If I had started reading Kent Haruf with The Tie That Binds I might not have bothered to read his later work—just wouldn’t have been impressed. But I started with Plainsong, and then went back to read the earlier novel. Realized, ah, that’s where he started. (Am I making sense?)
I was in my 40s in the 80s. I probably read less popular literature in those years than at any other time. I’ve read 10 of the culled favorites. Loved Cormac McCarthy. But most are unfamiliar. I’m making a list.
Thank you for this. The 1980s were post college for me and also a time to read and figure out who I am as a writer. When I read both versions of Carver's story, A Small, Good Thing and saw how radically Lish's edits bent the work, I learned so much about voice as an instrument of character. So many excellent books here to revisit or read for the first time.
There was a short period when Ray spent time in Missoula and our paths crossed, slightly. He'd been supposed to come and teach there but then didn't for a reason I don't know. Some money had been set aside for him to bring a lit mag with him . . . we ended up starting a new one, which became CutBank. I was glad to hear what you said about the story--such a great example. And his later stories were much fuller . . . he could've brought us such good stuff. I think when you're a young writer, without a lot of backing, you take the advice of people who pay attention to you; Lish saw an acolyte in Ray, maybe--Lish's own writing is quirky, self-aware. He put Ray on the map, but misread him. But even the short pieces have such heart--"Fat," being one. Thanks for the note.
The 1980’s encompassed my college years. There are SO many wonderful books and beloved favorites in this list, but I am overjoyed to see Geek Love included. I think I now own my fifth? sixth? copy because everyone I’ve lent it to has either held on tight or passed it on to spread the amazement.
I always appreciate your posts -- they keep my 'books to read someday' list well-populated. I believe you and I are close in age, and while I consider myself fairly well-read, I am always a bit embarrassed by the breadth of your reading.
Of today's list of literary fiction, I've read only 6: Mambo Kings, Ironweed, Ham on Rye, Blood Meridian, A Month in the Country and Lonesome Dove.
I wouldn't quarrel with A Month in the Country, though I did not find it so compelling as many mentions of it made it to be. I accept that I am to blame there. But I don't see how Ham on Rye belongs on your list. I've read and enjoyed a selection of Bukowski's poems, and I know his story in a general way, but this book, to me, was an unconvincing concoction.
Please keep your lists coming. Wittgenstein's Mistress has made its way to the top of my list.
Thanks for responding! Altogether, there were 75 books in the post; of those, I've read 42--the list in the notes were my own favorites.
I wanted to honor the scheme I set up, so I did more researching than usual (mainly for the translations and speculative titles). And I put in a few non-mainstream books--Kathy Acker being one, and Bukowski being another. I haven't read HAM ON RYE--only FACTOTUM (1975). I read a lot of Bukowski's poems when I was younger so I thought it would be good to have a book of his to honor the fact that the decade had a wider spectrum of writers than you usually see representing it.
I think the ones I'd put at the top of my TBR pile from this post would be NERVOUS CONDITIONS, (Ttsitsi Dangarembga) [or a later book of hers called THIS MOURNABLE BODY], LITTLE, BIG, and after reading a profile of McMurtry in the New Yorker a few weeks ago, I thought I should get around to reading LONESOME DOVE. But my unread books are about to topple over--I've been reading Trollope with a group from the Trollope Society and those novels eat up one's reading time. Then there's all the ones I promised to read in earlier posts. Sigh. Anyway, thanks for hanging in there with my posts.
In the last week, two different people have told me they were trying to read Octavia Butler, but were turned off by her style. My own opinion is that she was a wonderful storyteller, with a brilliant imagination and important things to say, but her skills as a writer were never top drawer. Would you say that’s a fair assessment? P.s. I wondered why you put Le Guin’s Compass Rose with the novels rather than the story collections?
I loved Mambo Kings!
If I had started reading Kent Haruf with The Tie That Binds I might not have bothered to read his later work—just wouldn’t have been impressed. But I started with Plainsong, and then went back to read the earlier novel. Realized, ah, that’s where he started. (Am I making sense?)
I was in my 40s in the 80s. I probably read less popular literature in those years than at any other time. I’ve read 10 of the culled favorites. Loved Cormac McCarthy. But most are unfamiliar. I’m making a list.
6! In the UK I would have added the secret diary of Adrian mole and perhaps The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy!
Thank you for this. The 1980s were post college for me and also a time to read and figure out who I am as a writer. When I read both versions of Carver's story, A Small, Good Thing and saw how radically Lish's edits bent the work, I learned so much about voice as an instrument of character. So many excellent books here to revisit or read for the first time.
There was a short period when Ray spent time in Missoula and our paths crossed, slightly. He'd been supposed to come and teach there but then didn't for a reason I don't know. Some money had been set aside for him to bring a lit mag with him . . . we ended up starting a new one, which became CutBank. I was glad to hear what you said about the story--such a great example. And his later stories were much fuller . . . he could've brought us such good stuff. I think when you're a young writer, without a lot of backing, you take the advice of people who pay attention to you; Lish saw an acolyte in Ray, maybe--Lish's own writing is quirky, self-aware. He put Ray on the map, but misread him. But even the short pieces have such heart--"Fat," being one. Thanks for the note.
The 1980’s encompassed my college years. There are SO many wonderful books and beloved favorites in this list, but I am overjoyed to see Geek Love included. I think I now own my fifth? sixth? copy because everyone I’ve lent it to has either held on tight or passed it on to spread the amazement.
It certainly does have an -ick factor but I was “en-grossed!”
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2019/03/26/on-cussing/
I always appreciate your posts -- they keep my 'books to read someday' list well-populated. I believe you and I are close in age, and while I consider myself fairly well-read, I am always a bit embarrassed by the breadth of your reading.
Of today's list of literary fiction, I've read only 6: Mambo Kings, Ironweed, Ham on Rye, Blood Meridian, A Month in the Country and Lonesome Dove.
I wouldn't quarrel with A Month in the Country, though I did not find it so compelling as many mentions of it made it to be. I accept that I am to blame there. But I don't see how Ham on Rye belongs on your list. I've read and enjoyed a selection of Bukowski's poems, and I know his story in a general way, but this book, to me, was an unconvincing concoction.
Please keep your lists coming. Wittgenstein's Mistress has made its way to the top of my list.
Thanks for responding! Altogether, there were 75 books in the post; of those, I've read 42--the list in the notes were my own favorites.
I wanted to honor the scheme I set up, so I did more researching than usual (mainly for the translations and speculative titles). And I put in a few non-mainstream books--Kathy Acker being one, and Bukowski being another. I haven't read HAM ON RYE--only FACTOTUM (1975). I read a lot of Bukowski's poems when I was younger so I thought it would be good to have a book of his to honor the fact that the decade had a wider spectrum of writers than you usually see representing it.
I think the ones I'd put at the top of my TBR pile from this post would be NERVOUS CONDITIONS, (Ttsitsi Dangarembga) [or a later book of hers called THIS MOURNABLE BODY], LITTLE, BIG, and after reading a profile of McMurtry in the New Yorker a few weeks ago, I thought I should get around to reading LONESOME DOVE. But my unread books are about to topple over--I've been reading Trollope with a group from the Trollope Society and those novels eat up one's reading time. Then there's all the ones I promised to read in earlier posts. Sigh. Anyway, thanks for hanging in there with my posts.
In the last week, two different people have told me they were trying to read Octavia Butler, but were turned off by her style. My own opinion is that she was a wonderful storyteller, with a brilliant imagination and important things to say, but her skills as a writer were never top drawer. Would you say that’s a fair assessment? P.s. I wondered why you put Le Guin’s Compass Rose with the novels rather than the story collections?
I'm going to answer Molly's two posts via email--if anyone would like this publicly I can post.
Bless your heart.