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/lit/ - Literature

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15243620 No.15243620 [Reply] [Original]

What's your opinion on this dude? Is he the best author alive? What are his best works?

>> No.15243628

>>15243620
I got about 5 pages into The Road and shelved it. I dislike his writing style. It fails to grab my attention.

>> No.15243648

>>15243628
The Road and NCFOM are his weaker works imo.

>> No.15243651

lurk more fagit

>> No.15243663

>>15243651
>muh Greek, Marx and Deleuze

>> No.15243674

>>15243620
god I love Red and Suttree. The man-in-nature descriptions are so good and I'd give my left nut to write like him.

>> No.15243706

William Gass and Phillip Roth are the best authors alive. In the Anglosphere, that is.

>> No.15243709

Blood Meridian is the best novel ever written

>> No.15243716

I've read 4 of his books and while they were all enjoyable I don't really understand the hype.

>> No.15243727

>>15243706
>Phillip Roth
No

>> No.15243731

Blodd Meridian is great, couldn't really get into his more corncobby cowboy tales (border trilogy).

>> No.15243741

>>15243731
Check out Suttree then.

>> No.15244277

>>15243741
Suttree is the most corncobby of the chronicles

>> No.15244288

>>15243706
two dead guys

>> No.15244327

>>15244277
It's in top 10 books of all time. Unironically.

>> No.15245400

>>15243620
I was finishing Blood Meridian and I noticed his sentences run on forever sometimes; he is really trying to pack a ton of imagery into his writing. I can barely find any nouns without a preceding adjective. He's not afraid to use esoteric and penta-syllabic adjectives either, sometimes it really contrasts with the lack of sophistication of what's being described. Where I think he's really good is moving the reader's focus lucidly throughout the scene.

>> No.15245430

>>15245400
Another thing that's interesting is he will spend a page describing an actionless scene around a fire - and spend a page describing a week of carousing in some Mexican town. It's like he wants to slow you down during the banalities and rush you through (what seem to be) the actual action. I personally think its because it he knows his strength in writing is descriptions of nature rather than man. Reminds me of Tolkien in that sense.

>> No.15245461

>>15244327
whose top ten?

>> No.15245474

>>15243706
BOTH DEAD, YOU MONGOLOID TRANNYASS

>> No.15245631

>>15245474
Is this any way to deliver sad news?

>> No.15245677

>>15245400
If you think he has long sentences read Laszlo Krasznahorkai
>>15245461
Should be on everyone's

>> No.15245835

>>15245474
>>15244288
Okay, Toni Morrison then. Also, if we're including critics, Harold Bloom.

>> No.15246003

>>15245835
You really think that Toni Morrison and Bloom are better than McCarthy and Pynchon?

>> No.15246446

I recently finished Blood Meridian and it was one of my favorite reads this year. Lucid prose that bites off a lot of interesting sources, notably Moby Dick and Paradise Lost. It was an engaging reading experience to get through a book so heavily dependent of description of setting. At almost no point does he try to get into any of his character's head or put any experience into affect. It's pure description. Very different from a lot of the fiction I enjoy

>> No.15246461

>>15243620
>best author alive
>not Don DeLillo
Factually wrong.

>> No.15246525

>>15246461
>muh capitalism
>muh America
So this is the peak of Chicano literature?

>> No.15247191

>blood meridian
Couldn't get into it even if it was bloody and dark. Chapters and chapters of walking through the desert. Admittedly could not finish it
>white noise
Read about on hundred pages until I realized DeLillo was more interested in his message than the story. I detest this logic in authors. Give me something to live and only then can you tell me the message, you dick.

>> No.15247196

Finished Blood Merdian yesterday


ama

>> No.15247297

>>15247191
>chapter and chapters of walking through the desert
Imagine getting this from the book.
>>15247196
What did you think of it

>> No.15247314

>>15247191
>chapters and chapters of walking through the desert
>more interested in his message than the story
Pick one you dense fuck

>> No.15247323

>>15245400
when he used the adjective "holoturean" i knew Cormac was the bomb

>> No.15247468

>>15247314
I was referring to the novel White Noise.
>>15247297
Are you implying that doesn't happen? Violence is enough to keep you interested? The violence is so overwhelming is becomes monotonous.

>> No.15247491

>>15247468
It happens but if that's the only thing that you took away from it then you are reading quite poorly.
That's the point of the violence.

>> No.15247497

I find it very difficult to compare or rate his work. Even though there is of course common themes, just Blood Meridian and The Road are very different.

An underrated piece is Outer Dark.

>> No.15247625

>>15247491
I get it is the point. I am not blinded by the message. Do you find that message good enough to justify reading the book? Was the setting and description enough? Characters? I cannot be a big fan and also not hate the book. I would hope some anons could convey their affinity towards the book instead of trying to insist the other person is "retarded" or "wrong".

>> No.15248437

>>15245835
Bloom is a hack

>> No.15248449

>>15246525
This is the most vapid thing i've seen. Have you read anything by him? I highly doubt it.

And yes, DeLillo is the greatest Chicano author.

>> No.15249640

>>15247323
I was thinking of that exact reference btw

>> No.15251187

>>15246461
Is DeLillo Catholic? Always nuns...

>> No.15251739

>>15243620
He's decent.

No, but he's good.

Blood Meridian and Suttree.

>> No.15251741

>>15243709
t. reddit

>> No.15251792

>>15251741
I doubt reddit could get through BM

>> No.15251956

I think his plays are really underrated, hes definitely one of the best alive atm
in all fairness there arent many good playwrights still alive

>> No.15251968

>>15247323
>holoturean
I think you mean holothurian, and it's a noun.

>> No.15252638

>>15243620
I've liked everything by him except for The Counselor. Suttree, The Crossing and Blood Meridian are his best novels, though I thoroughly enjoyed the feeling in Outer Dark and The Orchard Keeper as well. Hoping The Passenger comes out

>> No.15252807

>>15243620
>Is he the best author alive?
No, that's either Coetzee, or Can Xue

>What are his best works?
Blood Meridian

>What's your opinion on this dude?
Probably the best living American writer, but that is not a big achievement.

>>15246461
Go back to /r/TrueLit or whatever pseud consumerist hellhole you reside in

>> No.15252810

Let's not forget the Cartel script

>> No.15252906

>>15252638
the Counselor is so fucking based. The monologue of Jefe on the phone is as McCarthy as it gets.

>> No.15252961

>>15252807
>Can Xue
Literal who

>Coetzee
I like the dude, but come on, this is just embarrassing.

>>15252906
I just didn't feel it. Maybe because I watched the movie first. Probably a mistake.

>> No.15252975

>>15245677
Look up Bohumil Hrabal, he wrote a book with only two sentences.

>> No.15252997

>>15252975
Based Czech chad

>> No.15253198

>>15252961
>Literal who
>Not a /lit/ meme (in other words - not read by first year American uni students), so a major Nobel contender and perhaps the most influential Chinese avant-garde writer of all time is a literal who.

>I like the dude, but come on, this is just embarrassing.
90% sure you haven't even read more than 1 book by him. If you have a reasonable amount of braincells it's fucking impossible to read his works and miss just how groundbreaking his works are on technical basis alone, let alone his extension of the thought of Kafka, and Dostoevsky.
I feel like /lit/ is the only place which pretends to be interested in Great Literature where listing Coetzee among the best living writers would be controversial...

>> No.15253232

>>15253198
This place doesn't know it's ass from it's elbows

>> No.15253420

>>15246461
based

>> No.15254688

>>15246461
Cringe

>> No.15254905

>>15245430
Or because the banalities constitute the majority of our experience and even with extreme types of people extreme events are usually short and numerous

>> No.15255833

>>15247297
>What did you think of it
I enjoyed it. Sometimes I would space out with his run on setences and I'd have to reread it but other than that it is a fantastic piece of literature that I'd reccomend to anyone that could stomache the violence.

>> No.15255876

>>15243620
I read The Road and It felt repeating and long, but I feel like that was the point. It's the best portrayal of the feeling brought about from a sort of post apocalyptic world. It's just tiresome. It's cold and wet and we can't start a fire, we're hungry and haven't eaten for days ect ect. In movies videogames and film there's alot more action making things interesting but I think this book just shows that the apocalypse sucks and you're always making up lost ground and things are just stressful and tiresome. Or maybe I'm just justifying the fact that I didn't enjoy reading this book. Those who read the road how did you feel about it, did you enjoy it?

>> No.15256001

>>15254905
Sure - and perhaps its some statement about the equivalence of the experiences. An evening around a campfire carries as much sentiment and meaning (or lack thereof) as a week-long hedonistic escapade.

>> No.15256569

He's an American and therefore not worthy of attention.

>> No.15256622

>>15256569
thank you anon

>> No.15256734

Need to read some of his other stuff only having , read the road which was really awful but i have seen many people saying that is his worst

>> No.15256818

>>15245835
vile fucking redditor

>> No.15256834
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15256834

>>15253198
>nobel contender
>influential
>technical basis

>> No.15256896

>>15256734
All the Pretty Horses is great.

>> No.15256909

>>15256818
Seethe

>> No.15256925

>>15255876
What does human flesh taste like anyway?

>> No.15256926

>>15253198
Seethe more you pretentious twat

>> No.15256935

>>15251741
reddit doesnt care about blood meridian

>> No.15256958

>>15256925
Our main characters wouldn't know because they are carrying the fire

>> No.15256981

>>15256958
I was asking you.

>> No.15257049

>>15256981
I don't know the oddest meat I've had was gator meat

>> No.15257125

>>15257049
Just tell me. Us.

>> No.15257142

>>15252975
Pierre Guyotat wrote a book in one sentence.

>> No.15257205

>>15257125
It's like chicken but A little gamey

>> No.15257598

>>15247323
I like "noctambulant"

>> No.15257620

>>15257142
I wrote a book with no sentences. It's my diary desu

>> No.15257729

>>15243620
>best author alive
>hasn't published anything relevant in 14 years

>>15243628
shit take

>> No.15257783

>>15257729
How did you feel about the road? Not the guy you're responding to

>> No.15257798

>>15243674
Who calls it “red”? suttree inhaled cock btw

>> No.15257819

>>15243731
“corncobby”?

>> No.15257876

>>15257729
He is still alive isn't he?

>> No.15259270

>>15257876
yep
he published an essay a couple of years ago in some magazine

>> No.15259532

>>15245835
I genuinely don’t understand how you’re baiting so many anons

>> No.15259534

>>15257142
Georges Perec wrote a book where the only vowel he used was “e”

>> No.15260491

>>15259270
He is also working on new book.

>> No.15260500

>>15245835
Morrison is quite dead.

>> No.15260514

>>15253198
At best, 10 percent of /lit/ reads anything, and much of what it reads is to appear edgy. The remaining 90 percent of /lit/ reads only /lit/, and what they know of literature came from that. I doubt anyone in this thread even knew who Coetzee was until you mentioned him and they looked at his Wikipedia entry.

>> No.15260551

>>15260514
I knew that he wrote Waiting for Barbarians and is from South Africa and i don't even read books.

>> No.15260552
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15260552

>>15260514
>>15253198
I'm the guy who dissed Coetzee and sent you two butthurt faggots into a frenzy. I've read Disgrace, Waiting for the barbarians and The life of Michael K. Good author, definitely not the best among currently living, saying that just makes you deluded. Oh, and thinking Coetzee is somehow obscure and that you're one of the few ones here who know about him is just pathetic and laughable.

>> No.15261007

>>15260514
There's a minority which actually has educated opinions, it's why I keep checking the board. A small group of anons who shill good writers in a constructive manner. Like every time Hungarian literature is mentioned, the discussion will be 10 times better than compared to Pynchon or McCarthy discussions.That's because it happens to be of interest to those few anons.

>>15260552
Coetzee is literally the opposite of obscure, he is as big as they get in Academia, doesn't change the fact that not one in twenty faggots here have read him.

>definitely not the best among currently living
Americans like you just don't have the brainpower to appreciate his work, they get confused at the silent deconstruction of their entire culture. Not to mention you have been brainwashed by /lit/ into parroting the same mediocrities as the best living writers, no matter how opposite it goes against the opinions of people who dedicated their lives to the study of literature.

>> No.15261017

>>15261007
>Hungarian literature
Like the Laszlo thread couple days back?

>> No.15261029

>>15261007
>Coetzee is literally the opposite of obscure
I just said that, you illiterate piece of filth. Learn how to read before making a fool of yourself.

>Americans like you
Not an american, you pretentious twat.

And Coetzee gets mentioned here every now and then, you sad sack of semen, so obviously people do read him, shitskin.

>> No.15261035

>>15248437
You're a hack

>> No.15261038

>>15261017
Do you mean the one which expanded into discussion of other Hungarians, which got called bourgeois and films were mentioned a lot as well?
Yes, despite a few stupid posts that thread was overall among the best we have had in a while.

>> No.15261047

>>15261029
>I just said that, you illiterate piece of filth. Learn how to read before making a fool of yourself.
Holy shit, I have never read anything this ironic before. I bet you don't even see it.

>> No.15261050

Blood Meridian > Suttree > Border trilogy > NCFOM > The Road

I feel bad for people who read The Road first and drop Mccarthy like I almost did.

>> No.15261066

>>15261047
I bet you don't see how it was you and your candy ass faggot friend who started claiming he was obscure, thinking you two are so sophisticated that you can name one of the most famous writers currently living.

>I doubt anyone in this thread even knew who Coetzee was until you mentioned him and they looked at his Wikipedia entry.

Fucking faggots, go suck some nigger dick now.

>> No.15261068

>>15261038
That thread was made by me. I also made this thread and Pynchon thread. I also don't read books.

>> No.15261112

>>15261066
Dyslexic AND a psychopath. Typical /lit/ negro I suppose.

>>15261068
Well, I would recommend rereading the advice in that thread and ignoring this one. The difference in constructivity and depth is unbelievable. You may even end up reading something.

>> No.15261127

>>15261112
>You may even end up reading something.
Yes, that is why im making threads. The Idiot, early Cormac, early Pynchon and Satantango i want to read soon.

>> No.15261149

>>15261127
Save for Dostoevsky these are some terrible choices for someone who doesn't read much, and I say this as someone who this Krazzy is among the best living.
If you want contemporary I would recommend taking a look at Knausgaard and Tokarczuk, maybe Murnane if the internet hasn't ruined your attention span.
Else, Dosto is known for getting a lot of people into literature.

>> No.15261173

>>15261149
I have read Blood Meridian few years ago. Cormac should be fine. I will check out the rest you recommended. Thanks.

>> No.15261257

but WHY is the road bad?

it won a pulitzer prize or some shit
is this the classic case of "popular bad" as seen commonly on 4chan?

>> No.15261325

>>15261257
Pulitzer is unironically the worst literary prize in the world.

>> No.15261381

>>15261257
Nihilists will hate it because it’s about the value of perseverance.

>> No.15261901

>>15261325
What's the best one

>> No.15262100

>>15243706
>Anglosphere
>Philip Roth

>> No.15262418

>>15261901
There are no good global ones, except maybe the Ibsen Award

>> No.15262894

>>15261050
I started with his worst book too.

>> No.15263134
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15263134

>>15243620
i found his son John on Facebook because I was curious how autobiographical cormac's work is.
Wikipedia mentioned he had another son named Cullen back in the 60's, that I assume must have genuinely died. because there is no trace of him on the internet. you guys should do some investigative journalism

>> No.15263563

>>15263134
You’re a stalker.

>> No.15264706

>>15261257
bad when judged side by side with great works

>> No.15264734

>>15264706
What great works

>> No.15264757

>>15264734
blood meridian and suttree