Just to give you a taste of what I like and what I don’t:
Last great book I read was “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay” by Chabon. Besides liking the theme, setting, and story, I was most transfixed by his writing. Great metaphors. I love to read a sentence and say “Wow, what a great way to say that.”
I like Vonnegut’s tongue in cheek, ascerbic writing style but alot of his stuff ends up being clever but not funny. My favorites of his were “God Bless You Mr. Rosewater,” “Cat’s Cradle” and “Sirens of Titan,”
I liked Pillar’s of the Earth by Follett though the writing wasn’t exceptional. It did the job to tell the story but wasn’t lyrical like Chabon.
I liked Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged though I did get sick of the sophmoric pedagogic tone/theme.
Just trying to give you an idea of what I like and what I don’t. I’d love to find another writer with Chabon’s style. Any recommendations?
If you haven’t read The Magus by John Fowles, you really really should…it has wonderful language, is both cerebral and emotional and has a fantastic aspect to it.
I can’t say I’ve read Chabon. However, I would recommend any of the books by Camus. I especially enjoy “the Plague” although I have never been let down by any of his books.
After I finished Kavalier & Clay, I read Glen David Gold’s Carter Beats The Devil and they seemed to go very well together. A double feature if you will.
Greatly enjoyed both with their historical settings.
May I suggest “Headlong” by Michael Frayn? He is the author of the popular play (and movie) “Noises Off” amongst many other works. The novel is about a man who is struggling to finish his dissertation on a esoteric art history subject. He and his wife rent a house in the country so he can buckle down without distraction. Well, he meets the next-door neighbors and becomes convinced that they have a lost painting by Breugel blocking the draft from their chimney. Hijinks ensue.
If you have ever been in grad school, know someone who has, or have even a passing aquaintence with art history, you will find this novel very very funny. It was a finalist for the Booker Prize, which is like the British National Book Award, more or less. It’s even available in paperback!
I just finished The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and felt it more than lived up to its title. Have you read Empire Falls by Richard Russo yet? While I thought the story was fine, it is the superb writing that makes me recommend this book so strongly. As you mentioned about Amazing Adventures …, I was struck by Russo’s ability to create fresh and insightful metaphors and descriptions. He also makes some subtle structural choices that I found to be very expressive and interesting.
Also, I must say THANK YOU for starting a book recommendation thread and having the good sense to say what else you like, and why you like it. I routinely have fits when I open recommendation threads only to find the OP is asking for “good books.”
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger also has some very beautiful and interesting writing and turns of phrase. It’s also a rural setting and has some religious aspects. But I felt GOOD after reading it.
Kavalier and Clay also made me think of Neil Gaiman’s stuff. I highly recommend his American Gods.
If you liked K&C, try Neil Stephenson’s Cryptonomicon. Same mixture of WWII and the modern era. Lots of interesting detail about cryptography and contemporary hacker culture.
I like the one where Elric is trying to get revenge on that bad guy who did bad things to that woman, and just when he is about to be defeated Stormbringer gives him the strength to win (or maybe he called upon some demon or elemental, or maybe both), and he survives, but one of his friends dies.
Funny, I’ve been considering reading Empire Falls, Cryptonomicon and American Gods. For some reason it takes me a while to commit - I’m one of those types that feels they have to finish the book once started and I’ve become gun-shy after a few tome-ish turkeys. I’m also considering “Survivor” written by Chuck Palanchiuk(sp) of “Fight Club” fame as well as “The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint” by Brady Udall. So if anyone has anything to say about those, do chime in.