So who do you think is the greatest living author?
My four nominations would be:
Margaret Atwood
Haruki Murakami
Kasuo Ishiguro
Ian McEwan
So who have I missed out? And what would your choices be?
So who is the greatest living writer? – Opher’s four nominations
I’d have to say Paul Auster he’s one of my favorites.
I’ve not read any of his. What sort of things does he do?
Mainly absurdist, criminal and mystery fiction. I recommend “Moon Palace” its my favorite novel by him.
i’ll give it a go. thanks for letting us know.
Vladmir Nabokov. I like his serious and comical intent.
I love Nabokov too but I was trying to keep to living writers in an attempt to narrow the field. To try to think of all the great writers becomes a bit boggling.
Oh! Sorry! Oops! I do like Khaled Hosseini. I like how teases and drip feeds the narrative. There is also Zaidi Smith. X
Now both of them are worthy contenders and I like them greatly. Khaled in particular is a fine writer. I think that I should have added Salman Rushdie – there are a couple of his that I consider outstanding. And maybe Hilary Mantel? We’re beginning to get a list!
I still can’t believe that Kasuo Ishiguro wrote “Remains of the Day!”
I’ve gotta think about my favorite author. I’ll be back!!!
Ok.
My four choices (excluding poetry):
Khaled Hosseini
Erik Larson
Timothy Zahn
Clive Cussler
Ok. There you go…
Worth waiting for – thanks Cheryl – good choices.
Ever read any adventures by Cussler?
Not yet. If you recommend them I’ll give one a go.
Well I see I’m going to have to get reading. I’m reading Jasper Fforde at the moment. He is so clever and with great humour. I really enjoy them
No – that was amazing wasn’t it. The nuance was perfect.
The end of that book had me so depressed I was in tears.
What was most amazing was the way someone from a different culture was able to catch the feel of 1930s aristocracy and that butler.
I fell in love with Cussler in the pages of “Raise the Titanic” which they made into a HORRIBLE movie. I love his protagonist in this books, Dirk Pitt. But “Sahara” is one of my favorites, which they made into an even MORE horrible movie! James Rollins would come in a close second in this category. I love adventure books. Hosseini’s books were all amazing. But I cried through the last half of “And the Mountains Echoed.” Erik Larson fascinated me with both “Isaac’s Storm” (about the hurricane that devastated Galveston, Texas at the turn of the century) and “In the Garden of Beasts” (about the American Ambassador to Germany during Hitler’s rise). Timothy Zahn, well, he wrote the Star Wars trilogy that SHOULD have been the sequels to “Return of the Jedi.”
Yes, that was unbelievable. That book certainly rivaled Jane Austen’s in my opinion.
I didn’t know Jane Austen had written about the 1930s.
I’ll have to look him up… I don’t know how you manage to read so much. I’m finding I have a very difficult time reading and blogging at the same time.
No, I was referring to the pacing. She never wrote even about the upstairs, downstairs theme.
I always try to read. I enjoy it so much.
I was kidding about good old Jane. But I know what you mean about the pace and also the understatement.
Jasper was recommended by a friend and has proved to be most welcome. I’m trying to balance reading, writing, blogging and life – not enough hours.