what books would be the best introduction/and or best book(s) by the following authors? also, which books by these authors should i avoid?

vonnegut -

j.d. salinger -

bret easton ellis -

david foster wallace -

margaret atwood -

thomas pynchon -

david sedaris -

j.g. ballard -

any help is appreciated. thanks.

read slaughterhouse-five and then cat's cradle for the vonnegut

sedaris - naked
salinger - franny and zooey

bret easton ellis - I absolutely love American Psycho, you should too, if you can get past the anal descriptions of everything. It's got some hilarious black comedy moments in it, and I just really enjoyed the way it was written. Rules of Attraction is quite good, but nowhere near as good as American Psycho is for me.

i haven't read much of David Foster Wallace's work but when i asked the same question of a friend, they suggested Infinite Jest, and i really enjoyed it.

as far as vonnegut, i wouldn't start with slaughterhouse five. cat's cradle is a good suggestion, but i think breakfast of champions is a better introduction

why isn't philip roth on your list

David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day and Barrel Fever are both great. The latter has possibly the funniest thirty pages of any book ever as a final chapter.

Vonnegut - I started with Mother night, but Breakfast of champions is a good start..actually his collection of essays is good.

for B E Easton - American Psycho is fantastic, kind of graphic (rat + inside of vagina)

coathangers kahlo

hey let's ask netphoria what i should read great idea idiot

Ellis' Glamorama is his best work.

David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day.
i think you sent that to me. it was great.

thanks guys...i'm going to the library today so i'll look for these.

oh and kiss my ass nimrod.

I don't read much, but I liked Salinger's 'Nine Stories'. It's exactly what it says it is- nine short stories. A couple aren't very good, but I enjoyed the majority of it.

pynchon: the crying of lot 49. or V. if you jump into gravity's rainbow you'll drown!

i love vonnegut(even if he has gone a bit off of his rocker in later years) and ballard. i think that with vonnegut you should maybe just work through the novels in chronological order or if you're just testing the waters maybe you should just check out welcome to the monkey house. but you should definitely read cat's cradle if nothing else. and as far as ballard goes - empire of the sun would be a good start but high rise and the unlimited dream company are also really good reads. but then again this is all just the personal opinion of someone that's already totally taken by both of these authors.

vonnegut - Cat's Cradle is a nice starting point, because I started with Breakfast of Champions and I loved it, but it didn't prepare me for his less dadaist writing style (that book is gloriously nuts). I wouldn't shy you away from BOC either. I like it better than Cat's Cradle.

j.d. salinger - Franny & Zooey

thomas pynchon - (I'm so tempted to just thrust you into Gravity's Rainbow...)

david sedaris - Naked

brkfast of chsmpions anf catcher s rye

okay guys here's what i got from the library:

margaret atwood - oryx & crake
bret easton ellis - american psycho
kurt vonnegut - breakfast of champions
j.d. salinger - franny and zooey

and these books i purchased at half-price books:

david foster wallace - infinite jest ($5.96!)
david sedaris - me talk pretty one day (6.98)

out of those i've only read salinger. i'm uneducated as fuck

bret easton ellis - I absolutely love American Psycho, you should too, if you can get past the anal descriptions of everything.

i couldn't read Ellis for this reason, it was so distracting. I enjoyed the movie though.

I've read most of Atwood's books, everyone says 'A Handmaids Tale' or 'The Robber Bride' (both of which are excellent) but Cat's Eye is really heartbreaking. Its sort of like a more detailed, subtler version of Welcome to the Dollhouse.

Isn't JG Ballard the one who wrote the book that the movie 'Crash' was based on? (the first Cronenberg one). The book is pretty much exactly like the movie is, but the author put himself in as the lead character.

david foster wallace -


don't waste your time

I don't read much

No, you sure don't. Did you finish that book yet? No rush, just curious.

david foster wallace - infinite jest ($5.96!)

:nooooo:

don't waste your time


wtf

ok i'll admit i didn't finish it

The only Vonnegut book I've read is <i>Breakfast of Champions</i>, and I really enjoyed it, but now I get the impression that I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read some of his other stuff previously - since it's supposedly meant to be sort of a parody of his own work. This thread makes me want to read more Vonnegut though, so maybe I'll do that, and then read it again. It's a super quick read. I think it took about two days.

Other than that, I haven't read anything by any of these folks aside from Salinger. I, too, am clearly an illiterate fuck. :( But! I did read the opening couple pages of <i>Gravity's Rainbow</i> and they really made me want to keep reading. I couldn't though, because it was my brother's book and he wouldn't let me borrow it - he says I have to read <i>Crying of Lot 49</i> first, since he's been trying to get me to read it for years, and in fact bought me a copy like three Christmases ago...

Uh, and that's my story. Enjoy your books!

i didn't finish gravity's rainbow either but i wouldn't say it's a waste of time

infinite jest was
not good

but keep in mind my favorite books were written for children

No, you sure don't. Did you finish that book yet? No rush, just curious.


Yes! I'm sure I told you?!

Get on AIM, we'll talk about it.

No, you didn't! And here I come.

here I come.

Way to go Andy.

I'm the man.

wtf

phew...i'm glad you said that...graveflower was making me feel like i made a bad decision by purchasing infinite jest...but if you like it...your opinion holds more strength with me than graveflower's opinion so that's good...

concerning pynchon...i have v. already...actually it was my brother's...but i sorta took it...but for whatever reason i've just never gotten around to it. so you think v. is a good place to start then? i like how you said i would drown if i went straight into gravity's rainbow...which of course is the book i hear most about when it comes to pynchon. i've always been sort of curious about the crying of lot 49...especially since yo la tengo has a song titled the crying of lot g...which seems to be a pretty obvious nod to pynchon.

actually i almost even asked ira about the pynchon reference at a live show/q&a session with yo la tengo that i attended in austin once...i lament not asking who his other favorite authors were. =/

i love vonnegut(even if he has gone a bit off of his rocker in later years) and ballard. i think that with vonnegut you should maybe just work through the novels in chronological order or if you're just testing the waters maybe you should just check out welcome to the monkey house. but you should definitely read cat's cradle if nothing else. and as far as ballard goes - empire of the sun would be a good start but high rise and the unlimited dream company are also really good reads. but then again this is all just the personal opinion of someone that's already totally taken by both of these authors.

i remember back in the days of SPC...you used to go to SPC too right?..there was a chatter by the name of...shit..what was her name...well i don't remember her screenname but her real name was lisa grant and she was from cincinnati, ohio...and i remember her telling me once that she found an amazing boyfriend and one of the major things they shared was a deep deep love for vonnegut...which i thought was amazing...so yeah..i've definitely been interested in him since then..but only barely finally getting around to him.

bret easton ellis - american psycho

:love:

i couldn't read Ellis for this reason, it was so distracting. I enjoyed the movie though.

I can totally understand that, I know a few people who feel the same way. At first I was a bit :erm: because of it all, but in the end it was so worth it.

phew...i'm glad you said that...graveflower was making me feel like i made a bad decision by purchasing infinite jest...but if you like it...your opinion holds more strength with me than graveflower's opinion so that's good...

concerning pynchon...i have v. already...actually it was my brother's...but i sorta took it...but for whatever reason i've just never gotten around to it. so you think v. is a good place to start then? i like how you said i would drown if i went straight into gravity's rainbow...which of course is the book i hear most about when it comes to pynchon. i've always been sort of curious about the crying of lot 49...especially since yo la tengo has a song titled the crying of lot g...which seems to be a pretty obvious nod to pynchon.

v. is pretty long and dense as well, so if i were you i'd read the crying of lot 49 first, just to see if you are going to dig pynchon's style or not.

phew...i'm glad you said that...graveflower was making me feel like i made a bad decision by purchasing infinite jest...but if you like it...your opinion holds more strength with me than graveflower's opinion so that's good...


fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuck you

fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuck you

yeah fuck you too. when i asked you about my mix you said you flat out hated it. i know there are songs on there you probably like...joanna newsom, final fantasy, and i forgot what else...but instead of saying something like "yeah it has some songs i like but overall i don't really like it" you were just completely shitty and wrote it off.
plus you've been an indirect dick to me recently several times on here. so yeah..fuck you.

v. is pretty long and dense as well, so if i were you i'd read the crying of lot 49 first, just to see if you are going to dig pynchon's style or not.

you know...i think you're right...i just vaguely remembered that i actually had started reading v. once and felt that way...i think i should hold off and wait to read the crying of lot 49 first. thanks.

holy shit spaced, i think i remember you from SPC

phew...i'm glad you said that...graveflower was making me feel like i made a bad decision by purchasing infinite jest...but if you like it...your opinion holds more strength with me than graveflower's opinion so that's good...

concerning pynchon...i have v. already...actually it was my brother's...but i sorta took it...but for whatever reason i've just never gotten around to it. so you think v. is a good place to start then? i like how you said i would drown if i went straight into gravity's rainbow...which of course is the book i hear most about when it comes to pynchon. i've always been sort of curious about the crying of lot 49...especially since yo la tengo has a song titled the crying of lot g...which seems to be a pretty obvious nod to pynchon.

:blush: TONY! hah. wallace is wonderful. he goes on some of the lengthiest tangents you will ever encounter but they're well worth the energy. if i can find his book i'll type out a short story for you soon if you'd like?

so pynchon...well i would say that since you have V there is no harm in taking a look at it. as someone previously said; lot 49 isn't as lengthy as V but it gives you solid exposure to pynchon's writing- which was my initial thought in posting it as a suggestion. be aware that any pynchon book you decide to pick up will be almost encyclopedic- full of esoteric references that will require some research if you choose to absorb it on that level.

here's a quick wiki:
[i]
Pynchon's second novel, The Crying of Lot 49, is also set in California. It was published in 1966, and won the Richard and Hilda Rosenthal Foundation Award. Although it is more concise and linear in its structure than Pynchon's other novels, its labyrinthine plot features an ancient, underground mail service known as "The Tristero" or "Trystero", a parody of a Jacobean revenge drama entitled The Courier's Tragedy, and a corporate conspiracy involving the bones of World War II American GIs being used as charcoal cigarette filters. It proposes a series of seemingly incredible interconnections between these and other similarly bizarre revelations that confront the novel's protagonist, Oedipa Maas. Like V., the novel contains a wealth of references to science and technology and to obscure historical events, and both books dwell upon the detritus of American society and culture. The Crying of Lot 49 also continues Pynchon's habit of composing parodic song lyrics and punning names, and referencing aspects of popular culture within his prose narrative. In particular, it incorporates several allusions to Nabokov's Lolita.


if you ultimately decide on picking V up, tony- this (http://www.hyperarts.com/pynchon/v/alpha/a.html) is a great reference site to help you along the way. let me know how it goes? i'm excited for you!

holy shit spaced, i think i remember you from SPC

what was your screename on SPC?

:blush: TONY! hah. wallace is wonderful. he goes on some of the lengthiest tangents you will ever encounter but they're well worth the energy. if i can find his book i'll type out a short story for you soon if you'd like?

so pynchon...well i would say that since you have V there is no harm in taking a look at it. as someone previously said; lot 49 isn't as lengthy as V but it gives you solid exposure to pynchon's writing- which was my initial thought in posting it as a suggestion. be aware that any pynchon book you decide to pick up will be almost encyclopedic- full of esoteric references that will require some research if you choose to absorb it on that level.

here's a quick wiki:
[i]
Pynchon's second novel, The Crying of Lot 49, is also set in California. It was published in 1966, and won the Richard and Hilda Rosenthal Foundation Award. Although it is more concise and linear in its structure than Pynchon's other novels, its labyrinthine plot features an ancient, underground mail service known as "The Tristero" or "Trystero", a parody of a Jacobean revenge drama entitled The Courier's Tragedy, and a corporate conspiracy involving the bones of World War II American GIs being used as charcoal cigarette filters. It proposes a series of seemingly incredible interconnections between these and other similarly bizarre revelations that confront the novel's protagonist, Oedipa Maas. Like V., the novel contains a wealth of references to science and technology and to obscure historical events, and both books dwell upon the detritus of American society and culture. The Crying of Lot 49 also continues Pynchon's habit of composing parodic song lyrics and punning names, and referencing aspects of popular culture within his prose narrative. In particular, it incorporates several allusions to Nabokov's Lolita.


if you ultimately decide on picking V up, tony- this (http://www.hyperarts.com/pynchon/v/alpha/a.html) is a great reference site to help you along the way. let me know how it goes? i'm excited for you!

i would love to read that short story if its not too much trouble to type it up. it's not online already somewhere maybe? it could save you the trouble of typing it up if someone has done it already. but wow...that description of pynchon's work...wow...i get the feeling that i'm going to spend more time looking up references and what they mean and where they come from than the time spent reading the novels themselves...which are probably going to take quite some time on their own.

thanks for the reference site! i'm pretty sure i'll definitely need it. i'll let you know which pynchon book i ultimately decide to start with and let you know when i finish reading it. i think that short story would probably be the best introduction...just as a sort of preparation for the rest of pynchons work.

:)

i've gone by AnkhRaid

i've gone by AnkhRaid

oh wow...yeah...i remember you.
and i just remembered lisa grant's username too....she was synthetase.

do you remember ripcord? i used to love him. i met him twice...things didn't work out.

i don't remember many people... someone named tristessa, someone named SIVA, someone named jellybelly, someone named the_boy, someone named apathy, someone named ruby, her twin sister was porcelina...

so in short, not much to remember them by except their pumpkins song nicknames.

i remember your name is tony from texas (i think) and you're gay and you love hum. that's why i could match you from your profile.

i haven't read everything by any of these authors [although with some of them i'm close]. i know you've already got your books but here are my recomendations incase you're interested. i'll stick to the authors i feel i can advise on properly. you should bear in mind that these are personal choices and recommendations; i'm not going to tell you what i think are the best books, more those that are a good start with the author. i've choosen those that are 1) relatively short 2) relatively easy going 3) pretty representative. that's not to say all of them are short or whatever, you get the idea...

j.d. salinger - catcher in the rye obviously although i guess you maybe had to read it at school. read it again for pleasure it's always a totally different experience when you do that

bret easton ellis - less than zero. his first book, not the best but easy going and short, it's also probably more applicable to your life than the others :<lol>D

margaret atwood - i've not read it myself but i'd go for the blind assassin

j.g. ballard - probably my favourite author. i'd go for high rise or cocaine nights as your first book. they're actually pretty similar stories. if you can get it easily go for cocaine nights first. i'd highly recommend not starting with anything pre-crash although i'd go for some of those later if you enjoy the later works. i like the crystal world a lot but i'd not suggest starting with it really.

at the moment i'm reading a spy in the house of love by anais nin, after that i've got three other books i brought to the states with me to pick from; one each by iain banks, j. g. ballard and ian mcewan.

Just read the last page of all their books to save yourself the effort.

i don't remember many people... someone named tristessa, someone named SIVA, someone named jellybelly, someone named the_boy, someone named apathy, someone named ruby, her twin sister was porcelina...

so in short, not much to remember them by except their pumpkins song nicknames.

i remember your name is tony from texas (i think) and you're gay and you love hum. that's why i could match you from your profile.

i remember Iha...do you remember her? and her boyfriend at one time...i can't remember his screen name...and of course pale_princess who used to post here too...and corduroy...who i also had a little fling with for awhile...sadsoma was amazing...god i miss her so much. and then there was fear factory's ex heather...i don't remember her name...but she was neat...she tried to get me into the posies.
i remember carry the zero...he was great...and thelonious...who was also great.
so many amazing people...i wonder what they're all up to these days.

and netphoria wouldn't be here if it wasn't for SPC...andrew told me once that he created this messageboard because he didn't like that he couldn't be at SPC all the time and hear and engage in pumpkins talk...

i haven't read everything by any of these authors [although with some of them i'm close]. i know you've already got your books but here are my recomendations incase you're interested. i'll stick to the authors i feel i can advise on properly. you should bear in mind that these are personal choices and recommendations; i'm not going to tell you what i think are the best books, more those that are a good start with the author. i've choosen those that are 1) relatively short 2) relatively easy going 3) pretty representative. that's not to say all of them are short or whatever, you get the idea...

j.d. salinger - catcher in the rye obviously although i guess you maybe had to read it at school. read it again for pleasure it's always a totally different experience when you do that

bret easton ellis - less than zero. his first book, not the best but easy going and short, it's also probably more applicable to your life than the others :<lol>D

margaret atwood - i've not read it myself but i'd go for the blind assassin

j.g. ballard - probably my favourite author. i'd go for high rise or cocaine nights as your first book. they're actually pretty similar stories. if you can get it easily go for cocaine nights first. i'd highly recommend not starting with anything pre-crash although i'd go for some of those later if you enjoy the later works. i like the crystal world a lot but i'd not suggest starting with it really.

at the moment i'm reading a spy in the house of love by anais nin, after that i've got three other books i brought to the states with me to pick from; one each by iain banks, j. g. ballard and ian mcewan.


very informative post...thank you so much...

yeah fuck you too. when i asked you about my mix you said you flat out hated it. i know there are songs on there you probably like...joanna newsom, final fantasy, and i forgot what else...but instead of saying something like "yeah it has some songs i like but overall i don't really like it" you were just completely shitty and wrote it off.
plus you've been an indirect dick to me recently several times on here. so yeah..fuck you.

get a load of this fuckin guy
lighten up