Female Authors

[sojourner]

This seemed kind of arsey to me, I mean, the whole story is about her situation as a wife and mother creating and feeding her depression. But, if you say it wasn't intended that way, fair enough.

I'd just like to reiterate that it was in no way arsey and I fail to see how you could have taken it that way. I feel offended actually, and that doesn't happen very often. If I'd wanted to be arsey, you'd have known about it.

However, I'll accept what is a very begrudging and not-quite apology. Very gracious of you.

 

[beeboo]

I'd forgotten all about the yellow wallpaper - top book.

I used to read a lot more female authors, probably inspired by two of English lit A level teachers who were very much of the "wimin" school of thought.

However I hardly ever, ever read female authors these days. I don't really know why but ALL my favourite authors are male.

 

[camouflage]

I've had a look at my book shelf and tried to remember all of the books I have read, and it seems I've only read one by a female author*. I generally read the classics and it seems there weren't many women writing books years ago, so it's not likely to find many there.

Recommend me some good books written by female authors, please!

I'm into mainly political stuff, but anything that makes me think is good. Fiction or non is fine.

* Mary Shelley - Frankenstein (loved it, by the way )

Ursula Le Guin and Octavia Butler are two of my favourite science fiction writers. Be warned though, Butlers stuff usually creeps me out and disturbs me.

 

[Chairman Meow]

I'd just like to reiterate that it was in no way arsey and I fail to see how you could have taken it that way. I feel offended actually, and that doesn't happen very often. If I'd wanted to be arsey, you'd have known about it.

However, I'll accept what is a very begrudging and not-quite apology. Very gracious of you.

Err, I didn't apologise. I just said I accepted your explanation of what you said [although I read it differently].

 

[Neva]

I dutifully clicked the link, and then I even copied and pasted the text into notepad, because it is horrible and difficult to read with that background. But I really can't bear to read any more of it than the first few paragraphs, because it is so badly written and full of grammatical errors, that it hardly makes sense. Sorry.

Your crazy but okay.

 

[sojourner]

Err, I didn't apologise. I just said I accepted your explanation of what you said [although I read it differently].

Now you see - that was me being arsey. See the difference now?

Let's not derail any further eh?

 

[Orang Utan]

Ah, my mistake OU, I didn't express myself properly - I meant which of Angela Carter's books is your fave

Oh, Nights At The Circus

 

[cillaB]

Oh, Nights At The Circus

That's one of my very favourite books - I can reread it endlessly. Much prefer it to the one about the twins. It's the lushest book ever

 

[cillaB]

And the lady who wrote a disturbing near future tale about a young woman in the rebublic of gilead. Damn my crappy memory!

Margaret Atwood

 

[Chairman Meow]

Now you see - that was me being arsey. See the difference now?

Let's not derail any further eh?

I don't see much of a difference there actually, but agreed, we won't derail further.

 

[Chairman Meow]

Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid's Tale is one of my least favourite books ever. A friend kept on at me until I'd read it, and I haven't been able to read another Atwood since.

Thanks for reminding me about Maya Angelou, I've been meaning to read her books for years.

 

[cillaB]

Ooh why? what didn't you enjoy? It's quite different from her other ones. Much less ambiguity.

 

[bruise]

np foo, it's just a difference of taste, and i love the first book

I agree about The Handmaid's Tale - superb

how about psychological horror? - i love (wrong word) Poppy Z Brite (and not just because of the cool name) ever since coming across one of those 60p Penguin books, shame they discontinued them - if anyone like her and can recommend any other writers i'd be interested

 

[izz]

Annie Proulx.

To anyone that's never read her, y'gotta, simply gotta. Fucking wonderful breathtaking prose, very powerfully evocative. I love her - she's more than just Brokeback Mountain ! I think she's better in her short stories than novels, Bad Dirt is sublime but then she could write a shopping list and be poetic.

oops sorry, bit too enthusiastic there.

Oh and another vote for Ginny, again in short story form, for preference.

 

[sojourner]

Oh, Nights At The Circus

I think mine is The Passion of New Eve. Closely followed by Shadowdance and The Bloody Chamber. She is utterly brilliant

 

[cillaB]

She is utterly brilliant

Totally.

 

[sojourner]

Annie Proulx.

To anyone that's never read her, y'gotta, simply gotta. Fucking wonderful breathtaking prose, very powerfully evocative. I love her - she's more than just Brokeback Mountain ! I think she's better in her short stories than novels, Bad Dirt is sublime but then she could write a shopping list and be poetic.

oops sorry, bit too enthusiastic there.

Not at all - I tend to be gushing about Annie P myself, being a fairly recent convert . Bad Dirt was incredible - I agree, but I went back to The Shipping News and thought that was too. She does write extremely well in short story form though, it's gotta be said.

 

[sojourner]

Re Margaret Attwood, I think my personal favourite of hers is a slim novel called Surfacing. Though The Handmaids Tale can be rightfully called a classic, imo

 

[tastebud]

The Handmaid's Tale is one of my least favourite books ever. A friend kept on at me until I'd read it, and I haven't been able to read another Atwood since.

It's certainly the case that Atwood has written some excellent books, but also some not so good* books. I love her and love a lot of her stuff, but I have been pretty disappointed with some of it too.

The Blind Assasin is far superior to much of her other stuff IMO. And I've read quite a lot of her stuff.

*she's a great writer whatever she writes, but some of her stuff is a little depressing IMO. But in a way that makes me not want to bother finishing it. But as I say, some of her stuff is most excellent.

 

[izz]

Not at all - I tend to be gushing about Annie P myself, being a fairly recent convert . Bad Dirt was incredible - I agree, but I went back to The Shipping News and thought that was too. She does write extremely well in short story form though, it's gotta be said.

thing is tho', y'know, she didn't start writing till she was what - 58 ? I've read everything she's done - what am i to do if (all heavens and all gods please prevail) she doesn't get to produce anything else ? She still reads well upon any number of rereadings - but if, well, I could do with at least another 20 books from her.

 

[foo]

I agree about The Handmaid's Tale - superb[

ooh, that reminds me - The Blind Assassin. is it by Atwood? i really enjoyed that.

(my memory's shocking)

has any of you read Carter's The Sadeian Woman? it's non fiction and i haven't read it. keep meaning to but keep forgetting.

A.S Byatt - Possession is another good un i just thought of.

does anyone like Pat Barker's books? i like her plain style. she uses very few words to convey a lot. i like that sometimes. one of the reasons Kitchen is permanently on my ever changing favourite list.

edit: oops, i didn't word that well as usual. kitchen isn't by Pat Barker. it's by Banana Yoshimoto (sp?)

 

[Spandex]

Lots of people recommending Margaret Attwood, but no mention of my favourite book by her (indeed, one of my favourite sci-fi books): Oryx and Crake.

In a totally different direction: The Ice Master by Jennifer Niven - a brilliant account of a disasterous arctic expedition in 1913.

 

[foo]

I think mine is The Passion of New Eve. Closely followed by Shadowdance and The Bloody Chamber. She is utterly brilliant

i knew i liked you for a reason.

 

[sojourner]

thing is tho', y'know, she didn't start writing till she was what - 58 ? I've read everything she's done - what am i to do if (all heavens and all gods please prevail) she doesn't get to produce anything else ? She still reads well upon any number of rereadings - but if, well, I could do with at least another 20 books from her.

Haha, I'm pretty much in the same boat myself...just Accordion Crimes to go, and Im kinda saving that one in case she doesn't write anymore (oh the horror )

56 I believe, for fiction, but was a journalist for many years prior to that. I'm just overjoyed that she did eventually make that step into fiction

 

[sojourner]

i knew i liked you for a reason.

that and my ability to remember lines from songs from your childhood

 

[foo]

heh, does anyone remember the Women's Room by Marlyn French?

just the sight of it on my bookshelf makes me feel odd. it was like a bible for a lot of women and reminds me of strange days...

i might attempt another read (20 or so years later) and see what i think.

 

[sojourner]

ooh, that reminds me - The Blind Assassin. is it by Atwood? i really enjoyed that.

(has any of you read Carter's The Sadeian Woman? it's non fiction and i haven't read it. keep meaning to but keep forgetting.

Oh yes, I read it when I was researching an essay for a cultural history of de Sade - this was incredibly useful - and she gets it so completely!!

Yeh, The Blind Assassin is Attwood, although I've not read that one

 

[CharlieAddict]

patricia duncker

hallucinating foucault
and seven tales of sex and death.

 

[foo]

Not at all - I tend to be gushing about Annie P myself, being a fairly recent convert . Bad Dirt was incredible - I agree, but I went back to The Shipping News and thought that was too. She does write extremely well in short story form though, it's gotta be said.

i only came across her recently. haven't read Bad Dirt though. another one for the xmas list.

izz don't apologise for being so enthusiastic. it's lovely to read!

 

[sojourner]

i only came across her recently. haven't read Bad Dirt though. another one for the xmas list.

izz don't apologise for being so enthusiastic. it's lovely to read!

Oh definitely get it foo - and Close Range as well. In fact, I bet you end up with a rather big wish list