What are you reading now?

[smittims]

If you think American writers are too wordy you might try William Carlos Williams

[DracoM]

Susan Hill - novel starring her central detective character Simon Serrailler

[Petrushka]

If you think American writers are too wordy you might try William Carlos Williams

I mostly avoid American writers, though F. Scott Fitzgerald and some Hemingway are exceptions. There's just too much to read and lines have to be drawn somewhere.

[smittims]

Come now, Petrushka! Hawthorne and Wharton (do you count James as American? ) are noticeably more concise than Dickens and Thackeray (fine though they are ).

[LMcD]

Susan Hill - novel starring her central detective character Simon Serrailler

I'm currently working my way through the excellent Simon Serraiiler books - next up is 'Hero'

[Ian Thumwood]

I have read quite a few American writers but The Great Circle was too pleased with itself. I quite enjoyed the recent Underground Railroad even if the first quarter of the book was a struggle. The last 75 per cent was pretty good.

Like Petrushka, I have made a conscious effort to avoid American books. Gatsby struck me as over rated but it is writers trying to be too hip that frustrate me. Trashy stuff like Tom Clancy is another style I avoid. If I am.reading English books, I feel author's from UK are more nuanced and the writing is wittier. Some writers are irritating such ax Rose Tremaine but I would say that Anerican novelists are likely to be the ones I fund the most annoying.

I would add that I do like non English writers and have recently really enjoyed the Argentine writer Claudia Pineiro. The writer Jose Rizal also made an impression on me as have a host of French writers in the past.

I do wonder what American readers would make of some British authors. I think a writer like James Herriot would be a challenge because of the writing in dialect. It would be perplexing if you did not appreciate the world he described. Can't see Kate Atkinson appealing over the pond either as her use of dialogue is infused with a very British sense of humour and is often quite cynical. I think British writers like to allude to things whereas American writers are less subtle.

I would also say I have no issue with reading books by female authors whatsoever. I like a female perspective

[LMcD]

I have read quite a few American writers but The Great Circle was too pleased with itself. I quite enjoyed the recent Underground Railroad even if the first quarter of the book was a struggle. The last 75 per cent was pretty good.

Like Petrushka, I have made a conscious effort to avoid American books. Gatsby struck me as over rated but it is writers trying to be too hip that frustrate me. Trashy stuff like Tom Clancy is another style I avoid. If I am.reading English books, I feel author's from UK are more nuanced and the writing is wittier. Some writers are irritating such ax Rose Tremaine but I would say that Anerican novelists are likely to be the ones I fund the most annoying.

I would add that I do like non English writers and have recently really enjoyed the Argentine writer Claudia Pineiro. The writer Jose Rizal also made an impression on me as have a host of French writers in the past.

I do wonder what American readers would make of some British authors. I think a writer like James Herriot would be a challenge because of the writing in dialect. It would be perplexing if you did not appreciate the world he described. Can't see Kate Atkinson appealing over the pond either as her use of dialogue is infused with a very British sense of humour and is often quite cynical. I think British writers like to allude to things whereas American writers are less subtle.

I would also say I have no issue with reading books by female authors whatsoever. I like a female perspective

My favourite authors include the following North Americans:
Margaret Atwood
Fannie Flagg
Barbara Kingsolver
Alison Lurie
Alison Munro
Ann Pratchett
Carol Shields
Anne Tyler

At the moment, I'm reading Graham Norton's 'Home Stretch'.

[smittims]

I was interested in Ian's remark about books by female writers. Naturally these vary enormously from author to author, and I wouldn't want to draw a generalisation any more than with male authors. However ,there has been in recent years a development which I dislike.

Many new novels are written by women specifically for women to read, on the sound commercial basis that women buy a lot of new novels to read by themselves. While it's natural to make these books appealing to women, the 'new feminism' has led in some cases to what strikes me as very anti-male sexism: books which give a very false view of the world and the relationships between men and women. Typically, all the strong enduring characters are women, all the men are ineffective, whinging wimps or selfish deceivers. While this may be put forward as encouraging or 'empowering' female readers , I think it actually exploits them by feeding them a lie they will swallow eagerly.

The finest female novelists have always written well for both male and female readers: George Sand, Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf , and I would add a personal favourite, Pamela Hansford Johnson. .