rules. :-) But I did think Winter's Bone made a lot of sense for this list of descriptors. Given permission to disagree with some of the distinctions, I'd say absolutely yes for Winter's Bone here.
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What about Bitter Seeds? Or, even what about Wuthering Heights? I know it's not other-world, but I feel like the history is almost a world-building. But, I have been wrong in my definition of world building many times.
A Madness of Angels. Maybe The Steel Remains?
King's Property seems to fit, but maybe it doesn't count because I would never actually recommend it?
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Miriam wrote: "I wouldn't include either Mieville I've read (Kraken and Un Lun Dun) but I hear they are atypical."agreed.
I think the newest one would fit in all it's awesomeness.
grittyunhurried
world building
atmospheric
what about like Prescription for a Superior Existence: A Novel
I mean I think it builds a world (the cult) with out being too far from generic (atmospheric) but still has an interesting feel. and I mean it's definitely meandering. I can't remember if it's gritty, cause I'm not remembering details.
this is a tricky one. what about Requiem for a Dream - world building (world of drugs and addiction) which is also atmospheric (sort of?), definitely gritty. hmm
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carriedaway wrote: "A Game of Thrones. Gritty, unhurried (or unending), world building. Atmospheric? Hmm. Maybe."maybe it will end in september.
Jasmine wrote: "carriedaway wrote: "A Game of Thrones. Gritty, unhurried (or unending), world building. Atmospheric? Hmm. Maybe."maybe it will end in september."
The TV series, the books or the world?
What did Greg suggest? Tell!
the book, there fifth one is coming out then.
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I think George R Martin might fit for this, but I'm not sure about atmospheric. My suggestion was James Ellroy in his America trilogy. His writing is certainly gritty and even though it is clipped and parred down to the bare essentials there is an unhurried feel to the unfolding of the story, which is counteracted the relentlessness of the prose style. Atmospheric? This might be a bit of a stretch but there is a dark foreboding throughout the entire series and at times he creates some perfect atmosphere (the ending chapter to American Tabloid is as beautifully atmospheric as just about the best that David Lynch creates in his movies).
World building is another sticky point. The novels take place in America in the 1950's through early 70's and they are mainly populated by real people and have the feeling that everything could be true but it's an America at the time that isn't like what one normally thinks of it, it's a self-contained shadowy amoral world. It's the scope that Ellroy takes on that I would say that he is world-building, if it were just a story of an isolated conspiracy, or just the story of the mob or of Las Vegas or the civil rights movement I'd classify the novels as being historical fiction but he creates an entire world out of his dark vision of America at the time.
My suggestion might be a stretch and I'll try to think of some other books too.
The Martin series won't end with this next book, the series is nowhere near ending.
karen wrote: "hahaha no i am just trying to reassure the fans who will literally murder us if it gets delayed again!"I'm not coming to work anymore if they delay it again
The Tenderness of Wolvesgritty - it seemed so to me.
unhurried - Certainly. Nothing much happens at all in the book, it's slow and atmospheric.
world building - It built a pretty good picture of Canada in the nineteenth century. I can still 'feel' (if that's possible) the coldness and the bitter weather, the dismal characteristics and all the other stuff.
atmospheric - You bet it is.
Does anyone agree?
Margaret Atwood's world is certainly gritty, generic, unhurried, and a fantastic novel too The Year of the Flood
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anyone down for another round?
Don't read it if you're looking for a good story, or a suspenseful mystery. hardly anything happens at all. I liked it solely for the narrative style.
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carriedaway wrote: "Good Omens although that might be stretching the criteria."I thought of Good Omens as well! I definitely think of that as character driven, dark and witty. Was the stretch in the pacing?
karen wrote: "grittyunhurried
world building
atmospheric"
Oh I know! Jonathan Evison’s West of Here .
The pace is definitely unhurried, very smooth with good transitions. The writing is absolutely atmospheric as I felt at times quite literally transported back into an age of exploration and discovery! I cannot read this book without listening to a mix I made for it consisting of Mumford & Sons and the Decemberists. AND it is all about building and surviving the wilds of the Olympic Mountains/Pacific NW in 1887 [-1891]!
The grittiness I am having a little trouble with, unless one takes the novel in the context of bravery or a willingness to stand in the face of danger.
karen wrote: "mmm i love slow detailed narratives, especially when they are about canada!"Yay for Canada! <3
readers advisory for all
Books mentioned in this topic
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (other topics)The Year of the Flood (other topics)
The Tenderness of Wolves (other topics)
Tender Morsels (other topics)
American Tabloid (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
James Ellroy (other topics)Liz Jensen (other topics)
