Authors Whose Works I've Vowed Never to Read
- Jane Hamilton
- Toni Morrison
- Jacqueline Mitchard
- Kaye Gibbons
- Maya Angelou
- Wally Lamb
- Ursula Hegi
- Anna Quindlen
- Alice Hoffman
- Manette Ansay
- Janet Fitch
- Anita Shreve
- Bret Lott
- Isabel Allende
- John Irving
What do all of these authors have in common? OPRAH. With the exception, I think, of John Irving all of these authors have had books featured on Oprah's Book Club. I do admit, I occasionally watch her show, but she tends to aggravate me with her spirit segment and holier than thou attitude. You may be thinking I am closing myself off to some of the best Literature, but as I see it, there is a wide array of excellent Lit that does not include the aforesaid authors. I choose not to read John Irving simply because I don't agree with many of his ideas. Now I realize there are many Oprah and Irving lovers out there and my intention is not to belittle or insult anyone's taste in books. It is just one of my many screwy hangups. Is there anyone out there with similar ideas as mine or am I the only one?
What ideas of John Irvings do you not agree with. I always feel that he is talking about the holiness of everyday life, regardless of the themes he picks? How do you know about his ideas unless you've read him? I have to admit he is a top, top favorite author of mine, and I love the way he uses homor to get at really deep issues. I don't mean to sound horrified.. Just a note, give him a try! I can see what you mean about the annoyingness of oOprah, but the older I get, the more she seems to be trying to do a good thing to help people. Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, and Alice Hoffman have written very nice things that I read independantly of Oprah.
Also, I boycotted John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway for a long time, because I didn't like the first thing I read by him (The Red Pony and Old Man and the Sea), and it took me about 12 years to realize that they were classic authors who had good things to say.
What you said is true, I don't know much about Irving's ideas, except for one, and I won't comment on that. But I will tell you what I almost did, but didn't do. I'll start at the beginning. I'm having dinner and all through out your words are running through my head and the lemon chicken is doing a number on my ulcer (it's not been diagnosed as such but I'm convinced I have an ulcer.) So I take out a pen and crazily start writing out a retort to your post. (The whole time my boyfriend's looking at me as if I've lost my head, but he doesn't bother to ask anymore.)And I believe I've come up with a firm argument. On the drive home I decide I want to stop at Half-Prcie Books. We pull into the parking lot and I run straight for the I section. There he is, Irving, quite a few copies of some of his books. I'm tempted to buy one, but my rational self tells me 4 dollars is too much money to pay for an author I said I'd never read. I leave empty handed, promising to go to the library and check something of his out, tossing my napkin with the discourse into the nearest trash can. I'm not recalcitrant you see, now I just have to convince myself that I'm staunch in my beliefs. So Nadine, which book do you suggest I start my journey into the world of Irving off with? My only qualm is that I may enjoy what he has to say.
Oh by the way, I rather enjoyed Steinbeck's The Red Pony.
I hazard to guess that you would enjoy "A Prayer for Owen Meany " or "The World According to Garp" the best. They are sometimes difficult, Dickens-like reading, but he tells a good story. If you feel you may be offended by incest, then I would stay away from "Hotel New Hampshire." Widow for One year is his newest, and I think the most accesible. I always think that what people find offensive or troubling about John Irving is not his themes, but how he uses everyday actions that people don't agree with (adultery, incest, abortion), to show us that life is holy... I'm interested in if you perhaps refuse to read Tom Robbins as well. John Irving is a much better and much differant writer, but Tom Robbins seems to me to have similar ideas, and uses them in such a way that it could be much more tempting to want to boycott him.
Sorry about the spelling, I have a degree in English, but I can't spell without spellcheck.
Also, I didn't mean in anyway to sound picky or to challenge your beliefs, its just that I feel strongly that if one is a serious reader and a serious student of life, its sometimes those books that we don't agree with that make us grow. Its wonderful to read a book where everything agrees with our worldview, and we just want to shout Yes, someone thinks the same as I do; but it makes us grow more to challenge our own beliefs. I guess that means I need to start reading something by...I don't know, whom do you suggest?
I have seen many a good review for Garp, so I think I will try that. Half-Price actually had it in stock but their copy had Robin Williams on the cover and (another hangup of mine, LOL) I don't like to buy books with actors on the covers.
I haven't heard much about Tom Robbins himself, but I hear he has many good books, none of which I have read. I was tempted to buy (oh I forgot the name I should have looked it up before I posted) one of his books by the name of Cowgirl something or other (Even Cogirls Get the Blues?), but I was turned off by the cover. Then I decided to buy Jitterbug Perfume and Skinny Legs and All, but I haven't yet.
You know, I somehow knew that I would sooner or later read something by John Irving, it was pretty much inevitable. I'll let you know how things work out with that.
I would suggest you read Bus 9 to Paradise by Leo Buscaglia. I came across this book a couple of years ago and I am a better person because of it. I recommend this book to everyone who comes my way, especially if, as you say, one is a serious student of life. After I read his book I wrote Mr. Buscaglia a long letter telling him how enlightened I was and thanking him for it.....a few days later I was on-line and I found out he passed away in 1997. Such a shame that the world had to lose such a loving man. Now, I have a collection of about six of his books.
In my previous post I said I was going to read The World According to Garp by John Irving, but I have not yet gotten around to it. Instead, I read a book by a different author on this list. I read She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. I had heard so much about how he was able to capture the full essence of a female, and I was curious. I cried (a little), I laughed, I got angry. By the time I finished reading the book, my emotions were totally off whack (wack?). One note of advice: DO NOT read this if you're on your way to a new university, where you'll be living on campus. I read this a week before I started a new semester at a new University and I was scared out of my mind. LOL. I was afraid of meeting my future roommate and when the cleaning lady (janitress?) smiled at me I got freaked out. LOL. But I'm ok now.
So I guess I can remove Wally Lamb from this list.
I agree that not all of these authors are worthy just because they were featured on Oprah. Oprah is a woman (as am I) and she has decidedly feminine tastes. Her own Horatio Alger life is reflected in the books she enjoys. Just because she endorses them doesn't mean they are worthwhile for everyone else. I guess that is the beauty of books, we can find pieces of ourself and our life in countless books. Essentially, what I am saying is it seems to me that people I know that didn't like to read before have now become interested in reading because of the Oprah book clubs and that is a wonderful thing. Oprah books may not be the best in the world but at least it is more high brow than a lot of the trash out there. I think anything is valuable if it gets people in the library and the book stores.