My Favorite Writers
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2019
- Not Quite:
1) Elena Ferrante
2) Ali Smith
3) Alice Munro
4) J.D. Salinger
5) Jonathan Safran Foer
6) Joan Didion
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Favorites:
1) Virginia Woolf
2) Jane Austen
3) Marilynne Robinson
4) Annie Dillard
5) Mary Karr
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Maybe?
1) John McGahern
2) Leo Tolstoy
3) E.M. Forster
4) Anne Carson
This was absolutely lovely!
A story from Public Library that's really stuck with me is when the narrator is on the phone with the doctor discussing how a tree is growing out of her/his chest. Something about the mental zone the narrator fades into feels so resonant about the way we can become detatched from the business and busyness of daily life.
Let's make placards that read "Give Virginia Woolf a Chance!"
I need to get to reading Anne Carson.
Eric Karl Anderson one of the better ones, I’d say!
And yes let’s !
Placards bur also t-shirts
you are so calming!!! reading for leisure was one of my recent quarantine realizations as something I wanted to commit my time to and I'm so glad I stumbled upon you... also, that best coast above you!!!!!!!! love them
Thank you! Haha and yes it's Best Coast! One of my favorite artists to listen to in the summer especially
I'm loving watching these videos at the moment. I might have to do my own version! You've got me excited to read some Ferrante, and more Woolf.
Oh please do!! Would love to hear about your picks
Oh wow this video is a treat❤
Videos like these are half the reason I watch BookTube.
I am determined to begin my love of Ferrante, Robinson, and Dillard this year. I think you have convinced me on Karr. Very enjoyable video.
all D books yes!!! Thanks Doris 😌
Oh my god you're the first person I heard talk about Extremely loud! I read it years ago and it's one of my all time favourite books! (Partly due to nostalgia)
it's one of the reasons I ever got into reading!! Eternally grateful
Me too! The letters by the grandparents are ❤️❤️
You are becoming one of my fav booktubers
I stumbled upon your channel by grace and I found peace when you mentioned Woolf. 💝
Woolf is one of my favorite reading experiences for sure
We have very similar taste! New subscriber here! 🤗
The first Virginia Woolf I read was To The Lighthouse just because it was the one available at my library and absolutely loved it, then Mrs. Dalloway and A Room of One’s Own but I don’t want to rush and read everything by her because that happened to me with Austen where I was immediately obsessed and had to read everything by her at once: I kind of want to prolong my journey with her if that makes any sense 😆
Thanks for subscribing! Haha I can empathize with being a fellow binge reading Austen admirer! Woolf is indeed another all-consuming author, she often has her books talking to each other, I think. I hope you enjoy the ride with her too!
Love this video Alex and I think I could have guessed a lot of these. What I admire is that you are clearly someone who finds an author they like and dives into them, you’ve read all Austen in a year or so, is that right? Apart from Pride and Prejudice, I haven’t reread any of the others and I read them twenty five years ago 😂. I also tend to always want to read a new to me author instead of one I’ve read before although I have read, and love, most of Woolf and several E.M. Forster, next year I hope to change that.
Jo Smith it’s so funny because last year, when I read Woolf for the first time, I thought, “well...ok! That’s it! Literature has peaked!” Then Austen happened! So, I wonder who will fall prey to being my favorite author come this time next year!
Interesting way of doing a favourites video! I've not read any of your "not quite" authors (except one Foer years ago which I barely remember). I've just got Night and Day by Virginia Woolf, looking forwards to reading that! it's not one of her big hits, so I'm not expecting to be blown away by it, but she's definitely an author I want to discover more. Jane Austen is a favourite of mine too. Love her work. E.M. Forster is another favourite. Howards End and Maurice in particular are amazing, but I've enjoyed all of his novels so far. Only have A Passage to India left to read which makes me sad.
Spinster's Library Thanks Claudia! I’m so excited to begin Woolf’s backlist, I think Jacob’s Room strikes my interest most at the moment, although Night and Day sounds just as interesting. While neither appear as frequently as a part of her canonical work, I think it’ll be so fun to see how Woolf has evolved and flexed her writing in her less popular work, maybe I’ll be able to assess just exactly what I love about her fiction better that her nonfiction has already illuminated me on.
I plan to read Forster’s A Room With A View soon! So hearing your enjoyment of it is reassuring!
Hi new subscriber here. I've read all of Mary Karr's books and she is a truly magnificent memoirist. I write Memoir and her book the art of memoir was the most helpful book on writing I've encountered. Aloha
Very interesting to get this look into your literary pantheon, Alex! Anne Carson sounds like she'd be right up my alley. And since I respect your literary judgment, I may even give Mary Karr a try.
Weird Book Book Club oh yes Carson!! I definitely see you enjoying her work. And yes always in need of more Karr love !
Enjoyed this video. I need to read Robinson. From what you and others have described, I think I’d really enjoy her novels. Forster is definitely in my top author list
Lisa Leahigh I hope you do! I know I spotlight Housekeeping, but I’d actually recommend starting with Gilead-maybe-also just as a way to inch closer to getting to read the amazing Home!
So good! I started reading Ali Smith because of your reviews but I started at Public Library and put it down. Will try again!
thepearlreview haha what a draw! I think she’s much better at stretching her ideas than containing them in stories. I think with Public Library it sort of got lulled too much into the library theme for me but it’s still a fun collection!
If you’re still looking for a start I think The Accidental would be a good start! Reading it now and I think it’s very balanced
@@whatpageareyouon Thanks for the suggestion!
amazing appreciation of great literature...wonderful book reviews
thank you!
Great list! I agree with a lot of your choices, but I'm much more positive towards Public library ;) Listened to it on audio though, and Ali Smith narrates it beautifully herself so maybe that swayed me a bit. Was planning to start Autobiography of red later today, so I'm excited that you mentioned it here. And interested to check out Mary Karr!
biolameieri she does???? I ought to give it a second go-round if she narrates! And what timing! I hope you enjoy Carson 😌 but enjoy Karr more! 😎
You have convinced me to continue with Ferrente. I love Ali Smith. I have GOT to get some Alice Munro. I just picked up Blue Nights at a recent library sale. Time to reread the Woolf on my shelves. Soooo many books, soooo little time!
So little time indeed! I hope you enjoy Ferrante in the end, and what a nice find of Blue Nights!
Great video as always! I love Anne Carson too and was hoping you'd speak about her eventually because of how many times I've seen Float in the background of your videos. If you haven't read it, her long poem The Glass Essay is easy to find online and is probably my favourite of any of her works. It's a really amazing, form-bending poem about selfhood and the work of Emily Brontë. I'd love to hear what you think of it!
Jack the Bibliophile thank you Jack! I have yet to read that one, but I think I have heard it referenced in passing amidst Carson’s presentations online I’ve seen/heard-but I never knew about the Emily Bronte part!! How interesting! I’ll catch up to speed and read it soon. Would love to see another update/video from you soon on how your reading’s going!
@@whatpageareyouon Literally the second the semester is over I'll hopefully start making videos properly again. Just can't manage my time well enough to squeeze them in at the moment. But not long now till everything's finished for the year!
Great video, Alex! I would love to do this someday. Upon reflection, I have realised that I'm still in the process of working out who my favourite writers are. There are only a few whose work I love and have read enough of to form a well-rounded opinion. I tend to jump around a lot to sample the greatest variety possible. I think I really need to settle down! That being said, I'd happily include Ali Smith, Elena Ferrante in my list at this time. Virginia Woolf as well, perhaps - but I disliked the last novel of hers that I read. I'll have to get to Public Library soon. The fact that you didn't really warm to it has me intrigued. You've also reminded me to read E.M. Forster. I studied the 1984 film adaptation of A Passage to India in high school and loved it.
The Serial Reader I think it’ll be funny when I look back on this video in 4 years or so-doubling my intensive reading life span I’ve had so far. Happy to Smith and Ferrante would make the cut! And what Woolf was it???? Hopefully not Jacob’s Room...reading it now! And I plan to read Passage to India by the end of the year ! Happy to hear you loved the film version, at least!
@@whatpageareyouon I haven't yet read Jacob's Room, so you're safe! I didn't like the Waves very much at all, which I was disappointed about after having loved Mrs Dalloway and To the Lighthouse. Maybe I just read it at the wrong time?
Such a lovely chat, and I love many of your choices. Hmm, I think Forster might work for Mel's Gone with the Book readathon/event. I really want to check out Anne Carson. Weirdly, the only Karr I have read is her book on memoir writing. I'm drawn to Lit among the memoirs. Thanks for sharing the love,
Marian Ryan Lit is certainly her best intro to her memoirs, I’d say! It’s like a good hybrid of her tone from Art of Memoir while retaining the sort of personal narrative creative nonfiction style from Liars Club especially !
I share your love for Marilynne Robinson's writing and I like most of the writers you mention in your video. Haven't said that, I still haven't read Ferrante even though I've owned a copy of My Brilliant Friend for years.
Bookish Islander it’s so easy to binge read the Neapolitan Novels because of the drama™️ but there’s just something so...transcendent(?) about how it made me feel like I was reincarnated from this story in a past life...not to be dramatic lol
whatpageareyouon I’m really intrigued now hahah. I should get to it soon, then!
I love John McGahern! 💕 I haven’t read Amongst Women yet, but I loved The Barracks and By the Lake. Sadly, he seems to be one of those authors that isn’t talked about much on BookTube, so I’m very glad he made your list!
Sharon Goforth yes!!! McGahern is our man, hopefully booktube will catch up eventually!
I loved this video, as an Irish woman I'm so glad to see McGahern's work has travelled. (his surname is pronounced with two syllables btw - like Gaah-hern! :) ) Austen, Woolf and Forster would definitely be on my list ... have you read any Elizabeth Strout? I think you might enjoy Olive Kitteridge based on on this list.
I have read Strout! Both Olive Kitteridge and My Name is Lucy Barton, which I preferred the latter. I want to read the sequel to Olive Kitteridge that just came out too, have you read it, or plan to?
This is a great way to think about the writers in your reading life.
an enthusiastic reader a very wholesome practice! And I was thinking at the same time what, possibly, fellow booktubers would pick for their answers here! For example, Carol Shields gets some sort spot among your options here, I bet???? Steve made this into a tag of sorts so I’d love your rendition of these kind of thoughts on favorite books Sonya!
What a nice video for me to come home to after lecturing to a class for the first time!
Can you bundle some of your love for Austen up in a box and ship it to Iowa so I can take it and use it to actually finish Emma? 😭
Virginia Woolf! Mary Karr! Marilynne Robinson! Some of my favorites too! Is Karr really not popular on BookTube? I guess because Ashley of climbthestacks always used to talk about her, I assumed that she was popular 😅. I do love how her memoirs kind of come full circle, with Lit telling the story of how she wrote The Liars’ Club. I think Lit is actually my favorite, because it’s about how she became a writer and about her own mental health struggles.
Totally Pretentious Professor Lukas!! And haha so funny actually, when I talked about Karr here I thought “Lukas I’d probably the only one who will get this b/c of Ashley’s channel.” And did you not notice Emma oh so conveniently not being held up with the Austen stack???? I forgive Austen for that misstep of a book!
Oh it’s SO validating to hear that you don’t like Emma, too! 🤣
I agree about Salinger's stories and I liked _Franny and Zooey_ much more than _Catcher in the Rye_ .
Love your choice of authors.
Bookish Thank you Brian. It’s funny because when I thought of the Favorites part I started to wonder what other booktubers would put as their favorites, and I thought of you and Balzac (maybe??)
Steve made this concept into a tag and I’d love to see your answers for this! Maybe sneak in there some more Salinger love so booktube will flock to his little literary powerhouses, perhaps?? 📚
@@whatpageareyouon I loved Franny and Zooey so much! far more than Catcher in the Rye.
I'm a bit behind on reading in general (I've not read War and Peace or Jane Austen besides P&P and S&S or any Virginia Woolf) but so far I've loved your recommendations, particularly Alice Munro and JL Carr. I'm in the middle of reading EM Forster and I love him so far. I read his Wikipedia page and he was a very interesting person; ahead of his time. Btw it's really fun to watch how you've become such a Jane Austen stan haha
Erica I’m happy to hear it! And yes, Forster was fascinating, especially understanding how Maurice came to be after his death, and his and Woolf’s friendship and book/writing club! Endlessly endearing. If only Jane could have gotten into the mix!! : )
@@whatpageareyouon I can't imagine the power if all three of them got together 🔥
We like almost the same authors! That's great :)
I am from Brazil. Have you ever tried to read some of our literature?
I am enjoying to watch your videos!
Hugs,
B.
I've read Clarice Lispector's Near to The Wild Heart! But I'd love to read much more.
Thanks for watching! : )
Wow, I just discovered your channel tho I have been around BT for a while. You sound so incredibly learned and well spoken! What age are you (like 12?). Be seeing more of you soon!🙋♀️❤️📚
PEG the BOOK PRIZE ADDICT haha thank you Peg! Just multiply by 2 then +1 and that’s me 😎
ugh to the lighthouse is so good!!! have you read night and day by woolf? i think my first woolf was a room of one's own which i didnt particularly like but then i read the waves and i thought that was so wonderful!! i rly wanna get to pilgrim on tinker creek soon :) forster is one of my fave writers :) i'm hoping to read all of his work by the end of this year (i have like 3 to go i think!)
I haven’t read that one yet! I’m reading Jacob’s Room right now, but I’ll give that one a go next!
@@whatpageareyouon oh i havent read that one yet i'm looking forward to it!
virginia Woolf and Austen are both veeery high on my TBR. and teaching a stone to talk is the book that recently got me writing again. So good. The beginning and end of Pilgrim at tinker creek to me is great too, but everything in the middle was lowkey a slog
i think i only have time (/energy) to tackle one tolstoy this year, which would you recommend?
bookishfawn I’d say Anna Karenina!
Ugh I loathe Anna Karenina. 😞
You've been here two years??? Dang I missed out for a while. Please read Here I Am by JSF. It blows my mind everytime I remember that Everything is Illuminated is a debut novel and he wrote it on his early 20s. What the heck. I would have him and Zadie Smith in my list for the same reason, astonishing debuts and sustained awesomeness😁
I think you've convinced me on Mary Karr, but for me, November is for novellas, not non fiction. Unpopular opinion, I know.
Laura Frey two years as of November! But nearly five years as a booktube lurker 😶 it’ll feel crazy when my video-making/content creator association of booktube eventually lasts longer than my fond lurking days.
ah yes Novellas in November! I read a Month in the Country last year to honor it, now that I think about it, Troubling Love by Ferrante would make an acceptable selection for me to read it for this year!
I feel TRIGGERED to make my own version of this video! TRIGGERED!
Steve Donoghue this was initially going to be an original tag video because of the categories but I didn’t know how to frame it just right into questions/a catchy title lol so do it!!!!
I really enjoyed Jonathan Safran Foer!
Love Mary Karr. My all time favorite is Philip Roth. His powers of observation are beyond compare.
Joni Heisenberg I have yet to check him out! Coming from a fellow Karr lover, I’ll have to investigate for sure
Thank you for responding to my comment. “ American Pastoral” is in my opinion his masterpiece. I would not recommend starting with it though. Based on reflection, I think “ The Human Stain” or “ The Plot Against America” are both timely and have an autobiographical voice from the narrator you may enjoy, based on your appreciation of Mary Karr. Would love to see a review after your choice from his collection.
You’ve just persuaded me to try reading the books of Virginia Woolf.
Wonderful! : )
whatpageareyouon thank you!!! :)
I have to say I prefer Elena Ferrante's shorter fiction to the longer books. While reading her Neopolitan quartet, I sometimes felt her writing was treading water. I'm not sure the voice of the first person narrator was able to sustain such a long work. I absolutely worship "To the Lighthouse" and "Persuasion." I recently read "Gilead" and "Home" and was terribly (and surprisingly) moved by both. "Anna Karenina " blew me away. I really enjoy E.M.Forster. I think his best is probably "A Passage to India." "Howard's End" is fascinating, but also flawed in its depiction of the male-female relationships.
If you like simple but deep prose, I would recommend three books that I have read in the last year and I gave an A+ rating to:
White Mule by William Carlos Williams
My home is far away by Dawn Powell
The women of Brewster place by Gloria Naylor
Seldom Played thank you!! Definitely noted, I haven’t heard of any of these writers either. New potential favorites, hopefully!
Tolstoy’s short stories are brilliant.. Tolstoy writes in a different style in all his stories. He does not repeat himself both in plot and style.
I really want to try Elena Ferrante again because I didn't really like My Brilliant Friend so I figured she wasn't for me! Same with Virginia Woolf, I couldn't get into Mrs Dalloway but I read A Room of One's Own last month and really liked that. I don't think I could make a favourite author video because I tend to only like one or two books from an author, Margaret Atwood and Jane Austen excepted of course! Aside from those two my favourites are all children's authors haha
Lucy Rutherford the first Ferrante book is always the hurdle!!! It gets so amazing after MBF. I was actually nearly turned off of Woolf when I read Mrs Dalloway first by her...I just, didn’t get the hype. I reread it some time earlier this year and now that I feel like I know her better and have read more of her work, it was so much more rewarding! Although I feel like that’s a lot to ask from a reader to get to a writer’s breadth of work..hmm.
Oh, Atwood! Please recommend me another from her besides Handmaid’s Tale...I finished it a few days ago and just found it..O.K.!
@@whatpageareyouon I definitely would recommend The Robber Bride and Alias Grace as my two favourites of hers!
Jonathan Safran Foer is an autobuy writer for me. I may not love all of his books, but I still will read them all :)
I have problems defining favorites but Terry Pratchett has the number one spot, but that's just because I read him my whole life basically.
1book1review I have yet to read Here I Am by Foer, which I hear is maybe his least strongest work?? Nonetheless, I just love his two fiction here so much that I’m willing to look past it ! : )
@@whatpageareyouon It doesn't live up to the expectations and has some moments that could've been edited out, but I think you can still find him in it and enjoy the rest. Curious to see what he'll write next.
Somehow I still haven't read any Marilynne Robinson. Some day...
Barter Hordes ohhh, I think you’d really like getting sucked into Gilead Robert!
Ali Smith, Ferrante, and Marilynne Robinson are definitely 3 of my faves. Gilead is the book I always give as a gift to everyone. And I'm totally with you, I'd take Franny and Zooey over Catcher in the Rye any day.
I just took a peek at your channel and it sounds like we have a lot of similar tastes! : )
@@whatpageareyouon I know! Excited to keep watching your videos! 💚
Why are our tastes so similar??????? Give me back me personality.
Would you mind, could I do this as a tag?
Wilsonn Shugart you know what every interaction I have with you I immediately orient myself as a protagonist in a Jane Austen novel so! I’ll say, do it! But also, I’ll believe it when I see it !!! 😘
I love so much also Virginia Woolf and Joan Didion, in Brazil some of their titles are a very hard find. You have You read any book by a brazilian write? Clarice Lispector and Machado de Assis are wonderful writers. If you find it try to read.
My favorite writters beyond Viriginia and Joan Didion are Clarice Lispector, Hermann Hesse, Mia Couto and Patti Smith
I've read Lispector! I really liked Near to the Wild Heart. What do you recommend I read next by her?
@@whatpageareyouon I recommed The Passion According to G.H. (my preferred) and The Hour of the Star.