I’m making my summer reading list, and I’m really aggravated that all the “classic” novels out there have twisted bollywood-type storylines. You know the every day descriptions of how Mr. X had two extra-marital affairs which led to his wife’s suicide kind of crap.
I just spent a few hour on sparknotes dot com reading all the plot lines in the novels I haven’t read yet, and I am so fed up with all the bullcrap storylines out there. I’m all for a well-written novel, but the story line really should be interesting and something different.
Fantasy literature usually does the trick for me beacause the subject matter and the storylines are interesting. But most of the major fantasy novels, like Tolkien’s LOR series and Carol’s Alice in Wonderland series, and other such books I’ve already read. And there is a lot of fictional fantasy literature out there that is really terribly written.
And don’t recommend those darn harry potter shotter books to me. I want to have nothing to do with them.
I came across one - its more science fiction than fantasy of course - but the Handmaid’s Tale? Seems interesting.
hey PCG, i'l just give you the names of a few books that i have read recently and really enjoyed, you may wanna check them out, but i have a feeling you have probably read them already:
The Kite Runner- Khalid Hosseni - Its like this coming-of-age type of story, it has been one of my favourites
White Mughals- William Dalrymple- "Love and Betryal in Eighteenth century India" its a lot of heavy reading, very historic in content, none the less a great book
Kartography- Kamilla Shamsie- Based in Karachi, follows the lives of Karim and Raheen, i liked it, if my memory serves me right this is her third novel, but has been critically acclaimed, more so than her first two novel.
Read books by Gregory Macguire. He's re-written all the traditional fairy tales we grew up with in a very adult way, and tells the story from the point of view from the traditional 'bad guy'. I'm reading 'Wicked' right now which is the life story of the 'Wicked Witch' from the Wizard of Oz story. I never thought I would have such sympathy for the villain .... he makes it all very human. He also puts a very political slant on his version of the stories too ... and these books are not for kids, trust me. Give it a try.
My cousin and a friend also recommended The Handmaids Tale, i haven't read it myself but my cousin couldn't stop going on about it, i'm so bad, i need to make more time for reading and less time watching TV, i think i'm gonna go and start reading The Life of Pi by Yann Martel, its been gathering dust on my shelf.
The gate to women's country by Sherri Tepper
The time traveler's wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The fall of atlantis by Marion Zimmer-Bradly
The dark is rising Series
Heralds of Valdemar
The last Herald-mage series
I actually had the great privelege of someone taking me to see the broadway version of Wicked in NYC. After seeing it visually, I am in no mood to read the book. I like to use my own imagination when reading a book.
Sure am new and couldn’t agree with you more … nothing beats the power of imagination, which is why I love love love to read.
ooohh and I forget to add another fabulous book to the list above
mistress of spices by Chitra Divakaruni
lol … we might have to start an online book club.
BTW … I’ve enjoyed reading your posts … you come across as a very passionate, well spoken feminist. Good job.
I just got the Handmaid's tale, The Plague (not fantasy, really, but existential stuff which is fun to read), The Elegant Universe (scientific philosophy, again not fantasy), and one little fantasy book that I managed to sneak in the group...
Its called Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner. I read a bit of it, and its well-written. Like I said, its hard to find good fantasy literature that is well written and targeted for an adult audience. I just went to the library and I was highly frustrated once again, because there was very little aside from LOR in the adult section. Sure...make a movie of it and everyone wants to read it. So I had to go into the teen section where you'll find most fantasy books anyway. At any rate, I found this one book and its supposed to be targeted to adults (dunno why the idiots put it in the teen section, really).
