I’m thinking comments here are missing the point of Austen. She is not a romance writer, she writes comedies of manners. The manners very much of her time and place. In Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth speaks about class from a very modern feminist perspective.
I think the reason a lot of people would call Austen a romance author is because that’s why they’re reading her books. Sure, you can dissect the class issues, which are very strange from an American’s perspective. But I doubt people re-read the books because they just loooove talking about social hierarchy. They want romance and she wrote great romances.
She did write great romances. I did not mean to suggest her books are about class but they more than just a romance. I was responding to the comments about her books being about women just waiting around to be saved by a man. That they are not or Mrs Bennett would not be a comical character
The Gunslinger, was written when King was 19. And it reads like a 19 year old wrote it. I highly recommend the rest of the Dark Tower books. They are much, much better. So much so that when I suggest this series I always say read the Gunslinger. You won't like it, it's a meh book but read The Drawing of the Three and decide from there. Also, I enjoyed The Eyes of the Dragon and was completely charmed by Fairy Tale. Or perhaps try his short stories. I'm very fond of a short story...its like a charcuterie board of literature. Also, the Shining and Dr. Sleep. One written by King the addict and one written by King when sober. But I'm a longtime King fan, I think his middle works are the best.
I was going to suggest A Christmas Carol for Dickens, but it’s the only thing of his I’ve ever read. Just the right length for his style, though.
Not sure what your bag is, but if you are mildly interested in Epic Fantasy, Larry Correia’s Son of the Black Sword is better than any Martin, Jordan or Sanderson you might otherwise pick up.
7 1/2 Deaths is the only Turton book I've read, and I had a very similar reaction to it: up to that last section, it was OK noir. As soon as it got to explanations, it lost me, like crash and burn ruined the whole book for me and I will never read another by that author.
Gaiman: Covered in other comment thread.
Novik: Mixed feelings there. Yeah, I've given up on her too. I did read Uprooted and Spinning Silver, and felt like... Uprooted had some promise, I kind of hoped she'd get better, but Spinning was a big letdown with a deeply unsatisfactory ending. She's got a story where girlboss doesn't work, but she really, really wants girlboss to work and forces it. There's this very common thing where modern authors write in medieval-ish settings and cannot bloody keep themselves from imposing modern feminist values on their characters. It's jarring.
King: read a couple of those. Firestarter, and... something else. I forget what. But tbh just not my genre.
And: Aww, don't give up on Austen. I go back and re-read all of those every couple of years. It's not the romance. It's that they are so darn *funny*. I think my favorite character in all of her books is Mr. Palmer from Sense and Sensibility. He's just a bit part, but he's so hilariously written.
(Somehow I missed seeing your comment until now. Sorry!)
You’re so right about girl bosses in Medieval settings. They never work, it’s ridiculous, and frankly, if that term or something similar is used in the marketing of the story, I stay away. I saw a Goodreads review for The Grace of Kings that said there aren’t enough women in the book, and I’m like “Sign me up!”
I have continued with Austen and am currently almost done with Persuasion.
Persuasion and Mansfield Park were the least funny of the lot, but rewarding in different ways, IMO, dealing chiefly with personal integrity-- the consequences of having it, not having it, and of letting other people override it. All her books hinge on that theme to some extent, but those more than the rest.
Happy reading! I hope you can find your way to liking Austen :)
Not counting A Christmas Carol, Pickwick Papers is the only Dickens I’ve read. I don’t even remember getting through high school assignments, but I happened upon PP when still in school, and I really loved it. I read a lot of humor at the time (Thurber, Mr. Blandings Build His Dream House, more) and for me it ranked with all of them. [PS Mr. B was made into a movie successfully I think; the story is a raft of things that go wrong when building your suburban dream, from the time when Connecticut was being built up. NB there is a scene with a black maid that troubles people today for stereotype, but for me at the time it was okay because she saves the day for him. Standards have changed so I don’t disagree with anyone who rejects it. But it’s a thread among many in the plot.]
Oliver Twist was my first attempt at Dickens, aside from a free course on Christmas Carol, and it’s been sitting unfinished on the side table for months. I can see the social commentary he was aiming for, but I really haven’t been able to get invested.
I love your honesty! I hear what you're saying about Gaiman.
As far as Austen goes, I like Emma much better than the ever-popular P&P. Lady Susan is a delightful treat. I applaud you for not being a lemming about her, though. In that literary vein, Elizabeth Gaskell's North & South is so much better! It has the same polite enemies-to-lovers trope, but a much richer story.
I DNF'd the second book in the Throne of Glass series. This girl was supposed to be the best assassin... and I'd yet to see her kill anyone. (Sort of like how that travel blogger was never shown travel blogging, I guess.)
The only novel of Stephen King's that I've read is Carrie. I enjoyed it, but it didn't make me want to run out and read all his other stuff. One I am kind of intrigued with is Misery... though I don't know if that's the best choice for an author!
I read a lot of King as a teen and then reread a bunch of them in my late 20's and thought most of them were actually pretty bad books the second time around. Misery is one of the few that held up and is still one of my favorite modern fiction books. Plus the movie is good too.
King’s Misery is a good one, even for authors to prepare us for rabid fans. 😅 I also like his Holly, a thriller filled with a cast of interesting characters, and well-told in terms of pacing, description, conflict, not to mention a pair of truly evil ordinary people.
Funnily enough I had the same exact experience with King, dropping the Shining. That was until I was gifted “On Writing”. I didn’t expect his memoir to hit so right, but I guess reading something that pertains very clearly to me makes sense to have connected. It was so conversational and doesn’t linger on anything. He even tells his own personal story of how he believes his upbringing brought him to writing. Shortly after that I read Misery and went on a Stephen King binge. Can’t recommend that one enough, though it’s likely not for everyone.
I love King but agree he can be hit and miss. But the guy is such a perlific writer there's bound to be some misfires among the greatness. My favourites are, The Stand, It, Firestarter, Misery and Pet Sementry. Just read the Bachman books and 'The Long Walk' is worth the price of the book alone.
I always think the most underated author was James Herbert. I have enjoyed every single one of his novels. Some are more action packed than others whilst some are genuinely scary and I never get scared by movies or books usually.
Weirdly, the only King book I've failed to finish is Pet Sematary. It's incredibly dark (I think he said he thinks of it as his darkest) and I made the schoolboy error of reading it in hospital while recovering from multiple cardiac arrests. So it might just be a me problem...
Some things exist in our lives for a season, and that includes works by particular people. I think it's good to expand into new territories and find new authors to love and hate 😄
King can be a hit-or-miss affair with me, I am of the opinion that his masterpiece is The Stand, and if you want to get a good feel for his writing. It's LOOOOONG but offers some of his most fully-realized characters, and certainly after the pandemic, the idea of a world-ending epidemic rings true. Unlike some of his other works, I find The Stand has moments of levity that actually had me laughing out loud while reading it ... not a typical response to most of King's work!
Next time you’re in the mood for some Stephen King I’d recommend 11/22/63 based on what you’ve written here about your likes/dislikes with different books. I think you would vibe with it a lot. :)
For Austen, I will always recommend Northanger Abbey — it’s so underrated but so so good, and has something that’s a bit different from the others.
I felt a lot of the same way about the Evelyn Hardcastle, but I think I got turned off it just less than 2/3 of the way through
I did read Northanger Abbey and it was fine. But I have to admit I preferred the 2007 movie. Maybe it’s because I saw it before reading the book.
Ooh I had no idea there was a movie! I’ll have to check that out
The actor who plays Tilney is great!
Yes it's unlike the rest of her work. A parody of the Gothic genre.
I’m thinking comments here are missing the point of Austen. She is not a romance writer, she writes comedies of manners. The manners very much of her time and place. In Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth speaks about class from a very modern feminist perspective.
I think the reason a lot of people would call Austen a romance author is because that’s why they’re reading her books. Sure, you can dissect the class issues, which are very strange from an American’s perspective. But I doubt people re-read the books because they just loooove talking about social hierarchy. They want romance and she wrote great romances.
I reread Austen regularly, and the 'romance' is the least interesting aspect. She's far more interesting than that.
She did write great romances. I did not mean to suggest her books are about class but they more than just a romance. I was responding to the comments about her books being about women just waiting around to be saved by a man. That they are not or Mrs Bennett would not be a comical character
I really liked 11/22/63 by King. It's LONG, but the ending has stuck with me more than any other book I've read.
I did try watching the series they made several years ago but I never finished it. I’m sure the book is much better though; I’ll add it to my list.
I love that book
The Gunslinger, was written when King was 19. And it reads like a 19 year old wrote it. I highly recommend the rest of the Dark Tower books. They are much, much better. So much so that when I suggest this series I always say read the Gunslinger. You won't like it, it's a meh book but read The Drawing of the Three and decide from there. Also, I enjoyed The Eyes of the Dragon and was completely charmed by Fairy Tale. Or perhaps try his short stories. I'm very fond of a short story...its like a charcuterie board of literature. Also, the Shining and Dr. Sleep. One written by King the addict and one written by King when sober. But I'm a longtime King fan, I think his middle works are the best.
Thanks for your recommendations! I will continue with the Dark Tower series.
I was hoping someone would mention The Eyes of The Dragon! Total King sleeper that most people don’t know about. But I think it’s one of his best.
Fairy Tale recaptured that feeling when I read Eyes of the Dragon.
I’d hoped for that feeling but using the present day as setting distracted me from that. Glad it worked for you though!
I was going to suggest A Christmas Carol for Dickens, but it’s the only thing of his I’ve ever read. Just the right length for his style, though.
Not sure what your bag is, but if you are mildly interested in Epic Fantasy, Larry Correia’s Son of the Black Sword is better than any Martin, Jordan or Sanderson you might otherwise pick up.
I recently read A Christmas Carol and really liked it. Here’s my review if you’re interested:
https://damselinthelibrary.substack.com/p/a-christmas-carol-made-me-appreciate
I do enjoy fantasy books and that Correia book has been recommended to me before. It’s on my list.
So:
7 1/2 Deaths is the only Turton book I've read, and I had a very similar reaction to it: up to that last section, it was OK noir. As soon as it got to explanations, it lost me, like crash and burn ruined the whole book for me and I will never read another by that author.
Gaiman: Covered in other comment thread.
Novik: Mixed feelings there. Yeah, I've given up on her too. I did read Uprooted and Spinning Silver, and felt like... Uprooted had some promise, I kind of hoped she'd get better, but Spinning was a big letdown with a deeply unsatisfactory ending. She's got a story where girlboss doesn't work, but she really, really wants girlboss to work and forces it. There's this very common thing where modern authors write in medieval-ish settings and cannot bloody keep themselves from imposing modern feminist values on their characters. It's jarring.
King: read a couple of those. Firestarter, and... something else. I forget what. But tbh just not my genre.
And: Aww, don't give up on Austen. I go back and re-read all of those every couple of years. It's not the romance. It's that they are so darn *funny*. I think my favorite character in all of her books is Mr. Palmer from Sense and Sensibility. He's just a bit part, but he's so hilariously written.
(Somehow I missed seeing your comment until now. Sorry!)
You’re so right about girl bosses in Medieval settings. They never work, it’s ridiculous, and frankly, if that term or something similar is used in the marketing of the story, I stay away. I saw a Goodreads review for The Grace of Kings that said there aren’t enough women in the book, and I’m like “Sign me up!”
I have continued with Austen and am currently almost done with Persuasion.
Persuasion and Mansfield Park were the least funny of the lot, but rewarding in different ways, IMO, dealing chiefly with personal integrity-- the consequences of having it, not having it, and of letting other people override it. All her books hinge on that theme to some extent, but those more than the rest.
Happy reading! I hope you can find your way to liking Austen :)
Try Dickens' first book, "The Pickwick Papers". He knew how to do comedy, at least.
Not counting A Christmas Carol, Pickwick Papers is the only Dickens I’ve read. I don’t even remember getting through high school assignments, but I happened upon PP when still in school, and I really loved it. I read a lot of humor at the time (Thurber, Mr. Blandings Build His Dream House, more) and for me it ranked with all of them. [PS Mr. B was made into a movie successfully I think; the story is a raft of things that go wrong when building your suburban dream, from the time when Connecticut was being built up. NB there is a scene with a black maid that troubles people today for stereotype, but for me at the time it was okay because she saves the day for him. Standards have changed so I don’t disagree with anyone who rejects it. But it’s a thread among many in the plot.]
I was thinking about trying Oliver Twist or Great Expectations, but a comedy sounds like a better choice. Thanks for the recommendation!
Oliver Twist was my first attempt at Dickens, aside from a free course on Christmas Carol, and it’s been sitting unfinished on the side table for months. I can see the social commentary he was aiming for, but I really haven’t been able to get invested.
Dickens is a divisive author, but I very much enjoyed A Christmas Carol, and I did a review for it too:
https://damselinthelibrary.substack.com/p/a-christmas-carol-made-me-appreciate
I love your honesty! I hear what you're saying about Gaiman.
As far as Austen goes, I like Emma much better than the ever-popular P&P. Lady Susan is a delightful treat. I applaud you for not being a lemming about her, though. In that literary vein, Elizabeth Gaskell's North & South is so much better! It has the same polite enemies-to-lovers trope, but a much richer story.
What’s the point of sharing a book-ish opinion if it isn’t honest? As for North and South, I LOVE it!! I re-read it last year and I did a review: https://damselinthelibrary.substack.com/p/re-reading-north-and-south-by-elizabeth
and I’m going to be talking about the adaptation next month.
I DNF'd the second book in the Throne of Glass series. This girl was supposed to be the best assassin... and I'd yet to see her kill anyone. (Sort of like how that travel blogger was never shown travel blogging, I guess.)
The only novel of Stephen King's that I've read is Carrie. I enjoyed it, but it didn't make me want to run out and read all his other stuff. One I am kind of intrigued with is Misery... though I don't know if that's the best choice for an author!
Haha! A great assassin indeed. I hate it when an author hypes up a character’s skills and we never see any proof.
I think I might try some more King this year, maybe around Halloween. Misery does sound like a risky choice though!
I read a lot of King as a teen and then reread a bunch of them in my late 20's and thought most of them were actually pretty bad books the second time around. Misery is one of the few that held up and is still one of my favorite modern fiction books. Plus the movie is good too.
King’s Misery is a good one, even for authors to prepare us for rabid fans. 😅 I also like his Holly, a thriller filled with a cast of interesting characters, and well-told in terms of pacing, description, conflict, not to mention a pair of truly evil ordinary people.
Funnily enough I had the same exact experience with King, dropping the Shining. That was until I was gifted “On Writing”. I didn’t expect his memoir to hit so right, but I guess reading something that pertains very clearly to me makes sense to have connected. It was so conversational and doesn’t linger on anything. He even tells his own personal story of how he believes his upbringing brought him to writing. Shortly after that I read Misery and went on a Stephen King binge. Can’t recommend that one enough, though it’s likely not for everyone.
I love King but agree he can be hit and miss. But the guy is such a perlific writer there's bound to be some misfires among the greatness. My favourites are, The Stand, It, Firestarter, Misery and Pet Sementry. Just read the Bachman books and 'The Long Walk' is worth the price of the book alone.
The Long Walk sounds interesting. I’ll add it to my list.
Yeah it's vicious. A sick observation satire about fame and fortune and how people will do anything for it.
I always think the most underated author was James Herbert. I have enjoyed every single one of his novels. Some are more action packed than others whilst some are genuinely scary and I never get scared by movies or books usually.
I’ve never heard of him. Any particular recommendation on where to start?
The Rats, The Fog and 48.
Weirdly, the only King book I've failed to finish is Pet Sematary. It's incredibly dark (I think he said he thinks of it as his darkest) and I made the schoolboy error of reading it in hospital while recovering from multiple cardiac arrests. So it might just be a me problem...
So…I shouldn’t read it at night just before I go to bed?
Especially if you have a cat.
No cats. Just chickens.
You should be ok then. I don’t remember any zombie chickens (I can’t be certain no zombie chickens turn up past the bit I stopped reading though)
Could have been worse you could have been reading a Robin Cooke book.
Some things exist in our lives for a season, and that includes works by particular people. I think it's good to expand into new territories and find new authors to love and hate 😄
And I’m loving going to other authors.
King can be a hit-or-miss affair with me, I am of the opinion that his masterpiece is The Stand, and if you want to get a good feel for his writing. It's LOOOOONG but offers some of his most fully-realized characters, and certainly after the pandemic, the idea of a world-ending epidemic rings true. Unlike some of his other works, I find The Stand has moments of levity that actually had me laughing out loud while reading it ... not a typical response to most of King's work!
I’ve read my share of thick books, so that’s not too much of a deterrent. Not sure when I would get to it, but I will put it on my list.
Next time you’re in the mood for some Stephen King I’d recommend 11/22/63 based on what you’ve written here about your likes/dislikes with different books. I think you would vibe with it a lot. :)
You’re the second person to mention that one. I’m moving it up my list of King books to try.