and disappointment...
I started reading A Man in Full hoping to find that the somewhat mediocre I Am Charlotte Simmons (which was also very long) was a sort of fluke--a well-written miss by a too old man trying to describe college now.
Well, A Man in Full reads almost like the exact same book. (Semi-saving face for Mr. Wolfe: I've only read three chapters so far.) The charming dialogue sections that I enjoyed most in Charlotte Simmons are reproduced here (or first produced). They are alike not only in spirit, but almost in substance as well.
Sigh. There goes my attempt to be relevent to contemporary literary culture. Any other suggestions?
And we breathed Dreams. A group of voices became a we.
2 comments:
Try "Ahab's Wife." I saw it at Borders last week and was tempted but decided to be prudent.
Sorry bout Tommy. I must admit I had my doubts. Thank you for saving me the trouble--I trust your discernment since you have a literature degree . . . and a little taste (you've got to get off those intoxicating male figures though).
Whoa! Don't stop here. The contemporary scene is deep, very deep with talent. Em, you might like Anne Proulx (Postcards, The Shipping News) ... her characters were a bit flat in Postcards, but The Shipping News is fantastic.
I discovered a whole bunch of contemporary authors that sound interesting through a tape series on new authors in the South I just listened to. Some of these folks were amazing. Em, you might like Lee Smith, Kay Gibbons (I am listening to her novel A Virtuous Woman right now), Jill McCorkel, and Larry Brown. Good stuff with local color.
Here's a list of other contemporary authors that I respect and follow:
Chuck Palakniuk
Jeffrey Eugenides
Stephen Dixon
Stephen Chbolsky
Lydia Johnson (sp?)
David Sedaris
Don Delillo
Any author publishing with MacSweeney's
David Eggers
Ian McEwan
Tim Robbins
... I am drawing blanks here on others!
I hope this helps by giving you some starting places. Cheers :-)
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