Recommend me a book (1 Viewer)

[MDR]

Ok,

Am sort of going through a what will i read next phase. Am looking for something snappy, american and 20th century (21st century allowable too).
And I'm looking for an author I haven't read before, of which there are zillions.

Any ideas?

 

[Divil A Bit]

Ok,

Am sort of going through a what will i read next phase. Am looking for something snappy, american and 20th century (21st century allowable too).
And I'm looking for an author I haven't read before, of which there are zillions.

Any ideas?

I met an American guy last year who makes his living as a poet in Texas University..but he's just written a book and it is fucking great. His name is Nick Flynn. The book is called Another Bullshit Night in Suck City. It's available in Easons etc...I reckon it'll be a bestseller in a year or two.

He's of Irish extraction which adds 'flavor'.

 

[ci]

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. If you haven't read it..

 

[Fish Froy]

Anything by J.D. Salinger, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Charles Bukowski or Jack Kerouac.

Not exactly off the beaten track but hey, you can't beat the classics.

 

[MDR]

Anything by J.D. Salinger, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Charles Bukowski or Jack Kerouac.

Not exactly off the beaten track but hey, you can't beat the classics.

I've read all of salingers and buckowskis books - don't like kerouac - just put down Tender is the Night (read about 60 pages and gave up because it was too disengaged) so I'll give f scott fitzgerald a miss - you're bang on the right track though in terms of the type of book I'm looking for - cheers - cheers to all of you - keep em coming.

 

[Lili Marlene]

Bliss by Peter Carey

man has heart attack, wakes up in hospital and is convinced he is in Hell.

 

[snap-apple]

Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. Not exactly literature but real funny like. And cynical. Funny and cynical.

 

[jane]

I know I'm being predictable, but Dorothy Parker remains a genius. She's really witty, but she also knows how to write bleak stuff. Get a copy of the Collected Dorothy Parker. I probably read from her essays and stories every day.

Have you read SJ Perelman? Crazy Like a Fox is classic. Groany jokes, but some very funny wordplay, and just generally clever stuff. He wrote some films for the Marx Brothers.

 

[BC]

i second the recommendation of "A Confederacy of Dunces". great stuff.

can i recommend books by non-american authors who may not necessarilly be snappy?

"the third policeman" by flann o' brien. my favorite book of all time, hilarious and powerful, mind-bending and witty.

"riddley walker" by russell hoban. the most mind-altering book ever written.

those two books i recommend as strongly as i possibly can for everybody.

 

[Buckrake]

'My Wicked, Wicked Ways' by Errol Flynn.

 

[guy of the tiger]

...

 

[brianoak]

yep thats one of the best of the best books I read last year.twas my reccommendation but you beat me to it.Try "Perfume" by Patrick Suskind if you havent read it.Its really dark but its amazing.Author is not American though

Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. Not exactly literature but real funny like. And cynical. Funny and cynical.

 

[P. Littbarski]

Whatever you do, do NOT read any Peter Abrahams books.

I was recently on holiday and needed some bubble gum for the brain type reading material and I found a book titled "Their Wildest Dreams".

On the cover I noted the following blurb.

“Peter Abrahams is my favorite American suspense novelist.”
—STEPHEN KING

I was intrigued. Stephen King is an alright writer. If he likes it, it can't be too bad...right ?

I puchased said book and started to read...I simply ignored the fact that within 20 pages the main character had expressed that her life long dream was to open a *dance-studio*...although with hindsight I should have stopped reading once I had gleaned this particular fact.

The story evolves, the struggling mother (with the dance studio dream) ends up stripping near mexico, the daughter runs away, the ex-husband tries pulling dodgy business deals and it all culminates in a bank robbery in which all the main characters (without each others knowledge) get involved and which turns messy...and theres a russian involved...and a crime writer who turns to solve crimes.

Yes, it is snappy, it is american and 20th century and is endorsed by Mr. King, but it's a terrible waste of paper and I emplore you, do not read this book.

PS : the dance studio dream is fullfiled and everybody lives happily ever after...except for those characters that get bumped off on the way.

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Cascarino's 'auto'biography. But only if it's 3 euro. Actually, I'll just give it to ya.

 

[MDR]

can i recommend books by non-american authors who may not necessarilly be snappy?

"the third policeman" by flann o' brien. my favorite book of all time, hilarious and powerful, mind-bending and witty.

Yup. agreed - read that and The Poor Mouth about three weeks ago. both very enjoyable. He worked in the same Govt Dept as me you know . . .

 

[Catwoman]

don't like kerouac

Me neither. Rambling boring shite.

Kurt Vonnegut - Slauterhouse 5, Breakfast of Champions, Fates Worse Than Death.

I love American Psycho, though that could be an aqcuired taste.

 

[MDR]

Me neither. Rambling boring shite.

Kurt Vonnegut - Slauterhouse 5, Breakfast of Champions, Fates Worse Than Death.

I love American Psycho, though that could be an aqcuired taste.

I've been thinking on checking vonnegut out, but didn't know where to start, so thanks.

I was put off American Psycho by eveyone on thumped saying that it was full of lists and extended boring bits.

 

[kevin gallen]

This is good if yer looking for a colouring book. Beware thought its a toughie.

 

[hop]

slaughterhouse 5 is v. good, i haven't read any other kurt vonnegut but i'd recommend that fo sho'

its not american but you should give 'handful of dust' by evelyn waugh a shot,
don't let the f scott fitzgerald-esqueness of its first half put you off mind

 

[kevin gallen]

Me neither. Rambling boring shite.

Kurt Vonnegut - Slauterhouse 5, Breakfast of Champions, Fates Worse Than Death.

I love American Psycho, though that could be an aqcuired taste.

I like big sur. He loses his mind and drinks cheap scotch. I had a friend who belived he had some kind of spiritual connection with jacks ghost. He got over it.