May I add to your recommendations two foreign writers whom I love and find, especially one of them, Andrei Makine, a fascinating French author born in Russia. The other is Elena Ferrante (a pseudonym), well known to this country's readers with her The Neapolitans novels, the best one for me, My Brilliant Friend. M. b., Makine is not the bestselling writer and not for everybody's taste, but he is more interesting for everybody who wonts to step beyond well-known situations and characters. His style is poetical, tender, reflexing and brilliant. Background of his novels is political because his novels mostly about Soviet or modern Russia. His best novels for me: Dreams of my Russian Summers (Goncourt Prize) and The Woman Who Waited.
And why? Why *must* they say something. I had read an article once about a guy who was tormenting a woman by making an account in her dead father’s name and messaging her unkind things. Like truly, WTF?
That was Lindy West, who is a literal genius and also the nicest person imaginable, and has been trolled in every possible way—about her weight, her opinions on tv and cats, her husband, everything—and it’s honestly just horrifying!
Looking forward to reading “The World after Alice”. I also love this description of a good memoir as “an intellect working through a problem, and taking the reader along.” I actually wrote it down. Thank you!
It was hugely helpful to me, in figuring out the structure and narrative tone of my new book, and also in terms of figuring out why certain memoirs work and others don’t!
To pick ten books must have been so difficult. I definitely would have weighed heavily on more recent reads. Or books I see on my bookshelf. It's an exercise with a healthy dose of randomness. Picking one book every two and a half years.
If you look at the Times list, it definitely skews toward more recent books, so I think this was everyone’s inclination, too! It’s natural, I think, to look to the books that recently blew your mind!
This makes sense. I was fascinated by what did and did not make it. Most obvious admission for me was anything by Louise Erdrich. Thanks for all these recc’s! I loved Admission, will check out her other books. Also Sarah Polley just generally fascinates me. Inspiring lady.
I went down a huge rabbit hole with the NYT list, reading zillions of comments, and Louise Erdrich was the #1 writer mentioned as being a bizarre and upsetting omission! So, you are not alone! And if you loved Admission, I think you might really love her campus novel The Devil and Webster!
I know! I stumbled across a Note of someone on Substack doing a survey of anyone who cared to enter's top ten favorites, so I did it. I largely went with the books that still stuck with me, no doubt forgetting a lot of meaningful ones!
Picking 10 books! Excruciating. But wonderful too? I love your criteria.
And I too, have found myself telling what happened to a friend only to realize partway through the telling the friend was a character. What a delight to hear someone else speak about this relationship with books and the people who walk and leap and twirl and otherwise make their way through their pages.
"But I do appreciate many types of things and I do love books for different reasons, and my love can stem from different criteria." THIS. Yes. Thank you so much for saying this!
I lead a book club at a local bookstore and one (passive aggressive) participant regularly questions my take, my taste. We certainly don't have to agree -- that's the beauty of a book club discussion, the different perspectives! What prickles, I think, is the notion that there's one universal criteria for what makes a book "good" or "bad" and that any one individual holds the gavel of judgment.
Like you, I like books for many different reasons. I even like aspects of books I don't love unreservedly. Maybe that makes me less discerning. And maybe I'm quite ok with that. :)
May I add to your recommendations two foreign writers whom I love and find, especially one of them, Andrei Makine, a fascinating French author born in Russia. The other is Elena Ferrante (a pseudonym), well known to this country's readers with her The Neapolitans novels, the best one for me, My Brilliant Friend. M. b., Makine is not the bestselling writer and not for everybody's taste, but he is more interesting for everybody who wonts to step beyond well-known situations and characters. His style is poetical, tender, reflexing and brilliant. Background of his novels is political because his novels mostly about Soviet or modern Russia. His best novels for me: Dreams of my Russian Summers (Goncourt Prize) and The Woman Who Waited.
Thank you, Larisa! I have read several of Elena Ferrante's books. But I'm not familiar with Makine. I will explore!!
Thanks to you, Jane for the interesting article. I definitely will read The World After Alice. Thank you for recommendation.
Love book recs!! Sorry about the trolls. So tired of the trolls.
So tired. So, so tired. The worst, for me, I suppose are the people who have snarky things to say about my appearance, but it’s all just exhausting.
And why? Why *must* they say something. I had read an article once about a guy who was tormenting a woman by making an account in her dead father’s name and messaging her unkind things. Like truly, WTF?
That was Lindy West, who is a literal genius and also the nicest person imaginable, and has been trolled in every possible way—about her weight, her opinions on tv and cats, her husband, everything—and it’s honestly just horrifying!
Ooooh, that's horrible. Humans can be so awful. Ugh.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recs! My TBR list certainly grew!!
Looking forward to reading “The World after Alice”. I also love this description of a good memoir as “an intellect working through a problem, and taking the reader along.” I actually wrote it down. Thank you!
It was hugely helpful to me, in figuring out the structure and narrative tone of my new book, and also in terms of figuring out why certain memoirs work and others don’t!
Ooooh, intriguing!
So curious to hear what you think! And, yes, such a great quote!!
To pick ten books must have been so difficult. I definitely would have weighed heavily on more recent reads. Or books I see on my bookshelf. It's an exercise with a healthy dose of randomness. Picking one book every two and a half years.
In any case, thanks for the recommendations.
If you look at the Times list, it definitely skews toward more recent books, so I think this was everyone’s inclination, too! It’s natural, I think, to look to the books that recently blew your mind!
This makes sense. I was fascinated by what did and did not make it. Most obvious admission for me was anything by Louise Erdrich. Thanks for all these recc’s! I loved Admission, will check out her other books. Also Sarah Polley just generally fascinates me. Inspiring lady.
I went down a huge rabbit hole with the NYT list, reading zillions of comments, and Louise Erdrich was the #1 writer mentioned as being a bizarre and upsetting omission! So, you are not alone! And if you loved Admission, I think you might really love her campus novel The Devil and Webster!
How was The Round House not on there?!? Or The Plague of Doves?!? Sarah Polley's book is fantastic! I think you will enjoy it!
I know! I stumbled across a Note of someone on Substack doing a survey of anyone who cared to enter's top ten favorites, so I did it. I largely went with the books that still stuck with me, no doubt forgetting a lot of meaningful ones!
This is essentially what I did, too! Books I read more than once or still stick in my mind, two decades later!
Picking 10 books! Excruciating. But wonderful too? I love your criteria.
And I too, have found myself telling what happened to a friend only to realize partway through the telling the friend was a character. What a delight to hear someone else speak about this relationship with books and the people who walk and leap and twirl and otherwise make their way through their pages.
Thank you, Joanna and Jane !
Haha. Why does that not surprise me about you, Holly?! I've done the same! Glad you enjoyed the essay! xx
"But I do appreciate many types of things and I do love books for different reasons, and my love can stem from different criteria." THIS. Yes. Thank you so much for saying this!
I lead a book club at a local bookstore and one (passive aggressive) participant regularly questions my take, my taste. We certainly don't have to agree -- that's the beauty of a book club discussion, the different perspectives! What prickles, I think, is the notion that there's one universal criteria for what makes a book "good" or "bad" and that any one individual holds the gavel of judgment.
Like you, I like books for many different reasons. I even like aspects of books I don't love unreservedly. Maybe that makes me less discerning. And maybe I'm quite ok with that. :)
I relate to every word of this!! And I love the word "prickles!"