/lit/ - Literature

>>1937654

Fabulous, is it you? The flowers are fabulous. No, I don't have skype, why?

>>1937658

No. Why should I , because I like Failwood?

Good to see that /lit/ is reading something other than fantasy these days. That does really please me. It's so annoying seeing people online just discuss fantasy and sci-fi.

I read that a while ago. The prose was weak though, the characters were stupid, and it was so preachy. I'm amazed it took 2 people to write it.

>>1937628

I bought the New York Trilogy in my latest batch of books, but haven't read it yet. Sorry. I hope it's better than ITCOLT, which was decent, but not amazing. Felt a bit trashy, and was too short.

>>1937594

Thanks, I think. I do have some antithetical opinions, I admit, like enjoying both postmodernism and (some) thrillers. But don't say bad things about Martin, /lit/ will hurt you. They're pretty tough, despite appearances.

>implying this wouldn't be a paragon of a trashy thriller

>lots of plot twists, however stupid or unlikely

>cliffhangers at the end of as many chapters as possible

>only one POV character, who is both an Everyman and a Mary Sue (how is this even possible?)

>Western setting

>happy, conclusive ending

>love interest or love interests that the guy gets

>large and secret corporation or government group that is trying to take over

>CSI-level science / biology to engage the reader and make them feel smart

>plain prose that appeals to as many people as possible

>characters with stupid names

Some authors translate VERY well. Mario Vargas Llosa and Roberto Bolano both have very good prose, even though it's original Spanish. Translations aren't the end of the world.

>>1936934

Having said all that, I still want to get 1Q84, his first epic. Looks pretty sweet. UK doesn't get Books 1, 2 or 3 until October, though.

He's such a consistently average author. I've read all of his English language works, and the only works that aren't average are Kafka on The Shore and The Wind-up Bird Chronicle (good), and After The Quake, After Dark and NW (bad). Everything else seems very much middle of the road, not that there's anything wrong with that. Thoughts on this?

Not really very funny. I do like existential jokes though.

>>1934848

Then it suits this thread well, does it not?

OP never said why I was so bad.

Is Shit Tier good?

>>1934761

He's had 4 books published. He is clearly a superior author (lol).

>>1934749

Thank you. TBH, I didn't know I was hated on this board. I thought I was considered more or less decent. Too much Allende and Atwood (lol), but decent.

>>1932709

Unknown to serious readers anywhere, I guess, but including on /lit/. The author I mentioned in the OP isn't someone I've ever heard mentioned anywhere, even a message board for literature.

I've finished The Convent now, btw, and it was decent enough. Simple, but decent.

>>1934733

Hey Tao.

>>1934700

Tao Lin.

What's with all the agro? I was simply asking how people would react, since (like many msg boards) /lit/ is heavily into fantasy. I don't see how it's an unreasonable question. I know people who ONLY read fantasy, like...well, you know the books and series.

>>1934683

Except it doesn't. Anyway, I'm pretty gouged on magical realism as the moment, so I could go a year. I would just nourish my literary hunger on postmodernism and bildungsromans (I haven't read any in a while, really, actually).

Are you suicidal over no more fantasy, Anon?

Please tell me your feelings about this, and how you will deal with it (if neccesary). Oh yeah, and you can't reread fantasy books off your shelf, either.

Me? Lulz. I only read 2 or 3 fantasy novels a year, out of 50. I'm sleeping fine tonight, just fine.

One of the best novels I've read this year. It's a doorstopper though (lol, girls saying 600 page books are doorstoppers), at over 1,000 pages in paperback. Very slow, but I didn't mind that. Great prose. Good characters.