Does the world need more novels?

[Marmora Man]

I have some time on my hands at present but find little to interest me in recently published novels. History books, memoirs and biographies are fine - but the average novel doesn't engage. Yet, at the same time, there's an explosion of writing courses, awards for young novelists and graduate courses in writing.

I find myself increasingly going back ton the classics - read or unread for my comfort reading.

So - does the world need another young novelist?

[????]

Me too MM, almost stopped reading novels and go back to a couple of classics per holiday - other than that history or 'wackier' end of business Freakenomics etc but I have a long list of reccoms from forumites to get through after a similar thread. I'll dig out the thread if you want?

PS Won't be reading Dylan Jones on Cameron though :))

[dukesdenver]

I could live without the modern stuff (with a few exceptions). Would recommend some of the early/mid 20th century authors who have gone out of fashion like Nevil Shute, plus you get the fun of hunting them down in secondhand and charity shops. I'm a sucker for old Pan paperbacks!

[Ted Max]

The novel as the principle way in which we process our stories and share our cultural experiences was dominant for how long? I'm not qualified to say - but from about Richardson or Fielding, say, to the first great motion pictures. Thereabouts.

With broader access to "culture", and more leisure time and money with which to enjoy it, is our cultural output becoming more fragmented - dance, music, poetry, theatre, visual art, film, television? Perhaps the distance between author and reader has become too great - trust has been lost, narrative undermined by the act of its own telling.

Where would you look now for the output of the young person with something to teach you? Not necessarily in the pages of a "judge by the cover", two-for-three at Smiths, focus-grouped novel.

[paragon]

There seems to be so much crap out there, the shelves of Waterstones are packed with reams of identikit novels and wading through to find something worth reading is a mission. I have also been reading older stuff, French enlightenment literature, which sounds wanky but is very funny, satirical and considering the climate when it was written, quite groundbreaking.

[woofmarkthedog]

Reading cereal packets I love , I am enthralled by "The Dorset cereal" series (box set of 10 at last count ) at the moment though I have read the classics like Wheatabix, Cornflakes & the likes. But these new & contemporary editions are really worthwhile .It just makes getting up in the morning a real joy.

W**F

[????]

very good woof

[mattham]

If they stop publishing books tomorrow, most of us would find plenty to read from the tons already printed; classics, contemporary, non-fiction, whatever. But it would be sad to accept there is nothing new that's worth reading.

I try (but don't always succeed) to read one classic, one new, one non-fiction in turn. You might have already read these Marmora Man, but recently I've enjoyed The Fight (Norman Mailer), Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe) and Katherine Whitehorn's autobio, Selective Memory.

A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry was a very good contemporary novel, I thought.

[citizenED]

Of course you could ask the same of any other art form; cinema, music etc. There might be a bit of a dip in the perceived quality of published novels at the moment but I'd still say it is important for writers to reflect our times through the vehicle of the novel. You can take all the non-fiction tomes you like but nothing sums up the spirit of the times like a fictional narrative. So, in answer, yes, the world does need its new lifeblood of novels.

[Jessie]

The books marketed and paid for by publishing companies to be displayed prominently in bookshops are not usually/necessarily the best ones being currently published. All the 3 for 2 and BOGOF offers are heavily paid for by publishing companies. Loads of brilliant novels get published and ignored as there's not a substantial marketing spend behind them. And lack of time and resources too for a good PR campaign.

On a personal note, I think contemporary writing in English from anywhere but the UK is of a much better standard - America (Dave Eggers), Canada (Alice Munro), Australia (Tim Winton). NZ (Lloyd Jones) - much more creative. I find Ian McEwan, Sebastian Faulks and their ilk a tad over-rated and I'm sick of reading about WW2 in English novels.

[bigbadwolf]

Hello Marmora Man.

I personally don't have a problem with all the new novels coming out at the moment except for some of the ghastly and shiny covers but concerning the reading matter I suppose I have a greater and more vivid imagination than others.

Anyway, you can call me boring but recently I've started reading more text books and journals on my favourite subjects of History, Politics and Geography because I'm often amazed at how much I've forgotton of my education through GCSE's and A-Levels. If you share my thirst for facts as well as practical theory with a dash of colour I strongly suggest you get yourself on the National Geographic mailing list as. I've been reading them religously for years now and I'm never disappointed. The articles are accompanied by some award winning photography. Check it out.

[Huguenot]

It's a bit of an odd assertion, not unlike 'does the world need any more art/music/poetry' etc.

They're all pastimes that lie in the 'self-actualisation' realm of consciousness. Hence humanity didn't objectively 'need' them in the first place - not like water, food, shelter or sex for example.

However if you consider that art in its many forms is both a form of self-expression and a medium to interpret differing perspectives (empathy), then there can never be enough - for our experience, perspective and context is continually changing.

Conversely, if you're just observing that the current crop of novelists seem to turn out a load of crap - well it may be down to several reasons:

* New novelists haven't stood the test of time (in twenty years' time we'll only remember the good current novelists).

* Cheaper production requires lower competence thresholds.

* Mass accessibility and lower pricing of books means there's now a larger market amongst less discerning readers.

* Increasing leisure time is allowing less dedicated authors to put finger to keyboard.

None of that means that there aren't any good current novelists, it just means they may be harder to find.

[dukesdenver]

Jessie Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The books marketed and paid for by publishing

> companies to be displayed prominently in bookshops

> are not usually/necessarily the best ones being

> currently published. All the 3 for 2 and BOGOF

> offers are heavily paid for by publishing

> companies. Loads of brilliant novels get published

> and ignored as there's not a substantial marketing

> spend behind them.

Same goes for novels which appear in the review pages of major newspapers - if not paid for, certainly influenced by high levels of mutual back-scratching amongst the literati.

It's worth having a sniff around the blogs if you are looking for recommendations from off the beaten track - for example this one by Scott Pack, ex-head buyer at Waterstone's.

[PeckhamRose]

I don't read a lot of novels I must admit but when someone who knows me well recommends I have to read something I try to. Scarlett somebody's The End Of Mr Y just lost me two days work as I had to read it and then read it again immediately I was so captivated. I do want to hear new perspectives on what is going on in the world, I really do, but they have to be well written! But it's like music, and why John Peel was so well loved because he always wanted to hear new music and hear new perspectives on life.

Anyway, Marmora Man, when you've had your bike ride you'll be wanting to get a bike and then that will be all your free time taken care of right there.

[Jessie]

Same goes for novels which appear in the review pages of major newspapers - if not paid for, certainly influenced by high levels of mutual back-scratching amongst the literati

true, and also many literary editors on the national papers have been made redundant, with all papers cutting down on their review pages

[woofmarkthedog]

bigbadwolf Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hello Marmora Man.

>

> I personally don't have a problem with all the new

> novels coming out at the moment except for some of

> the ghastly and shiny covers but concerning the

> reading matter I suppose I have a greater and more

> vivid imagination than others.

>

> Anyway, you can call me boring but recently I've

> started reading more text books and journals on my

> favourite subjects of History, Politics and

> Geography because I'm often amazed at how much

> I've forgotton of my education through GCSE's and

> A-Levels. If you share my thirst for facts as well

> as practical theory with a dash of colour I

> strongly suggest you get yourself on the National

> Geographic mailing list as. I've been reading them

> religously for years now and I'm never

> disappointed. The articles are accompanied by some

> award winning photography. Check it out.

------------------------------------

Nerd.

[bigbadwolf]

Still perusing the contents labels on shampoo bottles Woof or have you graduated to the more weighty manuscripts of shopping receipts.

[Jah Lush]

I've always got one or two novels on the go from "classics" to modern contempary stuff. So the answer the your question MM is a resounding YES.

[woofmarkthedog]

bigbadwolf Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Still perusing the contents labels on shampoo

> bottles Woof or have you graduated to the more

> weighty manuscripts of shopping receipts.

--------------------------------------------------------

Train tickets outward bound & then the return journey (which i see as a sequel)........& a new one comes out each day...Amazing

[bigbadwolf]

Ha ha ha Woof that was good.

[annaj]

Yes. Definitely.

I like the classics and read, and occasionally re-read, them between new finds, but nothing brings me joy like discovering a new writer that I love. Obviously, I avoid anything with a bright pink or purple cover, anything recommended by Heat or Cosmo, anything where the lead character has a daft name and is described as "beautiful, but sad" and anything in the "tragic life stories" section (yes, it does exist). The other day I spent a good choosing a book in Chener just picking things up and having a read of the first few pages and seeing what appealed. It's one of life's pleasures, surely?

MM I wouldn't make lots of reccomendations, because I sense we'd have wildly different tastes and because it's not really the point, but The End of Mr Y, by Scarlett Thomas, that someone mentioned earlier (PeckhamRose?) is original and fascinating, although I felt a bit let down by the ending. Also, Mr Pip by Lloyd Jones, which PGC mentioned the other day on another thread is a beautiful and horrifying story that will make you glad people are still writing new novels.

[woofmarkthedog]

annaj Wrote: ( But not these bits....here in brackets)

-------------------------------------------------------

> Yes. Definitely, Ok, maybe....erm no!

>

> I like the classics and read, and occasionally

> re-read,(having discovered that previously I had the book upside down) between new finds, but nothing

> brings me joy like discovering a new writer (tied up in the back of my wardrobe), that I

> love. Obviously, I avoid anything with a bright

> pink or purple cover (even tough I'm colour blind) or anything recommended by Heat

> or Cosmo (or Welding monthly), anything where the lead character has a

> daft name (like Mr Pip or Mr Y) and is described as "beautiful, but sad"

> and anything in the "tragic life stories" section

> (yes, it does exist)...(tragedy ). The other day I spent a good (whole day)

> choosing a book in Chener just picking things up

> and having a read (outloud) of the first few (dozen) pages and

> seeing what appealed or (appalled). It's one of life's

> pleasures, surely?

>

> MMmmm I wouldn't make lots of recommendations,(Tandoori nights), no

> because I sense we'd have wildly different tastes (I hate coriander)

> and because it's not really the point, but The End

> of Mr Y, by Scarlett Thomas (luckily I know it's scarlett coz it's written somewhere on the cover), that someone

> mentioned earlier (PeckhamRose?) is original and

> fascinating, although I felt a bit let down by the

> ending (as some one had torn out the last few pages). Also, Mr Pip by Lloyd Jones, which PGC

> mentioned the other day on another thread is a

> beautiful and horrifying story that will make you

> glad people are still writing (boring) new novels.

"Sorry did I say something"...(oh I sometimes think one thing and say another)...ahhhmm

Have a nice day..

w00f

[SteveT]

Since needing glasses to read I can no longer read for more than ten minutes, so I use audio books which I now down load legally for half the normal shop price.

I tried to get hold of some of J B Priestley who I consider to have been a decent author in his day, but I cannot get him on tape, disc, or downloaded to my ipod which is a great shame.

In my opinion telephones have taken over from letter writing, we seem to have lost the erudition and command of the English language that is necessary to produce a good read.