I’m often embarassed by the paucity of fiction books on my shelves. I don’t know why I care. But while many I know suck down the latest Oprah book or books at the top of bestseller lists for weeks, like The Kite Runner and anything by Nicholas Sparks, I find out about a new Andrew Jackson biography and I’m distracted again to a non-fiction wasteland where I can discuss what I’m reading only with my former history teacher.
I like what I like, but I’m trying to correct for this. When I picked up our most recent book club choice, I spotted a few fiction gems on a buy 2 get 1 free table, so I took advantage of the deal and got Angela’s Ashes and Olive Kitteridge.* Now a colleague, staff editor Robin Watson, has recommended The Gargoyle by debut novelist Andrew Davidson. But don’t think this in any way is enough to round out my to-read list. So, suggestions welcome.
*The third, I must admit, was this.
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates. My post on the movie vs. book is forthcoming.
On the subject of historical fiction, and in light of the recent death of William Safire, I recommend “Freedom: A Novel of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War.”
Though known as a columnist and authority on language, Safire could also write captivating fiction — a very different skill from journalism.
One of the interesting things about the book is Safire’s “underbook” in which he explains his conclusions and substantiates his fictive leaps.
I don’t agree with some of his positions, but it’s a riveting portrait of the central time period in American life and our most important historical figure.
I have been reading Glenn David Gold’s novels lately. Carter beats the devil and now Sunnyside. They count as historical fiction, have very detailed historical fact interwoven with a narrative and a mystery that is compelling enough to keep me interested.
Might be a good gateway drug back into fiction…
• I think the most fun you can possibly have reading a novel is reading “Good Omens” by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. You will continually laugh out loud while reading.
• Another personal favorite is “The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys,” a great coming of age novel. Tragically, it’s writer, Chris Fuhrman, died before it was published. Based on this, his only novel, we’ve all missed out on an extraordinary publishing career.
In keeping with the coming-of-age-novel tradition of great opening lines (a la “If you really want to hear about it … but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth”) ‘Altar Boys’ opens with a terrific one:
“By eighth grade, Jesus Christ had been bone meal and rumors for most of 1,974 years, but we were only thirteen. We were daredevils, gangsters. I had a girl’s name, Francis, and a hernia.”
• Another extraordinary coming-of-age novel is “Bluesman” by Andre Dubus III. (Don’t remember it’s opening line.)
• A very solid short story collection is “Bad Haircut” by Tom Perotta.
• Finally, knowing your fondness for Philadelphia Monica, check out “Brotherly Love” by Pete Dexter. He’s probably best known for ‘Paris, Trout’ and ‘The Paperboy’ and all of his stuff is excellent, including a collection of his newspaper columns. But ‘Brotherly Love’ is my favorite by Dexter.
Countering our history of romanticizing the Mob, this shows the Mafia to be the true parasites they are, all wrapped up in a very human story.
He’s a great writer. I just saw that he has a new one out, which is going to test my resolve not to buy anymore books until I make a dent in the stacks of unreads currently clogging up my apartment.
Oh, and I’ve just been reminded because Gadhafi is on CNN right now: another book I’d recommend is In the Country of Men (not to be confused with No Country for Old Men) by Hisham Matar. It’s about Libya in the ’70s and it’s very powerful.
Angela’s Ashes is a wonderful book. It’s a bit hard to get through the first few chapters, but once you do, it’s definitely worthwhile. I love Frank McCourt and I’ve been meaning to re-read this for ages, as well as start his other books ‘Tis and Teacher Man.
Robin also got me into these mystery books by Laurie King. They’re sequels to the Sherlock Holmes stories and, if you like mystery or are a Holmes addict like me, they’re really engrossing. I always feel like fall/winter are seasons that are more conducive to mystery-reading.
I love history as well and, as a kid, I was always hugely into historical fiction. There’s a new book coming out in October by Hilary Mantel that’s been shortlisted for the Booker Prize in England. It’s called Wolf Hall and it’s supposed to be about Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII and all that Tudor madness, which sounds somewhat promising.
And, I usually like to keep a balance between new fiction and classics, so I’m considering picking up a Dickens sometime in the near future. I’ve been on a Dickens drought for a while and some of his novels, like Little Dorrit and Dombey and Son, are supposed to draw huge parallels with this whole mad credit crisis. Intriguing…