# Famous authors who only wrote one great book **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 16, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587 "2005-06-16T18:19:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/61 "2005-06-18T21:22:43Z")
How about Sherwood Anderson? **Winesburg, Ohio** is highly regarded, **Poor White** not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/62 "2005-06-18T21:42:58Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Jonathan Larson is only known for writing RENT, though some consider his first work “tick…tick…BOOM” to be better. And Neil Patrick Harris is making his Europeon debut in the show’s Europeon debut as I type. Yes, Doogie Howser MD has become a damn good song and dance man. Who Knew? Dude, what _is_ the deal with Neil Patrick Harris? Why is he so horny? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Fortean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fortean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fortean)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/63 "2005-06-20T11:29:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre. (Yes, some people like her second book–me not being one of them–but in general I think it is fair to say it is not considered a great classic.) Are you talking about Villette? I agree that generally speaking it’s not considered as good as Jane Eyre, but in literary circles it’s considered an absolute classic, because all the interesting psychoanalytical mad stuff in it. It’s my favourite book too so of course I’m biased. 🙂 I agree that her other two books, The Professor and Shirley are too bonkers to be considered classics by the mainstream. ---
**Author:** ![Promethea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Promethea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Promethea)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/64 "2005-06-20T11:41:44Z")
Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History” is one of my favourite novels. Her long awaited second novel, “The Little Friend”, was so disappointing, I couldn’t bring myself to read much more than the first few chapters lest it damage my good opinion of TSH. Did anybody ever finish The Little Friend? Am I missing anything? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/65 "2005-06-20T12:24:12Z")
> [@Tracy Lord](#): > > Dude, what _is_ the deal with Neil Patrick Harris? Why is he so horny? 😉 Dudette and I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/66 "2005-06-20T14:00:34Z")
Has anyone ever read a Stephen Crane book besides **The Red Badge of Courage**? ---
**Author:** ![MrAlpen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@MrAlpen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAlpen)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/67 "2005-06-20T16:24:12Z")
I liked “Girl with a Pearl Earring” by Tracy Chevalier enough to keep trying again with (I think) all her other books. But they just haven’t worked for me at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587.md?page=3)