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#1
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One classic per country
Mention of Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children in "the next Classics"
thread got me thinking along slightly different but related lines. Suppose someone wanted to compile a collection of modern firsts that consisted of one book for every country. Which book would serve best as the representative of its country? Here are half a dozen suggestions off the top of my head, for starters: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, A Hundred Years of Solitude (Colombia) Keri Hulme, The Bone People (New Zealand) Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose (Italy) Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood (Japan) David Guterson, Snow Falling on Cedar (Canada) Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Czech Republic) These aren't necessarily my personal favourites, just books I think might be likely candidates should anyone, in twenty years' time, ask, "What was that groundbreaking late 20th century novel by a writer from X?". Would anyone like to add to the list or disagree violently with it or offer alternative suggestions or start another similar list (one novel for each state of the USA, perhaps? John http://rarebooksinjapan.com |
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#2
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You have an interesting idea. Some further suggestions:
Chile - Jose Donoso, The Obscene Bird of Night Peru - Mario Vargas Llosa, Murder in the Cathedral Argentina - Manuel Puig, The Kiss of the Spider Woman Mexico - Carlos Fuentes, The Death of Artemio Cruz Canada - either Robertson Davies, Fifth Business or Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin Japan - Kobo Abe, The Woman in the Dunes Francis A. Miniter John R. Yamamoto-Wilson wrote: Mention of Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children in "the next Classics" thread got me thinking along slightly different but related lines. Suppose someone wanted to compile a collection of modern firsts that consisted of one book for every country. Which book would serve best as the representative of its country? Here are half a dozen suggestions off the top of my head, for starters: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, A Hundred Years of Solitude (Colombia) Keri Hulme, The Bone People (New Zealand) Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose (Italy) Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood (Japan) David Guterson, Snow Falling on Cedar (Canada) Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Czech Republic) These aren't necessarily my personal favourites, just books I think might be likely candidates should anyone, in twenty years' time, ask, "What was that groundbreaking late 20th century novel by a writer from X?". Would anyone like to add to the list or disagree violently with it or offer alternative suggestions or start another similar list (one novel for each state of the USA, perhaps? John http://rarebooksinjapan.com |
#3
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"John R. Yamamoto-Wilson" wrote...
David Guterson, Snow Falling on Cedar (Canada) US author, so-so book set in Washington state. Also, Guterson's reputation (and the value of his books) has dropped considerably, as he followed up SFoC with two novels that have been less than enthusiastically received. Fans of Robertson Davies (The Deptford Trilogy), Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale), Alice Munro (The Moons of Jupiter), and Michael Ondaatje (The English Patient) will be coming for your head shortly... -- Jon Meyers [To reply, lose your way.] |
#4
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US author, so-so book set in Washington state. Also, Guterson's reputation
(and the value of his books) has dropped considerably, as he followed up SFoC with two novels that have been less than enthusiastically received. Quite correct. And many people feel the book was overhyped from the start. Which is why I'm always leery of collecting "classics" until time has winnowed out the worst. You could collect the prize winners of one country or other -- there's always people who want a complete set of National Book Awards. For the US, you could collect a set of the best of each region -- for each region has very different outlooks. I'd go for Ivan Doig or Sherman Alexie over David Guterson any day for the Northwest. Clyde Edgerton's Walking Across Egypt or Rainey for the New South. Anyone have suggestions for the great Midwest novel or East Coast or California. Regards, Rosemary Jones, co-author, Collector's Guide to Children's Books, v1-3 new in 2002: Boys & Girls Series Books http://members.aol.com/lostlvs/ |
#5
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"Jon Meyers" wrote
Guterson's reputation (and the value of his books) has dropped considerably, as he followed up SFoC with two novels that have been less than enthusiastically received. Fair enough (I haven't been tracking him), but Umberto Eco followed up The Name of the Rose with Foucault's Pendulum, which got only a cool reception and the one after that was the even more unimpressive The Island of the Day Before. It's also arguable that Salman Rushdie hasn't really published anything to match Midnight's Children, and there are quite a few works which are regarded as classics whose authors never managed to recapture the same brilliance in subsequent publications. None of which proves I wasn't wrong about Guterson (apart from the small matter of his nationality, of course!); Bridges of Madison County took a dive as further books by Waller came out (notwithstanding the fact that, like Name of the Rose and Snow Falling, it was made into a successful film). There are imponderables involved here, which is what gives these prediction threads their edge! Fans of Robertson Davies (The Deptford Trilogy), Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale), Alice Munro (The Moons of Jupiter), and Michael Ondaatje (The English Patient) will be coming for your head shortly... Margaret Atwood. Yes, indeed. I should have thought of her. John http://rarebooksinjapan.com |
#6
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"Jon Meyers" wrote in message ... "John R. Yamamoto-Wilson" wrote... David Guterson, Snow Falling on Cedar (Canada) US author, so-so book set in Washington state. Also, Guterson's reputation (and the value of his books) has dropped considerably, as he followed up SFoC with two novels that have been less than enthusiastically received. Fans of Robertson Davies (The Deptford Trilogy), Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale), Alice Munro (The Moons of Jupiter), and Michael Ondaatje (The English Patient) will be coming for your head shortly... I'd be inclined to put Alistair MacLeod's NO GREAT MISCHIEF up there on the shortlist for Canada as well, or Guy Vanderhaege's THE ENGLISHMAN'S BOY. Barbara Roden |
#7
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'The Riders' by Tim Winton, Australia.
--- "Francis A. Miniter" wrote You have an interesting idea. Some further suggestions: Chile - Jose Donoso, The Obscene Bird of Night Peru - Mario Vargas Llosa, Murder in the Cathedral Argentina - Manuel Puig, The Kiss of the Spider Woman Mexico - Carlos Fuentes, The Death of Artemio Cruz Canada - either Robertson Davies, Fifth Business or Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin Japan - Kobo Abe, The Woman in the Dunes Francis A. Miniter John R. Yamamoto-Wilson wrote: Mention of Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children in "the next Classics" thread got me thinking along slightly different but related lines. Suppose someone wanted to compile a collection of modern firsts that consisted of one book for every country. Which book would serve best as the representative of its country? Here are half a dozen suggestions off the top of my head, for starters: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, A Hundred Years of Solitude (Colombia) Keri Hulme, The Bone People (New Zealand) Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose (Italy) Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood (Japan) David Guterson, Snow Falling on Cedar (Canada) Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Czech Republic) These aren't necessarily my personal favourites, just books I think might be likely candidates should anyone, in twenty years' time, ask, "What was that groundbreaking late 20th century novel by a writer from X?". Would anyone like to add to the list or disagree violently with it or offer alternative suggestions or start another similar list (one novel for each state of the USA, perhaps? John http://rarebooksinjapan.com |
#9
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I would suggest 'Man Alone' by John Mulgan instead of 'The Bone People' Keri
Hulme for New Zealand. -- Shirley Arabin Mount Maunganui, New Zealand . " |
#10
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Anyone have suggestions for the great Midwest novel or East Coast or California. For East Coast my best guess would be Jonathan Lethem's "Motherless Brooklyn". After reading it I found copies of his earlier works and we are planning a trip east to, hopefully, get them signed. I felt the same way about Peter Blauner when I read "Slow Motion Riot" and five books later I am still waiting for him to a blockbuster. For California my wife recommended Grafton's "A is for Alibi" but I don't see that going up in value from where it already is. Paula Woods' "Inner City Blues" is worth watching. I wish I had a name for the Midwest. My current favorite local (Cincinnati, Ohio) writers are a husband and wife team who write under the name Cathie John. http://www.cathiejohn.com/index.html I won't say they are the next Hammett or Chandler but they are fun reads in locations and about events I have heard about all my life. As soon as I find Jeffery Marks http://www.jeffreymarks.com/ at a book signing I can attend I will start reading his historical fiction. Hw and I both grew up in the part of Southern Ohio where almost every building old enough has a historical marker explaining what Ulysses S Grant did there. Does anyone else have a hometown favorite writer? Even though you know they will never be a Faulkner or Hemingway? Tim Crawford |
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