american literature (1 Viewer)

[David Kronenbourg]

any recommendations? am looking for stuff that's off the beaten track. i love writers like denis johnson, david foster wallace, george saunders, william t. vollman etc. help us out here folks. want to get a lot of reading done this summer cos i'm too broke to have a social life

 

[Lungs]

I recommend 'The Corrections' by Johnathan Franzen.

Also, it's a fairly obvious choice, but have you read any Raymond Carver? If not, pick up anything by him, it's all amazing.

 

[David Kronenbourg]

read the corrections. amazing. not read much carver. a couple of short stories here and there, that's about it. must check him out. what about cheever? i have the wapshot chronicles at home. any good?

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

check out the what i read last night thread and .|..|

 

[Scientician 0.8]

I can give you a fairly big, decent anthology of American writers if you want. Do you live in Dublin?

 

[David Kronenbourg]

I can give you a fairly big, decent anthology of American writers if you want. Do you live in Dublin?

i don't but thanks for the offer. i'm mainly interested in the post-war generation, like some of the writers i mentioned above

 

[Scientician 0.8]

I can post it to you if you want. It covers from 1800 right to the present.

 

[David Kronenbourg]

I can post it to you if you want. It covers from 1800 right to the present.

man that's cool but i can't really afford P & P at the moment. might get back onto ya next month though. much appreciated

 

[magicbastarder]

tim o'brien has some phenomenal stuff.

 

[Lungs]

The collections by Carver called 'Cathedral', and 'Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?' are the two I would recommend. Not quuuuite like the other stuff you've mentioned, but 'Another Country', about a bunch of hepcats in New York in the 50's, by James Baldwin, is brilliant.

 

[St. Fechin]

If you like David Foster Wallace, you'd probably enjoy Nicholson Baker.

 

[eclectichoney]

What about Richard Yates and Richard Ford? Both excellent. In the case of the latter, start with The Sportswriter or any of his short fiction. Richard Powers' Time of our singing is a right ol' tome but also worth it. Can't go wrong with the richards I say!

Also Carver is ridiculously good. Preston Falls by David Gates is a bit of an ignored gem.

 

[Reets]

I love Richard Yates, should have young hearts crying and Revolutionary road (don't let the film put you off) somewhere if you want them?

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

william maxwell is excellent, although i believe he was published both before and after the war. They Came Like Swallows is my favorite

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Preston Falls by David Gates is a bit of an ignored gem.

fantastic book!
I haven't read his short stories - have you?

have you read? -

its like a more intense (and blackly funny!) version of Preston falls but set in the city instead of the country.

more stuff in this vein i dig....

 

[David Kronenbourg]

fantastic book!
I haven't read his short stories - have you?

have you read? -

its like a more intense (and blackly funny!) version of Preston falls but set in the city instead of the country.

more stuff in this vein i dig....

read mailman. very good. i was reading about david gates last night on t'internet. he wrote the introduction to my edition of 60 stories by donald barthelme so i was curious about his own stuff. worth checking out you say? isn't willy valutin from that shitty alt country band richmond fontaine? they suck. his writing any better?

 

[eclectichoney]

Thanks for that Charlie - have only read Preston Falls, but I *love* short fiction so will deffo have to order that one (and knowing me, I'll probably get the rest as well!) Thanks a mill for the heads up.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

read mailman. very good. i was reading about david gates last night on t'internet. he wrote the introduction to my edition of 60 stories by donald barthelme so i was curious about his own stuff. worth checking out you say? isn't willy valutin from that shitty alt country band richmond fontaine? they suck. his writing any better?

If you liked Mailman then check out this

and this

And totally check out all and any David Gates!

Willy Vlautin - yes he's from Richmond Fontaine (I've never heard them tho) and if you like Raymond Carver then totally check him out for small lives in big town(e)s...

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Thanks for that Charlie - have only read Preston Falls, but I *love* short fiction so will deffo have to order that one (and knowing me, I'll probably get the rest as well!) Thanks a mill for the heads up.

Yr welcome!
Must check out his short stories myself...
Ya must be a Carver fan then if ya like short fiction?

 

[IFF]

read the corrections. amazing. ?

finished the corrections two weeks ago. it is an excellent book