This book is riveting and heartbreaking. A very literary treatment of a true story and what the author describes, among other things, as the "unholy alliance between literary theory and psychoanalysis." It was a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
--The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions--
Thank you for the list of what not to read. After reading Pushkin's Mozart and Saliery in-school program, we, the children, were so influenced by it that we wanted to listen to both composers but couldn't find any mention of the second one anywhere. And thank you for "Hendiadys," a term unknown to me, a foreigner who never studied English.
fwiw bracketing The Recent News, I have never been a big fan of Gaiman's work—I read a lot of it when I was younger waiting for the "click" but aside from Coraline and a couple short stories it never really worked for me.
Some of it is that there's a particular kind of cutesiness that he does that I hate—probably most on display in Good Omens (I don't like Terry Pratchett's work much either). (Other beloved writers whose work I should get on the record as not liking just in case: Philip Pullman…)
oh me too! I was actually trying to think of a good response to your recent post but while I feel like I might have some in ~three months I didn't have any right now that you didn't already know.
they are tonally very odd—sort of both funny and played straight at the same time? but Leiber grew up in a traveling Shakespeare troupe so there's a richness to his language I think.
Sorry you didn't like Neverwhere - one of my favourite of Neil Gaiman's books. But one of his less-known books which is highly recommendable, and which people might like if they enjoyed The Graveyard Book, is The Ocean At The End of the Lane, which weaves aspects of his own childhood into a very moving fantasy framework.
All assuming you're not deterred from reading Gaiman by the current allegations against him. Even if they're true, I've never had a problem admiring and enjoying works by detestable people, but I know some people feel differently.
I tend not to have a problem with dislike an author and reading their books, but sometimes you see things in the books which become hard to read… I stopped reading the piece about him because I felt sick so I shall avoid the novel for a while but that is next on my list!
This book is riveting and heartbreaking. A very literary treatment of a true story and what the author describes, among other things, as the "unholy alliance between literary theory and psychoanalysis." It was a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
--The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions--
By Jonathan Rosen
Thank you for the list of what not to read. After reading Pushkin's Mozart and Saliery in-school program, we, the children, were so influenced by it that we wanted to listen to both composers but couldn't find any mention of the second one anywhere. And thank you for "Hendiadys," a term unknown to me, a foreigner who never studied English.
There’s a book called Elements of Eloquence which gives briefs descriptions of many rhetorical terms such as hendiadys and is quite a good primer.
Oh, thank you very much for the book. I definitely will find it.
I have the Female Detective book and the Susannah Clarke waiting to be read. Looking forward to them even more now!
lmk what you think!
Will do.
fwiw bracketing The Recent News, I have never been a big fan of Gaiman's work—I read a lot of it when I was younger waiting for the "click" but aside from Coraline and a couple short stories it never really worked for me.
Some of it is that there's a particular kind of cutesiness that he does that I hate—probably most on display in Good Omens (I don't like Terry Pratchett's work much either). (Other beloved writers whose work I should get on the record as not liking just in case: Philip Pullman…)
I am not a Pratchett fan at all. I agree about the cutesiness also. But I do like a good fantasy world.
oh me too! I was actually trying to think of a good response to your recent post but while I feel like I might have some in ~three months I didn't have any right now that you didn't already know.
It's hard to find *really* excellent stuff
i haven't read much of them, but you might check out fritz leiber's fafhrd and the gray mouser stories if you haven't read them
oh thanks I will look, honestly I have no time for this but I really need something you know
(also, a friend of mine really loves Tanith Lee, but I haven't read any)
they are tonally very odd—sort of both funny and played straight at the same time? but Leiber grew up in a traveling Shakespeare troupe so there's a richness to his language I think.
Sorry you didn't like Neverwhere - one of my favourite of Neil Gaiman's books. But one of his less-known books which is highly recommendable, and which people might like if they enjoyed The Graveyard Book, is The Ocean At The End of the Lane, which weaves aspects of his own childhood into a very moving fantasy framework.
All assuming you're not deterred from reading Gaiman by the current allegations against him. Even if they're true, I've never had a problem admiring and enjoying works by detestable people, but I know some people feel differently.
I tend not to have a problem with dislike an author and reading their books, but sometimes you see things in the books which become hard to read… I stopped reading the piece about him because I felt sick so I shall avoid the novel for a while but that is next on my list!