Yeah, yeah, but besides fantasy...

[Precision Grace]

Self help books.

Books for children.

Gardening books.

Books about writing.

Books about film.

Film and TV scripts.


Oh, and all the other stuff too. (Not many biographies but I do like them, except they are always in hardback and cost a fortune. If I could get myself locked in the British Library for a year, I'm sure I will have read tons of them)

 

[Sargeant_Fox]

Well several of those are magic realists and do fall into the borad category of fantasy for me anyway.

Well, I do consider José Saramago the best fantasy writer alive. Death at Intervals is a marvellous, funny novel about Death taking a break with catastrophic consequences for Mankind. And Blindness is a fine dystopia. In spite of that, embarassed critics try to hide the fact by calling it magical realism. It's a term that doesn't make much sense, really. Machen as early as the 19th century was talking about 'making the commoplace incredible'. All fantasy, and perhaps all fiction, does that.

If you haven't sampled Italo Calvino, Pablo Neruda, Umberto Eco or Salman Rushdie do so now without hesitation.

I've been reading and re-reading Calvino this year. I plan to read all his fiction until the end of the year. January I finished Our Ancestors trilogy, and especially liked The Baron in the Trees.

Of Neruda I only know his Memoirs, a fine autobiopgraphy full of memorable episodes. I loved Shalimar the Clown enough to want to read more Rushdie one day, but I don't know when that will be. As for Eco, I can't say The Name of the Rose left me craving for more. Well, I have Foucault's Pendulum at home; unfortunately I also have some other one hundred books I want to read first

 

[GOLLUM]

Well, I do consider José Saramago the best fantasy writer alive. Death at Intervals is a marvellous, funny novel about Death taking a break with catastrophic consequences for Mankind. And Blindness is a fine dystopia. In spite of that, embarassed critics try to hide the fact by calling it magical realism. It's a term that doesn't make much sense, really. Machen as early as the 19th century was talking about 'making the commoplace incredible'. All fantasy, and perhaps all fiction, does that.

I've been reading and re-reading Calvino this year. I plan to read all his fiction until the end of the year. January I finished Our Ancestors trilogy, and especially liked The Baron in the Trees.

Of Neruda I only know his Memoirs, a fine autobiopgraphy full of memorable episodes. I loved Shalimar the Clown enough to want to read more Rushdie one day, but I don't know when that will be. As for Eco, I can't say The Name of the Rose left me craving for more. Well, I have Foucault's Pendulum at home; unfortunately I also have some other one hundred books I want to read first

Hmmm....well have a go at Gene Wolfe and you may find your mind being changed on Saramgo being the omnipotent one... Mind you I've basically got all of Calvino's, Saramago's Marquez's, Eco's and Rushdie's works of a fantastical nature that have been translated into English and recently started picking a few of Isabel Allende's books on the urging of Nesacat. Eco is very good but don't forget Name Of The Rose isn't so much fantasy than medieval murder mystery come commentary on the power of ideas/knowledge. Some of his other books are probably more up your alley.

Speaking of books please don't say you've not read one of the best books of the decade Carlos Ruis Zafon's Shadow Of The Wind. Superb for anyone who loves the power of books and the written word.

Also try Tommaso Landolfi (major influence on Calvino) and Julio Cortazar's wonderful Hopscotch and Final Exam.

Cheers....

 

[Sargeant_Fox]

I'd never heard of Tommaso Landolfi until now. He does sound interesting. I regret seeing he has little translated into English. I've put Gogol's Wife & Other Stories on my list.

 

[GOLLUM]

I'd never heard of Tommaso Landolfi until now. He does sound interesting. I regret seeing he has little translated into English. I've put Gogol's Wife & Other Stories on my list.

Ok, I've got Gogol's Dead Souls (great read) and recently picked up the Collected Tales Of Nikolai Gogol which is supposed to be a "best of" collection.

OH.....almost forgot I presume you've got some books/series of the late and great Jorge Louis Borges? If not do yourself a favour, you can thank me later....

Like you, I had never heard of Tommaso Landolfi until I happened to notice a book of his a few months back lying on a pile of second hand books in an associate of mine's labyrinthine bookshop. Boy, when I saw it said intro by Italo Calvino I leapt for that book and of what I've so far read it's very good. It's actually a collection of the author's work and is called Words In Commotion And Other Stories.

I'm sure when Nesa and co. see these posts they'll be able to add many more recos for you.

Enjoy......

 

[Sargeant_Fox]

OH.....almost forgot I presume you've got some books/series of the late and great Jorge Louis Borges? If not do yourself a favour, you can thank me later....

I'm fortunate enough to own pretty much everything he's ever written: I have a four-volume collection of his complete works; a two-volume collection of collaborations with Bioy Casares, Margarita Guerrero, etc; another two-volume collection of conversations with poet Osvaldo Ferrari; and Libro del cielo y del infierno with Casares. I'm only missing the prologues he wrote for The Library of Babel collection.


He's my favorite writer

Like you, I had never heard of Tommaso Landolfi until I happened to notice a book of his a few months back lying on a pile of second hand books in an associate of mine's labyrinthine bookshop. Boy, when I saw it said intro by Italo Calvino I leapt for that book and of what I've so far read it's very good. It's actually a collection of the author's work and is called Words In Commotion And Other Stories.

I've looked it up: looks fascinating, but it's out of print. The only book by him currently available seems to be Gogol's Wife, so I'll start with that one.

 

[GOLLUM]

I'm fortunate enough to own pretty much everything he's ever written: I have a four-volume collection of his complete works; a two-volume collection of collaborations with Bioy Casares, Margarita Guerrero, etc; another two-volume collection of conversations with poet Osvaldo Ferrari; and Libro del cielo y del infierno with Casares. I'm only missing the prologues he wrote for The Library of Babel collection.


He's my favorite writer



I've looked it up: looks fascinating, but it's out of print. The only book by him currently available seems to be Gogol's Wife, so I'll start with that one.

Well, you're up on me with Borges. I've got 2-3 collections and therefore most of his stories but at some stage I'll probably track down more. Fabulous and seminal for sure....

OK, I realise I misread your last post, thought you meant Nikolai Gogol but "Gogol's...." is the title of the book DUH!...... Still, Gogol is good if you haven't tried him. Never read anything other than parts of that collection by Landolfi and that was only by chance as described.

 

[Sargeant_Fox]

Well, you're up on me with Borges. I've got 2-3 collections and therefore most of his stories but at some stage I'll probably track down more. Fabulous and seminal for sure.

Although I like to reread a few stories, lately I've been enthralled by his non-fiction. Borges was above all a readers' writer; I think he loved to share his passion for books with his readers. Through his articles, essays and prologues I've discovered writers like G.K. Chesterton, Kipling, Adolfo Bioy Casares, Lord Dunsany, Dino Buzzati, etc.

 

[GOLLUM]

Although I like to reread a few stories, lately I've been enthralled by his non-fiction. Borges was above all a readers' writer; I think he loved to share his passion for books with his readers. Through his articles, essays and prologues I've discovered writers like G.K. Chesterton, Kipling, Adolfo Bioy Casares, Lord Dunsany, Dino Buzzati, etc.

In that case very useful non-fiction indeed. I'm not generally into non-fiction books (except on history of the Genre), even those written by my fav authors. Strange but true...

BTW do try out Shadow Of The Wind, it's a grand book and you've gotta love the concept of a "Cemetery of Forgotten Books"....