Who's your favorite author??

[Rumple Foreskin]

MG,

"Tortilla Flat" may not be considered among his "great" works, but I swear there were places in the book that had me laughing out loud. Remember the vacuum cleaner that had no motor?

RF

 

[MathGirl]

T Flat

MG,

"Tortilla Flat" may not be considered among his "great" works, but I swear there were places in the book that had me laughing out loud. Remember the vacuum cleaner that had no motor?

RF

That's one of my favorite scenes. The woman didn't have electricity, but she was proud of her vacuum cleaner. Pretended to vacuum so people could see it through the window and made a Rrrrrrrrr sound.

I think that's the woman who kept having babies, but she didn't know why. They crawled around on the floor and she fed them by scattering uncooked, dry beans around.

Some of Steinbeck's stuff is incredibly humorous. Like the story involving Senor Alec Thompson.

Nice to hear that someone else appreciates what a great writer he was.

 

[MathGirl]

James Lee Burke

I just finished James Lee Burke's new novel, "White Doves at Morning." I think this is by far his best book.

It's set during the Civil War. Wonderful characters. The good guys are very good and the bad ones are unrepentant, evil assholes.

Highly recommended for Burke fans and for anyone who wants to read a really good book.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

MathGirl,

Thanks for the heads-up. Is it set in south Louisiana or out west?

Rumple Foreskin

 

[Count Mackula]

Re: John Steinbeck

I think one of the all time best American writers was John Steinbeck. He's been dead for many years, but his novels are timeless.

He won a Nobel Prize for literature, but nobody these days seems to remember Steinbeck. It's too bad.

Steinbeck... He wrote Of Mice and Men, right? That was one of the few books that was required reading in school that I actually enjoyed. And I had to read it during Summer School, too, when reading and school work was the farthest thing from my mind, so I guess that really says a lot for that book.

 

[MathGirl]

Re: Re: John Steinbeck

Steinbeck... He wrote Of Mice and Men, right? That was one of the few books that was required reading in school that I actually enjoyed. And I had to read it during Summer School, too, when reading and school work was the farthest thing from my mind, so I guess that really says a lot for that book.

Dear Mack,

Since you were in high school, you probably liked "Of Mice and Men" because it was a very short book.

Diane the Wannabee English Teacher

 

[Count Mackula]

Re: Re: Re: John Steinbeck

Dear Mack,

Since you were in high school, you probably liked "Of Mice and Men" because it was a very short book.

Diane the Wannabee English Teacher

No, not at all. Most of the books I read in high school weren't much longer, if any. I think the reason I didn't like a lot of the books in high school were because I had to read them, which really put me off. I don't like being told that I have to do something.

There may have been a few others, but the only other book that immediately comes to mind that I also enjoyed in high school was George Orwell's Animal Farm.

 

[MathGirl]

Re: Re: Re: Re: John Steinbeck

There may have been a few others, but the only other book that immediately comes to mind that I also enjoyed in high school was George Orwell's Animal Farm.

If you read Steinbeck and Orwell, your high school days were not completely wasted.

I really shouldn't comment, though, because I never went to high school. I sometimes wonder if I actually missed anything.

 

[daisie]

Hardly anyone in the US has ever heard of him.

Wow. I've only been on this board for a week, and have heard so much strange US-bashing that I just have to ask:

How many Americans have you interviewed regarding Terry Pratchett?

I love Terry Pratchett. My husband and friends do, too. At every bookstore I've been to, he's very prominent in the SciFi section (hardbacks always on display).

D (who LOVED Good Omens, with Gaiman)

 

[SlickTony]

I sometimes wonder if I actually missed anything.

Naah. Nothing good, anyway.

 

[Calliope]

I'll read almost anything recommended to me. I hate trying to pick a book off a shelf! I do have my favourites, and they include:

Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth series)
Wilbur Smith
James Michener
Ken Follett
Stephen King
John Sandford
James Patterson
Laurel K. Hamilton (her series on the Fey is very erotic)

But..if you want a series of books that will REALLY scare you and keep you up at night, find "Headhunter" by Michael Slade. Read it several years ago and I still have nightmares

 

[MathGirl]

Re: Re: Who's your favorite author??

How many Americans have you interviewed regarding Terry Pratchett?

I love Terry Pratchett. My husband and friends do, too. At every bookstore I've been to, he's very prominent in the SciFi section (hardbacks always on display).

D (who LOVED Good Omens, with Gaiman)

I should have qualified that. None of my friends ever heard of Terry Pratchett. Since I don't have any friends, that's a very small, select group.

Diane Who Stands Corrected

 

[NoJo]

The "serious" authors that have most influenced me are

Erotica:
Not much here: I read the "Olympia Reader", which consisted of the "fuck bits" from a lot of serious and classic erotica. I didn't find it as much of a turn on as some stuff I read on this site.

Childrens (a BIG influence)
Lewis Carroll: Alice Through The looking Glass has it all: Sadomasochism, wordplay, surrealism. The real life Alice reportedly captivated many famous Victorian's grownup's hearts, including John Ruskin. She was portrayed with real respect by Carroll , who in some ways saw her as an equal to adults.

A A Milne: OK, very middle class, but still wonderful . The last chapter of the second book is very touching to any father who's watched his children growing up and leaving their "100 Aker Wood" behind them.

Humor:
Israel Zangwill -- hilarious observations of working class London in the 18-19th century

Sci Fi:
John Sladek -- Loyal cult following, critically acclaimed, but never really hit the Jackpot in terms of popularity

Novels:
Margaret Atwood, J D Salinger -- deep and disturbing.

John Barth - Wordmaster. He has twelve whole pages comprised solely of slang words for "prostitute" alternating between English and French, during one scene of a slanging match in a brothel in "The Sot Weed Factor".

But to be honset my main influence besides TV and Movies are Mad Magazine, R Crumb and the underground comix of the 60s and 70s, and the Firesign Theater comedy act.

 

[daisie]

Re: Re: Re: Who's your favorite author??

Since I don't have any friends, that's a very small, select group.

*giggles*

It's about time you counted yourself as one of my friends, then.

D

 

[NoJo]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Who's your favorite author??

*giggles*

It's about time you counted yourself as one of my friends, then.

D

Mathgirl, have you considered imaginary friends -- they're much more loyal. I can introduce you to some of mine if you like.

 

[MathGirl]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Who's your favorite author??

*giggles*
It's about time you counted yourself as one of my friends, then.
D

Aww, that's sweet. Thank you.

SubJoe,
You certainly have a wide-ranging literary taste. Would you classify your approach to literature as "eclectic" or "ballistic?"

 

[NoJo]

Not ballistic. I use baby powder.

 

[MathGirl]

Not ballistic. I use baby powder.

Wow! That one sure went over my head. Whoooooosh

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Let me toss a gentle curve ball past this assembly. Reading Sub Joe's list got me to thinking (a rare feat) about Terry Southern. In y'alls opinion, humble or otherwise, would his classic "Candy" be classified as humor or erotic?

Back in the pre-Cambrian days (mid-to-late '60's) when I was in college, that book, along with "Fanny Hill" and "The Man from O.R.G.Y." series were absolutely mandatory reading.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[MathGirl]

Let me toss a gentle curve ball past this assembly. Reading Sub Joe's list got me to thinking (a rare feat) about Terry Southern. In y'alls opinion, humble or otherwise, would his classic "Candy" be classified as humor or erotic?
Rumple Foreskin

Dear Rumple,
I found a copy of "Candy" under my parents' bed when I was about twelve. I thought it was educational.

 

[Dirt Man]

I waited 6 pages worth before giving my opinion...

But the truth is, I don't have a quote/unquote favorite author above all other authors. The author that wrote the book that I am presently enjoying is favored during the time I am reading his/her/their book, or short story, be it classic, or new aged whatever. To say that I have read all of John Stienbeck's, Herman Melvile's, Clive Cussler's, Tom Clancey's, or Diane Carey's books when I see them out only means that I have enjoyed wandering through their mind's eye in the past, and am willing to do it again as long as the journey is enjoyed. I also enjoyed Two Years Before the Mast, but nothing the author wrote after that was worth reading as far as I was concerned.


As Always
I Am the
Dirt Man

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

I found a copy of "Candy" under my parents' bed when I was about twelve. I thought it was educational.

Oh, it was educational. Especially for those of us whose sex education consisted of peaking at the lingerie section of Sears and Roebuck catalogs.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[jack_straw]

favorite authors

Saw this thread running; thought I'd add something nobody's mentioned.

I don't read a lot of fiction these days, but when I was younger, I read a lot of Heinlein, Tolkein and, believe it or not, Robert E. Howard. My brother and I had the entire series of Conan books and we absolutely devoured them. Also, I loved Orwell, especially 1984.

Lately, my wife and I have gotten hooked on Janet Evanovich. Stephanie Plum is definitely my kind of gal.

But what I haven't seen mentioned are history writers. I have always had a big interest in history, and lately that's about all I have time to read. For me, Barbara Tuchman was the master and The Guns of August was the masterpiece. Also, I loved Simon Schama's History of Britain series. He had so many juicy vignettes that it almost read like a suspense novel. For example, did you know that Edward II was a homosexual who was murdered in 1327 in the Tower by some nobles who stuck a redhot poker up his ass? You can't make up stuff like that. Also, Michael Grant is very good, and very controversial, especially his biography of Saint Peter, and John Keegan is THE authority on the World Wars of the 20th century.

So, are there any other history buffs out there?

 

[daisie]

Re: favorite authors

My brother and I had the entire series of Conan books and we absolutely devoured them.

Did you see "The Whole Wide World," the movie made about a sliver of Howard's life? There are two amazing scenes in that movie.

D

 

[NoJo]

Wow! That one sure went over my head. Whoooooosh

Ballistic = sticky balls (not one of my best)