I'm admittedly sexist. Prove me wrong

[dmallind]

....when it comes to reading that is!

Maybe it's the types of books I enjoy but I just can't find a good female author these days. Austen and Eliot and the Brontes are fine but I've done all that and sometimes I want to live at least in the 20th Century. My tastes tend to be polarized between at the least art-lit if not genuinely literary on one end, and silly escapism on the other. Can't abide airplane fiction or most book-of-the-month stuff from either sex.

So where is there a female Rushdie or Eco or Amis for erudition and multilayered complexity? Where is the distaff side to Heller or Irving or Roth for deep storytelling with keen wit? What about a Lady Pratchett or Rankin or Sharpe for wildly inventive silliness? Maybe even a Ms. Vonnegut or Waugh for that rare sweet spot that gets bits of both?

I've answered this question a few times for my other passion of "classical" music. There I can tell people where to find Farrenc or Bonis or even Eckhardt-Grammate for my own specialty (passive only, sad to say) of nigh-impossible piano aerobatics. I can remind them that the names Schumann and Mendelssohn did not only belong to men (and that the former's chamber music at least is better than her hubby's). I come up a blank for either serious or seriously funny writing.

There has to be some out there - help me find it please?

[Little Star]

1. Well...

Your taste seems to be well beyond my intelligence so I'll leave your questions for others to answer. LOL

I'm just joking with you. But the reality is, I'm sorta into airplane fiction and book-of-the-month stuff.

[fadedrose]

2. Louise Penny, Sharyn McCrumb, and Deborah Crombe

There's a post you should look at by MaineDem, starts out with "Jungle Red.." - list 8 women authors but haven't read any myself.

The following I've read and can recommend. Great characters and good stories:

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/C_Authors/Crombie_Deborah.html

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/M_Authors/McCrumb_Sharyn.html

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/P_Authors/Penny_Louise.html

I have trouble finding women authors I like too.

[dmallind]

3. Hmm. Mysteries not generally my bag with the exception of Dexter/Morse

Although as a curmudgeonly boozy chap with both a lowbrow and highbrow side to my personality I think I know what the appeal is there. Might at least try them though - thanks!

[dmallind]

4. Hey if Pratchett and Rankin are beyond your intelligence you have real problems...

Although to be fair there are some cool inside humor bits to both. But intellectual challenge? Nary a hint. I just never really liked the Grisham/Baldacci style of plot-led thriller or romance/family strife stuff, and the whole "middlebrow" fiction market for the most part. Trust me I'm just as happy on the lowbrow side as the highbrow though. Recurring knob gags and crude puns pass the time as well as deep tomes of post-modernist angst for me.

[Little Star]

5. Never read either one...

But have read most of Grisham and Baldacci.

[Curmudgeoness]

6. Have you read Barbara Kingsolver?

The Lacuna and The Poisonwood Bible are both very well written and interesting, and are not the typical book-of-the-month kind of books.

I also like some of Louise Erdrich's books, although not all of them...my favorite so far is The Painted Drum. Not what I expected out of it.

[dmallind]

7. To be honest no. I get the vibe of her as a "cause" writer. Mistaken?

Just an impression - never read a word. Certainly worth a shot though. Anybody you would compare her to? Thanks for the rec!

[mainer]

8. Try Kingsolver's THE POISONWOOD BIBLE

Set in Africa. Utterly gorgeous writing.

[getting old in mke]

13. +1

And Adah's language games are marvelous.

[Curmudgeoness]

11. Just try her and see what you think.

Personally, I think the two books I suggested were not "cause" books, although I will say that some of her books are---so you don't want to try Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. But she is versatile. I don't think that The Poisonwood Bible is a cause book at all. The Lacuna doesn't fit that category to me, but some may think that it is pro-Trotsky. I thought it was a great book.

I don't compare authors, especially ones who I feel are rather unique. You will have to read one and let me know if you can compare her to others.

[dmallind]

14. Will grab the Poisonwood Bible this weekend then. thanks! nt

[Lex]

9. Start with these

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
Cat's Eye - Margaret Atwood
The Bottle Factory Outing - Beryl Bainbridge
Gorilla, My Love - Toni Cade Bambara
Nightwood - Djuna Barnes
Regeneration - Pat Barker
Hotel du Lac - Anita Brookner
Rubyfruit Jungle - Rita Mae Brown
The Good Earth - Pearl S. Buck
Possession - A. S. Byatt
Nights at the Circus - Angela Carter
So Far From God - Ana Castillo
My Antonia - Willa Cather
The Awakening - Kate Chopin
The House on Mango Street - Sandra Cisneros
Elders and Betters - Ivy Compton-Burnett
Clear Light of Day - Anita Desai
Out of Africa - Isak Dinesen
Stones for Ibarra - Harriet Doerr
The Radiant Way - Margaret Drabble
Rebecca - Dumaurier
Second Class Citizen - Buchi Emecheta
Tracks - Louise Erdrich
At Freddie's - Penelope Fitzgerald
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe - Fannie Flagg
Owls Do Cry - Janet Frame
The Women's Room - Marilyn French
The Mind-Body Problem - Rebecca Goldstein
July's People - Nadine Gordimer
The Rest of Life - Mary Gordon
The Well of Loneliness - Radclyffe Hall
When Rain Clouds Gather - Bessie Head
The Talented Mr. Ripley -Patricia Highsmith
The Furies - Janet Hobhouse
The Bone People - Keri Hulme
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neal Hurston
The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson
Heat and Dust - Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Fear of Flying - Erica Jong
Lucy - Jamaica Kincaid
The Bean Trees - Barbara Kingsolver
Tripmaster Monkey - Maxine Hong Kingston
Obasan - Joy Kogawa
The Fire-Dwellers - Margaret Laurence
To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Golden Notebook - Doris M. Lessing
Moon Tiger - Penelope Lively
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - Anita Loos
The Balkan Trilogy - Olivia Manning
The Group - Mary McCarthy
Ballad of the Sad Cafe - Carson McCullers
Mama - Terry McMillan
Patience and Sarah - Isabel Miller
Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
Anagrams - Lorrie Moore
Beloved - Toni Morrison
Wife - Bharati Mukherjee
Lives of Girls and Women - Alice Munro
A Severed Head - Iris Murdoch
House of Splendid Isolation - Edna O'Brien
A Good Man is Hard to Find - Flannery O'Connor
Tell Me a Riddle - Tillie Olsen
Enormous Changes at the Last Minute - Grace Paley
The Collected Stories of Dorothy Parker - Dorothy Parker
Black Tickets - Jayne Anne Phillips
Braided Lives - Marge Piercy
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
Ship of Fools - Katherine Anne Porter
The Golden Spur - Dawn Powell
The Shipping News - E. Annie Proulxd
The King Must Die - Mary Renault
Wide Sargasso Sea - Jean Rhys
Housekeeping - Marilynn Robinson
The God of Small Things - Arundati Roy
Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing -May Sarton
The Stone Diaries - Carol Shields
The Weight of Water - Anita Shreve
Anywhere But Here - Mona Simpson
By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept - Elizabeth Smart
The Age of Grief - Jane Smiley
The Volcano Lover - Susan Sontag
The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark
The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan
If Morning Ever Comes -Anne Tyler
Away - Jane Urquhart
The Color Purple - Alice Walker
The Life and Loves of a She-Devil - Fay Weldon
The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty - Eudora Welty
The Return of the Soldier - Rebecca West
Ethan Frome - Edith Wharton
Frost in May - Antonia White
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit - Jeanette Winterson
Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf
Bastard Out of Carolina - Dorothy Allison

[dmallind]

10. My responses to these may help greatly - see below

Thanks much - I include only those few I have read in the key:

bold - was not a big fan
italic - reasonably impressed
underlined - liked a lot

I think one handicap looking at this list is I have never really enjoyed slice-of-normal-life narratives. I seem to crave something more fantastic in the original sense. Not fantasy the genre necessarily, but not mundane realism either. I can enjoy tales of routine lives, but only if written very much out of routine styles.


I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou
Cat's Eye Margaret Atwood
The Bottle Factory Outing Beryl Bainbridge
Gorilla, My Love Toni Cade Bambara
Nightwood Djuna Barnes
Regeneration Pat Barker
Hotel du Lac Anita Brookner
Rubyfruit Jungle Rita Mae Brown
The Good Earth Pearl S. Buck
Possession A. S. Byatt
Nights at the Circus Angela Carter
So Far From God Ana Castillo
My Antonia Willa Cather
The Awakening Kate Chopin
The House on Mango Street Sandra Cisneros
Elders and Betters Ivy Compton-Burnett
Clear Light of Day Anita Desai
Out of Africa Isak Dinesen
Stones for Ibarra Harriet Doerr
The Radiant Way Margaret Drabble
Rebecca Dumaurier
Second Class Citizen Buchi Emecheta
Tracks Louise Erdrich
At Freddie's Penelope Fitzgerald
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe Fannie Flagg
Owls Do Cry Janet Frame
The Women's Room Marilyn French
The Mind-Body Problem Rebecca Goldstein
July's People Nadine Gordimer
The Rest of Life Mary Gordon
The Well of Loneliness Radclyffe Hall
When Rain Clouds Gather Bessie Head
The Talented Mr. Ripley Patricia Highsmith
The Furies Janet Hobhouse
The Bone People Keri Hulme
Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neal Hurston
The Haunting of Hill House Shirley Jackson
Heat and Dust Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Fear of Flying Erica Jong
Lucy Jamaica Kincaid
The Bean Trees Barbara Kingsolver
Tripmaster Monkey Maxine Hong Kingston
Obasan Joy Kogawa
The Fire-Dwellers Margaret Laurence
To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee
The Golden Notebook Doris M. Lessing
Moon Tiger Penelope Lively
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Anita Loos
The Balkan Trilogy Olivia Manning
The Group Mary McCarthy
Ballad of the Sad Cafe Carson McCullers
Mama Terry McMillan
Patience and Sarah Isabel Miller
Gone with the Wind Margaret Mitchell
Anagrams Lorrie Moore
Beloved Toni Morrison
Wife Bharati Mukherjee
Lives of Girls and Women Alice Munro
A Severed Head Iris Murdoch
House of Splendid Isolation Edna O'Brien
A Good Man is Hard to Find Flannery O'Connor
Tell Me a Riddle Tillie Olsen
Enormous Changes at the Last Minute Grace Paley
The Collected Stories of Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker
Black Tickets Jayne Anne Phillips
Braided Lives Marge Piercy
The Bell Jar Sylvia Plath
Ship of Fools Katherine Anne Porter
The Golden Spur Dawn Powell
The Shipping News E. Annie Proulx
The Fountainhead Ayn Rand
The King Must Die Mary Renault
Wide Sargasso Sea Jean Rhys
Housekeeping Marilynn Robinson
The God of Small Things Arundati Roy
Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing May Sarton
The Stone Diaries Carol Shields
The Weight of Water Anita Shreve
Anywhere But Here Mona Simpson
By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept Elizabeth Smart
The Age of Grief Jane Smiley
The Volcano Lover Susan Sontag
The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie Muriel Spark
Angel Elizabeth Taylor
The Joy Luck Club Amy Tan
If Morning Ever Comes Anne Tyler
Away Jane Urquhart
The Color Purple Alice Walker
The Life and Loves of a She-Devil Fay Weldon
The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty Eudora Welty
The Return of the Soldier Rebecca West
Ethan Frome Edith Wharton
Frost in May Antonia White
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit Jeanette Winterson
Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolf
Bastard Out of Carolina Dorothy Allison

[getting old in mke]

12. A touch of the fantastic?

Isabel Allende?

[dmallind]

15. Don't know her work that well. Any recs? Thanks. nt.

[getting old in mke]

16. The House of the Spirits

would be the place to start to see if you might have a taste for her.

[XemaSab]

17. Zorro

Was also a good one.

Yes, THAT Zorro.

[Moe Shinola]

18. Three I liked very much...

The Eight by Katherine Neville(sort of like the Da Vinci Code, but way better written and not so pretentious), War For The Oaks by Emma Bull(One of the best-written fantasy novels I've ever read, integrating rock music into the story. Totally readable and not fluffy) & Changer by Jane Lindskold, one of my favorite sci-fi/fantasy novels, with an original take on the "immortals among us" theme.

[Moe Shinola]

19. Ooh, forgot these...

The Parable of the Sower, by Octavia Butler(another near-future story, more gloomy but wonderfully written), and the Beggars series by Nancy Kress(Beggars in Spain, Beggar's Ride, etc.- sci-fi about people who are genetically engineered so they never need sleep).

[Matariki]

20. I'm currently reading The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O'Conner

and it is very, very good. As is Wiseblood.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

21. The best mystery writers go beyond the mystery genre

I find most American mystery writers these days just crank 'em out according to a formula and forget about things like plotting and good writing.

I prefer some of the Europeans:

P.D. James, the grande dame of multilayered mysteries

Ruth Rendell, the second grande dame of multilayered mysteries, who has two main series: the Inspector Wexford novels, which update the English village mystery to include serious examinations of modern social phenomena, and standalone novels that often view crime from the criminal's point of view or put characters into bizarre situations that are often of their own making\

Tana French, an Irish writer who explores some of the social changes that Ireland has gone through

Yrsa Siguradardottir, an Icelandic writer who manages to be both harrowing and witty at the same time

[raccoon]

22. That's OK if you're sexist about authors. I'm very much that way about singers/musicians.

I'm much more into men singers/groups than women. And I'm hardly a teenager.