Stop Blogging, Start Reading
Why am I sitting here blogging when I could be reading these books? A bunch of critics have voted on the best American fiction of the last 25 years. Some of the selections have been on my list for some time, but I can speak from experience on DeLillo. White Noise and Underworld (best read in that order) are both spectacular. Looking forward to reading my first Philip Roth (he's everywhere these days!), but gotta finish Marquez's . . .Cholera first. I'm a slow reader, unfortunately.
From the NYTimes:
From the NYTimes:
Early this year, the Book Review's editor, Sam Tanenhaus, sent out a short letter to a couple of hundred prominent writers, critics, editors and other literary sages, asking them to please identify "the single best work of American fiction published in the last 25 years." [Read A. O. Scott's essay. See a list of the judges.] Following are the results.I really liked Infinite Jest, but it's kinda left field. I wonder if it got any votes at all. I'm going to read now.
posted by J.Knecht at
11:41 AM
2 Comments:
thanks for posting this---i went out after reading it and checked out beloved and underworld!
I haven't read Beloved yet, but I really liked Underworld. The first 50 pages or so are especially incredible. However, it has been said that if you haven't read any DeLillo before, you should ease into it with something a bit lighter, like White Noise, for example. I think that's good advice. Maybe it's like having an appetizer before a great meal, or training with some shorter runs before attempting the marathon. White Noise is a quick read, not to mention gripping and even suspenseful. Underworld is great, but also thick (800+ pages). It may be more rewarding if you already have a taste for DeLillo's writing. Happy Reading!
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home