October 11, 2020: Difference between revisions
From Gerald R. Lucas
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(Update. I needed to make a decision.) |
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The bookstore is bothering me. I have to submit my book orders for the spring, and my novel class is holding me up. Here are the shortish, contemporary American and British novels I’m considering so far. The ⭐️ed ones are probably on the syllabus. | The bookstore is bothering me. I have to submit my book orders for the spring, and my novel class is holding me up. Here are the shortish, contemporary American and British novels I’m considering so far. The ⭐️ed ones are probably on the syllabus. | ||
{{div col|colwidth=20em}} | {{div col|colwidth=20em}} | ||
* Atwood — ''[[w:The Handmaid’s Tale|The Handmaid’s Tale]]'' ⭐️ | * Atwood — ''[[w:The Handmaid’s Tale|The Handmaid’s Tale]]'' (1985) ⭐️ ✅ 💯 | ||
* Ballard — ''[[w:Crash (Ballard novel)|Crash]]'' ⭐️ | * Baldwin — ''[[w:Go Tell It on the Mountain (novel)|Go Tell It on the Mountain]]'' (1953) ✅ 💯 | ||
* Burgess — ''[[w:A Clockwork Orange (novel)|A Clockwork Orange]]'' | * Ballard — ''[[w:Crash (Ballard novel)|Crash]]'' (1973) ⭐️ | ||
* Butler — ''[[w:Kindred (novel)|Kindred]]'' | * Burgess — ''[[w:A Clockwork Orange (novel)|A Clockwork Orange]]'' (1962) | ||
* DeLillo — ''[[w:White Noise (novel)|White Noise]]'' | * Butler — ''[[w:Kindred (novel)|Kindred]]'' (1979) | ||
* DeLillo — ''[[w:White Noise (novel)|White Noise]]'' (1985) 💯 / ''[[w:Zero K (novel)|Zero K]]'' (2016) ✅ | |||
* | * Dick — ''[[w:Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?|Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?]]'' (1968) | ||
* Mailer — ''[[w:An American Dream (novel)|An American Dream]]'' ⭐️ | * Ishiguro — ''[[w:Never Let Me Go (novel)|Never Let Me Go]]'' (2005) ⭐️ ✅ 💯 | ||
* McCarthy — ''[[w:Blood Meridian|Blood Meridian]]''<ref>I just read this one, and I’d like to do more work on it.</ref> | * Mailer — ''[[w:An American Dream (novel)|An American Dream]]'' (1965) ⭐️ ✅ 💯 | ||
* Morrison — ''[[w:The Bluest Eye|The Bluest Eye]] ⭐️ | * McCarthy — ''[[w:Blood Meridian|Blood Meridian]]''<ref>I just read this one, and I’d like to do more work on it.</ref> (1985) ✅ | ||
* Pynchon — ''[[w:The Crying of Lot 49|The Crying of Lot 49]] | * Morrison — ''[[w:The Bluest Eye|The Bluest Eye]]'' (1970) ⭐️ ✅ 💯 | ||
* Robinson — ''[[w:Housekeeping (novel)|Housekeeping]]'' | * Pynchon — ''[[w:The Crying of Lot 49|The Crying of Lot 49]]'' (1965) | ||
* Roth — ''[[w:American Pastoral|American Pastoral]]'' | * Robinson — ''[[w:Housekeeping (novel)|Housekeeping]]'' (1980) | ||
* Vonnegut — ''[[w:Slaughterhouse-Five|Slaughterhouse-Five]]''<ref>I’m currently reading this one, and it’s great.</ref> ⭐️ | * Roth — ''[[w:American Pastoral|American Pastoral]]'' (1997) ✅ | ||
* Tiptree — ''[[w:Houston, Houston, Do You Read?|Houston]]'' (1976, novella) ✅ 💯 | |||
* Vonnegut — ''[[w:Slaughterhouse-Five|Slaughterhouse-Five]]''<ref>I’m currently reading this one, and it’s great.</ref> (1969) ⭐️ ✅ 💯 | |||
{{div col end}} | {{div col end}} | ||
I know: most are white men. I figure I can get in seven or eight novels. I guess it would help if I had a focus tighter than “the novel in English after WWII.” | I know: most are white men. I figure I can get in seven or eight novels. I guess it would help if I had a focus tighter than “the novel in English after WWII.” | ||
{{font|font=Alegreya Sans SC|Update}}: How about “'''The Mythology of the New West'''” as a loose theme? What are the narratives that attempt to define us as a collective after World War II? What is the role of religion, capitalism, race, gender, human rights, etc.—and what forces are aligned against them? The second round choices have a ✅. If I keep it to one novel per decade, I can probably come up with a manageable list. I’m going to have to make some hard choices. | |||
{{font|font=Alegreya Sans SC|Update 2}}: 💯 indicates a final selection. | |||
{{Notes}} | {{Notes}} | ||
{{2020}} | {{2020}} | ||
Latest revision as of 13:55, 14 October 2020
Novel Considerations covid-19: day 204 | US: GA | info | act
The bookstore is bothering me. I have to submit my book orders for the spring, and my novel class is holding me up. Here are the shortish, contemporary American and British novels I’m considering so far. The ⭐️ed ones are probably on the syllabus.
- Atwood — The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) ⭐️ ✅ 💯
- Baldwin — Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953) ✅ 💯
- Ballard — Crash (1973) ⭐️
- Burgess — A Clockwork Orange (1962)
- Butler — Kindred (1979)
- DeLillo — White Noise (1985) 💯 / Zero K (2016) ✅
- Dick — Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968)
- Ishiguro — Never Let Me Go (2005) ⭐️ ✅ 💯
- Mailer — An American Dream (1965) ⭐️ ✅ 💯
- McCarthy — Blood Meridian[1] (1985) ✅
- Morrison — The Bluest Eye (1970) ⭐️ ✅ 💯
- Pynchon — The Crying of Lot 49 (1965)
- Robinson — Housekeeping (1980)
- Roth — American Pastoral (1997) ✅
- Tiptree — Houston (1976, novella) ✅ 💯
- Vonnegut — Slaughterhouse-Five[2] (1969) ⭐️ ✅ 💯
I know: most are white men. I figure I can get in seven or eight novels. I guess it would help if I had a focus tighter than “the novel in English after WWII.”
Update: How about “The Mythology of the New West” as a loose theme? What are the narratives that attempt to define us as a collective after World War II? What is the role of religion, capitalism, race, gender, human rights, etc.—and what forces are aligned against them? The second round choices have a ✅. If I keep it to one novel per decade, I can probably come up with a manageable list. I’m going to have to make some hard choices.
Update 2: 💯 indicates a final selection.
notes
