I was meaning to post something about the New York Times fiction list, but I think the moment has passed. I was inspired to read two of the books on the list, though.
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson. This novel, about a pair of orphans being raised by their eccentric aunt, did not appeal to me at all, and was a real struggle for the first 20 pages or so. I had to read entire pages two and three times just to understand Robinson's prose. Eventually, though, I adjusted and was grateful I stuck it out.
The Known World by Edward P. Jones. I've been really struggling with my reactions to The Known World. I really enjoyed reading it and I think that it's an impressive achievement, in a lot of ways. Jones uses a syntax that's unlike that of any other writer I've read, and he uses it to explore the ideas of slavery to an extent greater than any other account I've read. Jones's way of writing is gimmicky, but it's effective, too. The problem with the novel, I think, is that it has no center. Throughout, Jones hints that he's going to tell a story, but eventually he seems to run out of time and just ends the novel with a series of startling events. This is forgivable because he manages to describe the outskirts of his story so thoroughly and in such an engaging way that, were it not for the dramatic events of the conclusion, one could finish the book without noticing the lack of real story.
I was also inspired to think of books I think should have been included in the list. Here are a few: The Sweet Hereafter, The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor, Allan Stein, Ender's Game, The Diamond Age, Neuromancer. I had some others, too. -- Peter
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