Id have to go with Flann O’Brien. ‘The Third Policeman’ is one of the funniest and surreal novels ive come across. Absolutely recommend it to anyone who hasn’t read it. His other work including ‘At-Swim-Two-Birds’ is also ingenious.
Have to give a mention to Kafka as well. ‘The Trial’ is a masterpiece and there was never a bigger condemnation of hyper bureaucracy than ‘The Castle’.
Thinking of starting into Henry Miller’s ‘Tropic of Capricorn’, has anyone read it?
Ayn Rand’s up there, as well, as is Stephen King, Art Spiegelman, Vonnegut, Orson Scott Card, Orwell, Shel Silverstien, and the list goes on. I’ll pick up the occasional Brad Steiger or Carl Sagan book as well.
Don’t read NEARLY as much as I used to, but when I do, it’s usually whacked-out science fiction or fantasy-type stuff.
Ayn Rand’s up there, as well, as is Stephen King, Art Spiegelman, Vonnegut, Orson Scott Card, Orwell, Shel Silverstien, and the list goes on. I’ll pick up the occasional Brad Steiger or Carl Sagan book as well.
Don’t read NEARLY as much as I used to, but when I do, it’s usually whacked-out science fiction or fantasy-type stuff.
If Vonnegut were alive today…he would severely castigate you for reading Ayn Rand. Of this I have no doubt.
i guess favorite authors segues into favorite books.
hands down, beat my ass( if anyone cares to attempt) it’s a tie with the authors, and specifically with two books:
Nabokov’s “Lolita”. a piece of music, from the first sentence. if you have never read this retarded tale, it’s a great read. it was nabokov’s tribute to the english language, which was not his native tongue. and then of course there was the kubrick excellent screen adaptation with james mason, shelly winters , sue lyon and peter sellers. awesome.
more contemporary is murakami’s “wind up bird chronicles”. which is equally ill in tenor but a GREAT book, which starts out about basically nothing and then things get weird–not in a science fiction way, just psychological, introspective, japanese way.
if any of you are interested in the history of american poetry, beats and all that , check out the selected or collected poems of frank o’hara. he was an american poet who basically changed the landscape of american poetry to include a particular american english feel to the stuff. he was friends with pollock, dekooning, all those badass butch painters. he kept writing and became a curator at MOMA in new york. cool stuff. definitely paved the way for poetry slams and shit like that (most of which i wouldn’t bother going to b/c it’s such lazy writing anymore).
Geroge Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm are sheer genius, and goes along with Necessary reads.
For fun, though, You can’t beat Davad Sedaris.
Late,
grmpysmrf
Geroge Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm are sheer genius, and goes along with Necessary reads.
For fun, though, You can’t beat Davad Sedaris.
Late,
grmpysmrf
I’ll back you up on that. We had to read them both in High School, and I was so pleased.
wait. i have a vintage hard bound copy of sacher masoch’s “venus in furs” (some numbered something from the fifties-- i’m not THAT great with book collecting), which if you can get past the antiquity of the language is cool.not one of my favorites, but thought blue velvet might appreciate that tidbit of S & M history. ("oh yeah, sacher masoch. that’s where the S & M comes from…)
king grump, i think the two share credit for this abomination (running away spitting juice). the history is murky–the 19th century, but masoch’s contribution in the exercise in spanking is undeniable. some scholars say de sade was not focused enough, and some say masoch takes all the credit, because his tales are more contemporary. who knows.
“shiny shiny shiny boots of leather, whiplash girlchild…” oh geez, now i have to call connelly.
resident expert.
special ed - wind-up bird is fucking awesome. I listed him as one of my favorites, simply because that book pushed me into reading nearly all of the books he’s got in english currently. I wish I could read the japanese, I’m sure much is lost in translation. =(
high brow? no such thing.
if there’s a good story, that’s what matters. like listening to a great song.
one of my favorite stories is " a good man is hard to find" by flannery o’connor. it’s well known. it’s a short story. i think i read it in high school. and it’s just creepy at the end. i guess i like shit that gives me the creeps.
i don’t think that reading and analyizing books is high brow, if that’s what you mean. i have all of the calvin and hobbes books b/c they’re funny and well done. THEY’RE CARTOON CHARACTERS. I have known mike judge and he’s no high brow either.
The usual suspects that are all over everyone else’s lists - Gaiman, Gibson, Stephenson. Also some of the other old cyberpunk authors. Bruce Sterling, Rudy Rucker.
Robert Anton Wilson. Warren Ellis. Alan Moore. Tolkien. Lovecraft. Douglas Adams.
Hm… Nothing particularly crazy unusual in there, is there? At least not for this board.