good dialogues

[Anonymous No.19305183]

What are some books with really good dialogues?

[Anonymous No.19305199]

>>19305183
My diary desu

[Anonymous No.19306354]

>>19305183
Gaddis novels

[Anonymous No.19306903]

>>19305183
The Exorcist.

[Anonymous No.19306960]

>>19306354
The high-water mark for dialogue in all prose literature

[Anonymous No.19306963]

I love the dialogue in Dostoyevsky books. It's always very intense and often feels like reading a play.

[Anonymouṡ No.19308340]

>>19305183
>really good dialogues
When you say "dialogues" and not "dialogue" I assume you're looking for specific examples. Quite right too. Fuzzyminded generality with nothing behind it is the curse of /lit/.

— NORM & SLASH, 'BASED ON A TRUE STORY' (NORM MACDONALD)

One time, that first year on SNL, I got recognized by an actual celebrity. It was Slash, whom I had admired for some time both for his incredible guitar playing and his hat. It would never occur to me that guy like Slash would even know a bum like me existed. But that's the great thing about showbiz. A famous guy like Slash, whom you've never met in your life, runs up to you in the streets of New York, shakes your hand, and treats you like you're both old friends.
"How you doing, buddy? What's new?"
"Oh, not much, Slash, just same-old same-old. You know how it is. Hurry up and wait."
"Yeah, don't I know it."
When you're in showbiz and you meet another guy in showbiz, you're supposed to play it cool, but me, I get real nervous. Slash asked if we could speak in confidence, and so we found a corner where we could talk and be unheard by the unfamous.
Slash leaned in to me close.
"Have you talked to Chucky lately?"
I didn't know anyone named Chucky. "Not for a while, no," I said. "Why?"
Slash got even quieter. "He's not in good shape. When was the last time you talked to him?"
I felt sweat everywhere. "I don't know. Probably four months. He seemed pretty good, considering."
I knew I had to get out of there quickly, before Slash realized I was not who I was pretending to be, a close confidant with whom he shared a mutual friend named Chucky. Chucky, who was not in good shape. But I could hardly run away.
"Listen," said Slash, "if you have a chance and could go see him, it'd mean the world to him. Like I said, he's not in good shape. Although, I guess, knowing Chucky, that shouldn't come as a big surprise."
"No," I said meaningfully, "it sure shouldn't," and then I shook my head sadly, and so did Slash.
I still think of Chucky from time to time. I like to hope Chucky's doing better, but knowing Chucky as I do by pretending to know Chucky, chances aren't good.

[Anonymouṡ No.19308370]

>>19308340

GENE HARROGATE AND THE SCRAPYARD PROPRIETOR, 'SUTTREE' (CORMAC MCCARTHY)

The man set down the jar and rose and went to the door. He pointed out the car. It was accordioned to half its length. Bring them sun visors too, he said.
What happened to it?
Run head on into a semi. Froze the speedometer on the peg. You'll see it.
Harrogate looked at the car in some wonder. How many was in it?
Four or five. Bunch of boys. They found one in a field about two days later.
Did it kill em?
The junkman looked down at Harrogate. Did it what? he said.
Did it kill em.
Why no. I think one of em got a skint knee is all.
Boy I don't see how it kept from killin em.
The junkman shook his head wearily and went back in.

[Anonymouṡ No.19308377]

>>19308370

THE TWO PILOTS, 'SOMEONE LIKE YOU' (ROALD DAHL)

"What's car-waiting?"
"I always do it," I said.
"What is it?"
"Just as you're about to drive off, you sit back and count twenty, then drive off."
"You're mad too," he said. "You're like Stinker."
"It's a wonderful way to avoid accidents. I've never had one in a car yet; at least, not a bad one."
"You're drunk."
"No, I always do it."
"Why?"
"Because then if someone was going to have stepped off the kerb in front of your car, you won't hit them because you started later. You were delayed because you counted twenty, and the person who stepped off the kerb whom you would have hit — you missed him."
"Why?"
"He stepped off the kerb long before you got there because you counted twenty."
"That's a good idea."
"I know it's a good idea."
"It's a bloody marvellous idea."
"I've saved lots of lives. And you can drive straight across intersections because the car you would have hit has already gone by. It went by just a little earlier because you delayed yourself by counting twenty."
"Marvellous."

[Anonymouṡ No.19308500]

>>19308377

THE MAN AND THE GIRL, 'HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANTS' (ERNEST HEMINGWAY)

"I'll go with you and I'll stay with you all the time. They just let the air in and then it's all perfectly natural."
"Then what will we do afterward?"
"We'll be fine afterward. Just like we were before."
"What makes you think so?"
"That's the only thing that bothers us. It's the only thing that's made us unhappy."
The girl looked at the bead curtain, put her hand out and took hold of two of the strings of beads.
"And you think then we'll be all right and be happy."
"I know we will. You don't have to be afraid. I've known lots of people that have done it."
"So have I," said the girl. "And afterward they were all so happy."
"Well," the man said, "if you don't want to you don't have to. I wouldn't have you do it if you didn't want to. But I know it's perfectly simple."
"And you really want to?"
"I think it's the best thing to do. But I don't want you to do it if you don't really want to."
"And if I do it you'll be happy and things will be like they were and you'll love me?"
"I love you now. You know I love you."
"I know. But if I do it, then it will be nice again if I say things are like white elephants, and you'll like it?"
"I'll love it. I love it now but I just can't think about it. You know how I get when I worry."
"If I do it you won't ever worry?"
"I won't worry about that because it's perfectly simple."
"Then I'll do it. Because I don't care about me."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't care about me."
"Well, I care about you."
"Oh, yes. But I don't care about me. And I'll do it and then everything will be fine."

[Anonymous No.19308535]

>>19308340
>>19308370
>>19308377
>>19308500
Very nice dialogues. Thank you

[Anonymous No.19308538]

>>19306963
they would've been better as plays desu

[Anonymous No.19308803]

>>19305183
Complete Works of Plato is all dialogue

[Anonymous No.19309646]

>>19305183
If you are into science stuff. Check out Galileo's writings.

[Anonymous No.19309661]

[Anonymous No.19309675]

>>19305183
Cannery row is pretty comfy and has good dialogues desu