| Anyone read The Goldfinch? 00:22 - Jan 4 with 2957 views | RoyKeanesDog |
Next on my list. |  |
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 00:55 - Jan 4 with 2285 views | urbanblue |
I have thought about it but the mixed reviews have put me off. Seems like you will either love it or hate it. Been put off because I recently read 'The Corrections' which is also meant to be a great American novel, and which I found to be a complete chore. I've also got 'The Adventures of Augie March' on my bookshelf .... once again supposed to be one of the greatest novels ever written. but whenever I browse it I just end up putting it back and choosing something else. Looks like hard work, although I am sure if I made the effort .....
The Goldfinch won the Pulitzer in 2014, though a book I can really recommend is 'A Visit From The Goon Squad' by Jennifer Cregan that won it in 2011. Excellent read.
Anyway, let us know how you find it eh. I'm guessing you won't have it on your adventure on the streets soon. Let me take this opportunity to wish you all the best with that. Take care and although it will tough I hope it is a wonderful experience in it's own way. |  | | |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 04:44 - Jan 4 with 2240 views | KTBlue |
doesnt really help, but no.I read secret history - her first - which is superb, her second was disappointing. definitely recommend secret history. |  | | |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 04:47 - Jan 4 with 2238 views | KTBlue |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 00:55 - Jan 4 by urbanblue |
I have thought about it but the mixed reviews have put me off. Seems like you will either love it or hate it. Been put off because I recently read 'The Corrections' which is also meant to be a great American novel, and which I found to be a complete chore. I've also got 'The Adventures of Augie March' on my bookshelf .... once again supposed to be one of the greatest novels ever written. but whenever I browse it I just end up putting it back and choosing something else. Looks like hard work, although I am sure if I made the effort .....
The Goldfinch won the Pulitzer in 2014, though a book I can really recommend is 'A Visit From The Goon Squad' by Jennifer Cregan that won it in 2011. Excellent read.
Anyway, let us know how you find it eh. I'm guessing you won't have it on your adventure on the streets soon. Let me take this opportunity to wish you all the best with that. Take care and although it will tough I hope it is a wonderful experience in it's own way. |
Ive got "the corrections" waiting on my shelf to be read, as well as "Underworld" by Don DeLilio, will eventually read them, but I can't not finish a book once Ive started, and am quite a slow reader, so am afraid to commit to something i don't enjoy that is going to take me a couple of months to plough through. | | | |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 07:45 - Jan 4 with 2211 views | nodge_blue |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 00:55 - Jan 4 by urbanblue |
I have thought about it but the mixed reviews have put me off. Seems like you will either love it or hate it. Been put off because I recently read 'The Corrections' which is also meant to be a great American novel, and which I found to be a complete chore. I've also got 'The Adventures of Augie March' on my bookshelf .... once again supposed to be one of the greatest novels ever written. but whenever I browse it I just end up putting it back and choosing something else. Looks like hard work, although I am sure if I made the effort .....
The Goldfinch won the Pulitzer in 2014, though a book I can really recommend is 'A Visit From The Goon Squad' by Jennifer Cregan that won it in 2011. Excellent read.
Anyway, let us know how you find it eh. I'm guessing you won't have it on your adventure on the streets soon. Let me take this opportunity to wish you all the best with that. Take care and although it will tough I hope it is a wonderful experience in it's own way. |
Yes I read it and really enjoyed it. Theres a good story there. Not a chore. |  |
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 09:56 - Jan 4 with 2178 views | Wonky |
Brilliant, but Secret History is better. Read em all, fantastic writer. |  | | |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 11:53 - Jan 4 with 2147 views | RoyKeanesDog |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 00:55 - Jan 4 by urbanblue |
I have thought about it but the mixed reviews have put me off. Seems like you will either love it or hate it. Been put off because I recently read 'The Corrections' which is also meant to be a great American novel, and which I found to be a complete chore. I've also got 'The Adventures of Augie March' on my bookshelf .... once again supposed to be one of the greatest novels ever written. but whenever I browse it I just end up putting it back and choosing something else. Looks like hard work, although I am sure if I made the effort .....
The Goldfinch won the Pulitzer in 2014, though a book I can really recommend is 'A Visit From The Goon Squad' by Jennifer Cregan that won it in 2011. Excellent read.
Anyway, let us know how you find it eh. I'm guessing you won't have it on your adventure on the streets soon. Let me take this opportunity to wish you all the best with that. Take care and although it will tough I hope it is a wonderful experience in it's own way. |
I started it last night so I will give you a review when finished.
Thanks a lot for your words, I'm sure it will be an enlightening experience. | |
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 11:55 - Jan 4 with 2135 views | gordon |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 00:55 - Jan 4 by urbanblue |
I have thought about it but the mixed reviews have put me off. Seems like you will either love it or hate it. Been put off because I recently read 'The Corrections' which is also meant to be a great American novel, and which I found to be a complete chore. I've also got 'The Adventures of Augie March' on my bookshelf .... once again supposed to be one of the greatest novels ever written. but whenever I browse it I just end up putting it back and choosing something else. Looks like hard work, although I am sure if I made the effort .....
The Goldfinch won the Pulitzer in 2014, though a book I can really recommend is 'A Visit From The Goon Squad' by Jennifer Cregan that won it in 2011. Excellent read.
Anyway, let us know how you find it eh. I'm guessing you won't have it on your adventure on the streets soon. Let me take this opportunity to wish you all the best with that. Take care and although it will tough I hope it is a wonderful experience in it's own way. |
I've found most 'great American novels' to be a bit of a bore, Updike, Frantzen, Roth, whoever. I'm sure there are some good ones out there though. Maybe World According to Garp, I enjoyed that one.
Secret History is definitely Tartt's best - as a first novel, it would have had much more input from editors/publishers etc. In her second and third novels there was a need for a bit of tough editing in my opinion, particularly in the Goldfinch the writing is pretty flabby. |  | | |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 17:58 - Jan 4 with 2067 views | greenkingtone |
I read it. Great stuff but needs a bit of perseverance. I enjoy the critical American authors mentioned elsewhere on the thread. |  | | |
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 18:56 - Jan 4 with 2041 views | Darth_Koont |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 11:55 - Jan 4 by gordon |
I've found most 'great American novels' to be a bit of a bore, Updike, Frantzen, Roth, whoever. I'm sure there are some good ones out there though. Maybe World According to Garp, I enjoyed that one.
Secret History is definitely Tartt's best - as a first novel, it would have had much more input from editors/publishers etc. In her second and third novels there was a need for a bit of tough editing in my opinion, particularly in the Goldfinch the writing is pretty flabby. |
Agree completely with your last paragraph. The Goldfinch was good but could have been so much better.
Have you read Mr Vertigo by Paul Auster. It's not one of the "great American novels" but it's one of the greatest novels ever IMO. |  |
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 20:21 - Jan 4 with 2007 views | gordon |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 18:56 - Jan 4 by Darth_Koont |
Agree completely with your last paragraph. The Goldfinch was good but could have been so much better.
Have you read Mr Vertigo by Paul Auster. It's not one of the "great American novels" but it's one of the greatest novels ever IMO. |
I haven't I'm afraid, though I have just read his Wikipedia page :) | | | |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 20:35 - Jan 4 with 1991 views | WeWereZombies |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 11:55 - Jan 4 by gordon |
I've found most 'great American novels' to be a bit of a bore, Updike, Frantzen, Roth, whoever. I'm sure there are some good ones out there though. Maybe World According to Garp, I enjoyed that one.
Secret History is definitely Tartt's best - as a first novel, it would have had much more input from editors/publishers etc. In her second and third novels there was a need for a bit of tough editing in my opinion, particularly in the Goldfinch the writing is pretty flabby. |
F Scott Fitzgerald, Hemmingway, Kerouac? |  |
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 01:20 - Jan 5 with 1937 views | connorscontract |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 00:55 - Jan 4 by urbanblue |
I have thought about it but the mixed reviews have put me off. Seems like you will either love it or hate it. Been put off because I recently read 'The Corrections' which is also meant to be a great American novel, and which I found to be a complete chore. I've also got 'The Adventures of Augie March' on my bookshelf .... once again supposed to be one of the greatest novels ever written. but whenever I browse it I just end up putting it back and choosing something else. Looks like hard work, although I am sure if I made the effort .....
The Goldfinch won the Pulitzer in 2014, though a book I can really recommend is 'A Visit From The Goon Squad' by Jennifer Cregan that won it in 2011. Excellent read.
Anyway, let us know how you find it eh. I'm guessing you won't have it on your adventure on the streets soon. Let me take this opportunity to wish you all the best with that. Take care and although it will tough I hope it is a wonderful experience in it's own way. |
My wife is an avid reader and says "It's great, very, very good".
Re the extended discussion in the thread on "The Great American Novel", my nomination is "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" by Michael Chabon. Brilliant book, and a contender for TGAN because it deals with the classic American themes of: Immigration into the USA, the American dream, patriotism, and Superheroes, as well as universal themes of love and lust, staying true to your roots, self-belief, the creative impulse, life and death, wisdom and craft being passed on by mentors, coming of age, family, separation, the price of success, and loss.
It's very good.
The idea that"The Great American Novel" hasn't been written yet is stupid. Much more sensible to debate the best 20 Great American Novels. As long as they keep looking for only one they won't find it. |  | | |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 07:52 - Jan 5 with 1874 views | Superfrans |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 04:44 - Jan 4 by KTBlue |
doesnt really help, but no.I read secret history - her first - which is superb, her second was disappointing. definitely recommend secret history. |
Secret History is a superb book. Very well worth reading.
I'm just reading The Sellout, which won the Booker recently. Took. Little perseverance initially, but is really getting into its stride now. I'm about halfway through and it's brilliant. I don't remember the last time I highlighted so many passages.
I've also got The Essex Serpent lined up. Has anyone read that? I'm intrigued partly because it's set in and around north Essex, where I grew up. It's also Waterstones book of last year and had fantastic reviews across the board...
Edit: I also see a lot of people talking about "the great American Novel" - that's code for "bl00dy long, slightly pompous great novel which critics read but the rest of us buy and stick on the shelf forever"... ;-) I've never picked up any of these so called masterpieces and got to 100pp with the urge to finish them still intact - Roth, Frantzen, Delillo etc.
If you're looking for a compelling, sprawling, gripping novel, try The Crimson Petal & The White by Michel Faber. Absolutely stunning tale by a brilliant author. I saw him speak last year and he was fascinating - one of my all time favourite novels. [Post edited 5 Jan 2017 7:59]
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 07:54 - Jan 5 with 1870 views | gordon |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 20:35 - Jan 4 by WeWereZombies |
F Scott Fitzgerald, Hemmingway, Kerouac? |
1. love him, 2. some good some bad, 3. absolute dross as far as I can make out [Post edited 5 Jan 2017 7:56]
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 08:00 - Jan 5 with 1853 views | Superfrans |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 11:55 - Jan 4 by gordon |
I've found most 'great American novels' to be a bit of a bore, Updike, Frantzen, Roth, whoever. I'm sure there are some good ones out there though. Maybe World According to Garp, I enjoyed that one.
Secret History is definitely Tartt's best - as a first novel, it would have had much more input from editors/publishers etc. In her second and third novels there was a need for a bit of tough editing in my opinion, particularly in the Goldfinch the writing is pretty flabby. |
Garp is great. | |
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 15:26 - Jan 5 with 1807 views | WeWereZombies |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 07:54 - Jan 5 by gordon |
1. love him, 2. some good some bad, 3. absolute dross as far as I can make out [Post edited 5 Jan 2017 7:56]
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1. Agreed - does anyone write as well as him? 2. Mainly good, sometimes answers the question in 1.positively 3. Man, read 'The Dharma Bums', it's beautiful...errr, dude
I forgot Jack London - who lived a life, and observed and reflected on it, and then selected what would make a darn good tale, and then just went ahead and wrote it.
North America has really gone off the boil in the last eighty years, hasn't it? | |
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 15:58 - Jan 5 with 1796 views | gordon |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 15:26 - Jan 5 by WeWereZombies |
1. Agreed - does anyone write as well as him? 2. Mainly good, sometimes answers the question in 1.positively 3. Man, read 'The Dharma Bums', it's beautiful...errr, dude
I forgot Jack London - who lived a life, and observed and reflected on it, and then selected what would make a darn good tale, and then just went ahead and wrote it.
North America has really gone off the boil in the last eighty years, hasn't it? |
American writers, in my opinion, suffer from a cloying earnestness, a lack of humility and/or self-deprecation, and from being pretentious.*
I'd take William Boyd, Evelyn Waugh, Julian Barnes and PG Wodehouse over everything America has. Tom McCarthy too.
Dave Eggers is a good sort though, and American, although The Circle is pretty woeful.
3. I don't like the sound of 'The Dharma Bums...' I can't help that, it's just who I am.
*This is a massive generalisation. I'm sure there are hundreds of examples of American writers for whom these petty insults are unfair. | | | |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 16:37 - Jan 5 with 1781 views | Darth_Koont |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 07:52 - Jan 5 by Superfrans |
Secret History is a superb book. Very well worth reading.
I'm just reading The Sellout, which won the Booker recently. Took. Little perseverance initially, but is really getting into its stride now. I'm about halfway through and it's brilliant. I don't remember the last time I highlighted so many passages.
I've also got The Essex Serpent lined up. Has anyone read that? I'm intrigued partly because it's set in and around north Essex, where I grew up. It's also Waterstones book of last year and had fantastic reviews across the board...
Edit: I also see a lot of people talking about "the great American Novel" - that's code for "bl00dy long, slightly pompous great novel which critics read but the rest of us buy and stick on the shelf forever"... ;-) I've never picked up any of these so called masterpieces and got to 100pp with the urge to finish them still intact - Roth, Frantzen, Delillo etc.
If you're looking for a compelling, sprawling, gripping novel, try The Crimson Petal & The White by Michel Faber. Absolutely stunning tale by a brilliant author. I saw him speak last year and he was fascinating - one of my all time favourite novels. [Post edited 5 Jan 2017 7:59]
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I've just started The Sellout too. About 30 pages in and glad to hear your experience. I'm getting ambushed every 100 words by a great joke ... which is slightly unnerving when I still can't work out what's going on. I suspect that it's a book that'll be even better on the second read — definitely a good sign.
Thanks for the tips. I mentioned it the other day and didn't get any takers but have you listened to the Backlisted podcast? I think that's going to keep me going for years with great books. | |
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 16:42 - Jan 5 with 1770 views | chicoazul |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 15:58 - Jan 5 by gordon |
American writers, in my opinion, suffer from a cloying earnestness, a lack of humility and/or self-deprecation, and from being pretentious.*
I'd take William Boyd, Evelyn Waugh, Julian Barnes and PG Wodehouse over everything America has. Tom McCarthy too.
Dave Eggers is a good sort though, and American, although The Circle is pretty woeful.
3. I don't like the sound of 'The Dharma Bums...' I can't help that, it's just who I am.
*This is a massive generalisation. I'm sure there are hundreds of examples of American writers for whom these petty insults are unfair. |
Most famous American writers, seriously, if they were Russian or even Irish you would have never heard of them. |  |
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 17:06 - Jan 5 with 1747 views | Darth_Koont |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 15:26 - Jan 5 by WeWereZombies |
1. Agreed - does anyone write as well as him? 2. Mainly good, sometimes answers the question in 1.positively 3. Man, read 'The Dharma Bums', it's beautiful...errr, dude
I forgot Jack London - who lived a life, and observed and reflected on it, and then selected what would make a darn good tale, and then just went ahead and wrote it.
North America has really gone off the boil in the last eighty years, hasn't it? |
They've done alright. Even taking a very personal slice, there's Annie Proulx, David Sedaris, Paul Auster, John Irving, Chuck Palahniuk, Douglas Coupland, Joseph Heller and others.
Not sure we're doing any better either. But I think the inevitable film/TV adaptation is destroying literary reputations in a way that wasn't possible 80 years ago - if we haven't already just moved on we don't give the time for interesting books to be rediscovered and reappraised before there's a film adaptation that clouds them. | |
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 17:20 - Jan 5 with 1728 views | Darth_Koont |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 16:42 - Jan 5 by chicoazul |
Most famous American writers, seriously, if they were Russian or even Irish you would have never heard of them. |
Everyone knows that Grisham is a sharp, effective writer and that Stephen King is a compulsive and clever storyteller but the fact that they're never more than a step away from a Hollywood script means they're also screenwriters.
Which famous American writers are famous for their writing? That's the problem even with British writers. [Post edited 5 Jan 2017 17:21]
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 17:27 - Jan 5 with 1714 views | chicoazul |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 17:20 - Jan 5 by Darth_Koont |
Everyone knows that Grisham is a sharp, effective writer and that Stephen King is a compulsive and clever storyteller but the fact that they're never more than a step away from a Hollywood script means they're also screenwriters.
Which famous American writers are famous for their writing? That's the problem even with British writers. [Post edited 5 Jan 2017 17:21]
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Mark Twain for instance. If he was Russian nobody would have heard of the guy but because there are so few good American writers he stands out. And I like Mark Twain.
Hemingway and Fitzgerald are as famous for their lifestyles as they are for their work. | |
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 17:37 - Jan 5 with 1700 views | Darth_Koont |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 17:27 - Jan 5 by chicoazul |
Mark Twain for instance. If he was Russian nobody would have heard of the guy but because there are so few good American writers he stands out. And I like Mark Twain.
Hemingway and Fitzgerald are as famous for their lifestyles as they are for their work. |
That's nonsense. Most of the interesting English writing in the past 100 years has come from the US.
Stands to reason as they're the largest English-speaking population. Plus the US creates an incredible source of material. | |
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 18:01 - Jan 5 with 1675 views | Superfrans |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 17:06 - Jan 5 by Darth_Koont |
They've done alright. Even taking a very personal slice, there's Annie Proulx, David Sedaris, Paul Auster, John Irving, Chuck Palahniuk, Douglas Coupland, Joseph Heller and others.
Not sure we're doing any better either. But I think the inevitable film/TV adaptation is destroying literary reputations in a way that wasn't possible 80 years ago - if we haven't already just moved on we don't give the time for interesting books to be rediscovered and reappraised before there's a film adaptation that clouds them. |
Must admit, I can't help feeling there are more great authors/ novels and more choice than ever before. As in music, the digital revolution has given so many more people access to both the tools to create and to distribute what they've created, there's more choice than ever. Plus, just as I could up Spotify and listen instantly to any piece of music that has ever been recorded (pretty much) I can also access Amazon / Kindle and order any book I could possibly have heard of (again, there are exceptions, but pretty much). The challenge is separating the chaff from the wheat.
Although I buy almost all my books for Kindle (first editions and signed books being the exception) I'm always browsing in bookshops for ideas. I work a Ten minute bus ride from Hatchards and Waterstones in Piccadilly, which are cathedrals to books and reading and pop in at least once a week. I do find that the chains tend to promote the same books in all their stores, which is a great shame.
But, thanks for the podcast recommendation, I'll try that out. I'm sure it'll be a great help. | |
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| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 18:27 - Jan 5 with 1661 views | nodge_blue |
| Anyone read The Goldfinch? on 11:55 - Jan 4 by gordon |
I've found most 'great American novels' to be a bit of a bore, Updike, Frantzen, Roth, whoever. I'm sure there are some good ones out there though. Maybe World According to Garp, I enjoyed that one.
Secret History is definitely Tartt's best - as a first novel, it would have had much more input from editors/publishers etc. In her second and third novels there was a need for a bit of tough editing in my opinion, particularly in the Goldfinch the writing is pretty flabby. |
im not sure what pretty flabby really means. But i dont think that is long for long's sake. the story keeps going throughout and i thought was pretty absorbing. Im currently reading "a little life" by Hanya Yanagihara. Thats had amazing reviews as a great modern american novel. But Ive found it depressing so far. I abandon books these days in a way i wouldnt have years ago. | |
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