Authors that I love

So here is a list of the authors that I love and return to frequently for a break from crappy writers.

– Evelyn Waugh – a male writer (yes, I know his name is Evelyn) who is a not an heir to the soap fortune as far as I know. He wrote amazing, satirical novels during the 20s,30,& 40s. His stunning ability to make fun of the rich and their lack of soul is timeless. He also cannot help but delve into issues of religion and society. Suggestions: A Handful of Dust, Vile Bodies, The Painted Veil.

– Margaret Atwood – honestly she has some terrible novels but a lot of her writing is brilliant.  Suggestions: The Blind Assassin, The Handmaid’s Tale, Oryx and Crake.  Avoid unless you wish yourself  some painful reading: Surfacing. The Year of Flood.

– Iris Murdoch – seems to be mostly known for having Alzheimer’s thanks to the movie starring Kate Winslet.  She began publishing in the 50s and her last novel was published in the 70s.  Her ability to make all of her characters unlikable but somehow interesting enough that you keep reading is a rare gift.  Suggestions: The Black Prince, Under the Net (one of my favorite novels of all time), The Bell.

– W. Somerset Maugham – another one of those grew up in France and England writers (I am just bitterly jealous). By 1914 he was widely read.  He was contemporaries with my other love, Waugh.  His writing is heartbreaking, without exception it is all heartbreaking, but also has some of the most memorable characters.  Suggestions: The Razor’s Edge (which I need to read again), Of Human Bondage, The Moon and Sixpence.

– Graham Greene- like Waugh, he converted to Catholicism and then struggled with that assumed Catholic guilt his whole life.  There is also this continual struggle with how God plays into our lives and what the consequences are. He started publishing his work in 1929 and didn’t stop until his death in the early 90s.  Suggestions: The Heart of the Matter, The Quiet American, The End of the Affair.

– William Trevor – my Irish writer of choice.  His short stories are lovely, but his novels are even better (in my humble opinion) as they give him time to stretch his legs a bit.  A large collection of his short stories were just published this year and they are worth reading.  But “The Story of Lucy Gault” remains my favorite Trevor writing. Other suggestions: Felicia’s Journey, Death in Summer.

– Edith Wharton – okay, okay I know you are thinking “really?” but yes. She was a wonderful female author at the turn of the century when women really did not have a voice.  Her writing is important so that we can always understand the struggle of women during this time.  She was a contemporary of Henry James, but, in my opinion, was the far superior writer.  Suggestions: House of Mirth, The Custom of the Country, The Age of Innocence, The Buccaneers.

– Carlos Ruiz Zafon – He is a fairly new author (for me anyway).  His writing is magical and dark.  He is Spanish and has a beautiful way of describing life in Barcelona through his characters. Suggestions: Shadow of the Wind (please, please read this book), The Angel’s Game.

– Gabriel Garcia Marquez – My life long dream would be to have a coffee with Marquez and just listen to him talk.  I remember finishing “A Hundred Years of Solitude” and just sitting, waiting to catch my breath.  This does not happen often with books (though it should) and when it does it is such a memorable experience.  Suggestions: A Hundred Years of Solitude, Love in the Time of the Cholera, The General in his Labyrinth.

Other Authors that should be mentioned: P.G. Wodehouse, Jane Austen (of course), All three Bronte sisters, Sarah Waters, Anthony Trollope, Kazuo Ishiguro, Wally Lamb, Booth Tarkington, F. Scott Fitzgerald, George Eliot, Elizabeth Bowen, Albert Camus and more…