Book Recommendations

[blues]

I just had to post this quote by author Clive James, whom I've never read, who remarked in an interview in The Guardian:

The most overrated books almost all emerged simultaneously from a single genre: magic realism. I can’t stand it. I always found ordinary realism quite magic enough.

I don't read much literary criticism but that pretty much captures my opposition to literature which relies upon that technique or "gimmick", if you will.

Actually, I've read some that were otherwise near great, imho, but lost me due to the reliance upon the suspension of reality they demand.

I certainly don't fault anyone who enjoys the genre...the issue is clearly my own. I was just heartened by reading James' quote in the article.

[CalAlumnus]

Two suggestions, somewhat similar...

The Mandibles, by Lionel Shriver. The story of what happens when the national debt gets out of hand. Takes a very libertarian approach.

Submission, by Michel Houellebecq. The setting is near-future France. There's an election, and the Islamic party takes power and imposes Islamic law.

[BehindBlueI's]

I just had to post this quote by author Clive James, whom I've never read, who remarked in an interview in The Guardian:



I don't read much literary criticism but that pretty much captures my opposition to literature which relies upon that technique or "gimmick", if you will.

Actually, I've read some that were otherwise near great, imho, but lost me due to the reliance upon the suspension of reality they demand.

I certainly don't fault anyone who enjoys the genre...the issue is clearly my own. I was just heartened by reading James' quote in the article.

I had to look up the term:

Magical realism, magic realism, or marvelous realism is a style of fiction that paints a realistic view of the modern world while also adding magical elements. It is sometimes called fabulism, in reference to the conventions of fables, myths, and allegory. "Magical realism", perhaps the most common term, often refers to fiction and literature in particular,[1]:1–5 with magic or the supernatural presented in an otherwise real-world or mundane setting, commonly seen in novels and dramatic performances. It is considered a subgenre of fantasy.

I am a fan of the genre. Neil Gaiman's books or The Dresden Files, for example. I really enjoy the new takes on myth, legend, and religion. Someone mentioned the Iron Druid series earlier and while it's not my favorite it's a nice read. Shadow Campaigns, basically a take on the Napoleanic Wars but with the occult being real.

[Wendell]

I didn't read the whole thread, but... Unrepentant Sinner

Unrepentant Sinner: The Autobiography of Colonel Charles Askins by Charles Askins

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...pentant_Sinner

https://www.amazon.com/Unrepentant-S.../dp/158160582X

[Lester Polfus]

I had to look up the term:



I am a fan of the genre. Neil Gaiman's books or The Dresden Files, for example. I really enjoy the new takes on myth, legend, and religion. Someone mentioned the Iron Druid series earlier and while it's not my favorite it's a nice read. Shadow Campaigns, basically a take on the Napoleanic Wars but with the occult being real.

The proper genre for a novel is something that MFA students could debate for hours over bottles of Boone's Farm, but The Dresden Files and Iron Druid fall into the setting of Urban Fantasy, or Contemporary Fantasy. Likewise, I would argue that Gaiman falls into a Dark Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy or Modern Fantasy Genres.

The above tend to be books normal people read for entertainment. That isn't to say they can't be well written, or even make some good social observations, but they will never be considered "literary" and if you were to bring one of them up at the kind of parties I used to have to suffer through, you'd hear a record scratch.

Magical Realism was a fad among the more the literary cognoscenti and the folks who really got it rolling were Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Jorge Borges. They tend to be the kind of books that normal people read and mutter "when the fuck is something going to happen" for several chapters before giving up in disgust. Dresden or Hearne tend to set up very early that there is an element of magic in the book, and try very carefully to make it internally consistent. In Magical Realism, it will come out of nowhere, arguably at the whim of the author, and will give MFA grad students plenty of of grist to grind in the mill of that the author MEANT when he or she included it.

[blues]

Magical Realism was a fad among the more the literary cognoscenti and the folks who really got it rolling were Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Jorge Borges. They tend to be the kind of books that normal people read and mutter "when the fuck is something going to happen" for several chapters before giving up in disgust. Dresden or Hearne tend to set up very early that there is an element of magic in the book, and try very carefully to make it internally consistent. In Magical Realism, it will come out of nowhere, arguably at the whim of the author, and will give MFA grad students plenty of of grist to grind in the mill of that the author MEANT when he or she included it.

I would disagree with this. It's not an issue with when something is going to happen, it's how it happens.

Horses that fly, over the top mystical powers and other such "other worldly" or fantastic characteristics attributed to otherwise normal events or characters, for me, takes away from the depth and credibility of the novel. It loses some of its gravitas.

Now, I have no issue with reading something that is obviously intended as fantasy, satire or sci-fi even if it's not my standard genre. But again, for me, the most sublime novels are the ones that show the depth of human endeavor and character without the enhancement of powers beyond those of mortal men (or animals for that matter).

There's plenty of room for all of us...it's just my personal take. It just disappoints me to wade into an otherwise great novel or tale only to encounter what cheapens the story by my lights.

[Medusa]

Finished Mistborn by Sanderson. It was ok. Interesting magic system, otherwise kind of unremarkable in my view, workmanlike and passable.

I started Scahill’s Blackwater, which I believe was referenced up thread. I’m half an hour in and it’s certainly already .....educational.

[Wyoming Shooter]

I’m sorry I don’t remember who recommended Doc (Dodge City) and Epitah (Tombstone) by Maria Russell because I’d like to thank you personally. They are OUTSTANDING!

"Doc" in the audible format is most excellent. Thanks!

[Medusa]

I finished this book


And while it needed a much better editor, i found it disturbing AF, and think it’s an important topic - taxpayer money paying for mercs whose accountability, as of the date this book was written, is virtually nil, not to mention enriching the likes of Eric Prince.

Starting reading Dead Man’s Walk, by Larry McMurtry. Enjoying it so far.

[BehindBlueI's]

And while it needed a much better editor, i found it disturbing AF, and think it’s an important topic - taxpayer money paying for mercs whose accountability, as of the date this book was written, is virtually nil, not to mention enriching the likes of Eric Prince.
r.

I'm going to go ahead and judge the book by the cover. Blackwater isn't a mercenary army. Both historical usage and modern international law would not classify them as such. If you are an American in a conflict America is a part of and sanctioned by the American government, you are not a mercenary. Using the term incorrectly is either intentionally inflammatory or shows a lack of understanding of a very basic relevant fact. In either case, I would suspect the author's work based on that alone.