Episode 32 - Authors We Should Have Read

[Michael]

I've just finished this episode and thought it was wonderful, I might even have to steal the idea for a blog entry. What are the Authors that you feel you should read to make you feel less like a fraud.

Mine would be;
Jane Austen
Tim Winton
David Foster Wallace
Jeffrey Eugenides
Philip Roth
Agatha Christie

[Elizabeth☮]

hey michael, we have a similar thread without the episode discussion number. you might want to browse through the lists others have made.

interesting list for you.

here's the link:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8...

[Ruthiella]

David Foster Wallace would also be on my list of authors I need to at least try. I have a book of his essay’s “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again” on my shelves. But I doubt I will ever tackle “Infinite Jest”.

[Michael]

Elizabeth wrote: "hey michael, we have a similar thread without the episode discussion number. you might want to browse through the lists others have made.

interesting list for you.

here's the link:

http://www.g..."

I saw that thread, but I thought this one was a slightly different topic and felt that having the thread that correspond with the episode is a good idea.

[Elizabeth☮]

that's cool michael!

[Monique]

there are so many authors i have yet to read, too, including Agatha Christie {though i'm a mystery fan} and Margaret Atwood. i hear the gasps...i know...i'm late to the party! thankfully, i just picked up her short story collection, Good Bones and Simple Murders, and put in a request for The Handmaid's Tale at my library. i'm looking forward to getting to know her work. :)

[Ruthiella]

Monique wrote: "there are so many authors i have yet to read, too, including Agatha Christie {though i'm a mystery fan} and Margaret Atwood. i hear the gasps...i know...i'm late to the party! thankfully, i just p..."

The Handmaid's Tale is eerily good Monique, I hope you enjoy it. Being late to the party has its advantages, namely a large back catalog to be read when you discover a new to you author!

[Louise]

The Tim Winton books sound quite bleak - are they?

I also mean to read some Atwood books soon! I have 4 of her books, so I really just have to sit down and read one :-)

There are several authors that I think I'll like, so I've bougth 2-3 or more of their books, but not read any yet. So hopefully I'm right!

Other authors I mean to try soon, because I feel I should, are

Aubyn Edward St
Julian Barnes
Lois McMaster Bujold
Susanna Clarke

[Jason]

Louise wrote: "The Tim Winton books sound quite bleak - are they?

I also mean to read some Atwood books soon! I have 4 of her books, so I really just have to sit down and read one :-)

There are several authors ..."

Louise, I recently read "Dirt Music" by Tim Winton. I don't know if bleak is a word I would use to describe it, but certainly the characters you will encounter are very damaged, unhappy people. Having said that I wouldn't want to dissuade you as I thought it was beautifully written and utterly compelling. I can't speak for any of his other work however as this is the first of his books I've tried but I'm sure it won't be the last.

If you are going to try Julian Barnes start with "A History of the World in 10.5 Chapters" worth it just for "The Wars of Religion". Skip "Staring at the Sun" though, I can't remember why I didn't like it but I do very clearly remember not liking it, quite a lot.
And I've read just about everything else he has written and enjoyed it all immensely.

Several people on this thread have mentioned Margaret Atwood especially "The Handmaids Tale" so I wanted to put a good word in for "Alias Grace" which I thought was terrific.