you can keep your shiny new books, give me the tired old trash ~

[lookingland]

last night i finally returned doctorow to the the library and got some fresh books. maybe now i can get back on track with the 50bookchallenge since i'm so far behind. i was going to get the first book of Kristin Lavransdatter, but i'm in the midst of getting my writing into high gear and i felt it would be better to read work closer to "home". so i got a book of stephen crane's Country Sketches which i have never read, a strange little old book by aline kilmer (who i suspect is better known as a poet) called Hunting a Hair-Shirt and other Spiritual Adventures (published 1923), and The Luck of Roaring Camp by bret harte.

i can only guess that bret harte isn't well known in the literary circles because i can't imagine otherwise how i got to be 34 years old without ever having read his work or having it recommended to me by someone ~ anyone! while he works in a more specifically "western" genre, he's a contemporary of twain and eggleston, just exactly the sort of regional writer i look for. he was also terrifically prolific (why o why did crane have to die so young!). if i actually like harte's work, i'll be busy for a long time.

amusing side note: harte has a story called "Tennessee's Partner". guess the name "Tennessee" wasn't all that uncommon in the 19th century after all.

i still feel a bit bad about The March, if only because i promised i would try to read a balance of contemporary authors in the mix this year. i'm just not predisposed to contemporary writers, clearly. a lot of it has to do with dominating contemporary themes (which i don't tend to find interesting), contemporary first-person introspective narratives (which i usually can't relate to), and modern settings (which i'd just as soon rather escape from).

that said, if anyone has any recommendations, feel free to make them. i am notoriously picky, but i'd like to know what other people are reading and enjoying. every blue moon i manage to crawl out of my carapace and read something out of the predictable genre/era, so you never know!

: D

Comments

Harte and Doctorow

[inkidink.livejournal.com]

Interesting --maybe because of where I'm located I'm familiar with Bret Harte both he and Twain are required reading here. Both he and Twain wrote stories about Calaveras county.

I think Twain's criticism of Harte's work may have influenced how Harte is remembered in the world which is too bad.

I gave "The March" a shot too and gave up so you won't be hearing any arguments from me. I kept saying "I should like this ..." but the truth were, I didn't --not at all.

I'm not doing the 50 book challenge but I did vow to attempt to read more FICTION and fiction outside my norm and that's been incredibly difficult. I'm trying to read a mystery now (reviewed very positively) and I'm having the toughest time with it.

I'm researching so I'm reading nonfiction and enjoying that but I long to find some fiction I can love.

If I manage to find something I like--I'll share (but don't hold your breath or anything ;-)

m.

P.S. I love Crane --he'd be fun to reread except that I promised myself I'd try to read something I haven't read fer pete's sake.

Re: Harte and Doctorow

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

i get from what i've read (or glanced at) that harte had few friends and twain's criticism of him basically quashed his career. i understand he wound up in europe in the end. apparently he was a bit of a social misfit.

i tell ya, you gotta read Montmorency. i guarantee you will love it or i will eat the hat of your choice.

: D

Re: Harte and Doctorow

[houseboatonstyx.livejournal.com]

Bret Harte did some very good stuff. "Tennessee's Partner" and such are right there with Kipling and Colette, or almost, imo.

For more on that period from someone who was in it, you might try Robert Service, if you don't mind rhymes and scans (similar to Kipling's). His most famous ones were the silly, but some of his poems portrayed quite serious aspects of why people went on the gold rush and went back on it later too.

Re: Harte and Doctorow

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

thanks for the reco ~ ! i'll check him out!

: D