Reading,
while among the most enjoyable of activities, is time consuming. I find myself
reading a lot of books for reviews and literary competitions that I wouldn’t
otherwise read, so when I read for pleasure, I like to make sure the time is
well spent as well as enjoyable. And that means reading books that are more
than worth the paper they’re printed on. Even when it’s “escapist” fiction, I
still want a book to be well written.
Some authors
have the ability to deliver every time. Here are a few that I read and re-read
regularly:
Wallace Stegner. The “Dean of Western Writers” is equally
adept at fiction and nonfiction. Big Rock
Candy Mountain and Angle of Repose
are excellent novels. Wolf Willow is
in a class of its own, blending nonfiction and fiction, including the short
story “Genesis,” which may be the best Western short story ever written. All of
his books and stories are worth reading.
John
McPhee. A long-time contributor to The
New Yorker, McPhee has several collections of magazine pieces as well
book-length treatments of a number of subjects. Some are set in the West,
others elsewhere around America and the world. But no matter the subject, I
grab up everything I can by McPhee as it is sure to be well written and
engaging.
Wendell Berry. I read his essays. I read his poetry. I read
his short stories. I read his novels. They are all outstanding. It is a wonder
how this Kentucky farmer can write so much stuff with a pencil and a yellow
pad—let alone write it so well.
James Galvin. His poems are often beyond me, but I like
reading them. His novel, Fencing the Sky,
is outstanding. The Meadow defies
description and may well be the best book I have ever read (and re-read, and
re-read…).
Cormac McCarthy. It seems people either love or hate
McCarthy’s writing. Put me in the former category. While it’s unusual and takes
a bit of effort, his prose paints pictures so vivid they burn themselves into
your brain. And his way of sneaking up on a climactic scene is always
surprising. Blood Meridian is
haunting and unforgettable, his Border Trilogy (All the Pretty Horses, The
Crossing, Cities of the Plain) is
outstanding, and I like his other books as well.
John Steinbeck. What can I say? His novels made (and make)
me love reading. Tortilla Flat, Of Mice and Men, The Red Pony, The Grapes of
Wrath, East of Eden…. Steinbeck
wrote about a different kind of West and changed people’s minds about what’s
out here.
There are, of course, many other
authors I enjoy. We’ll save them for another day. Meanwhile, who are some of
your favorite authors?
Ivan Doig, born in White Sulphur Springs, Montana to a family of homesteaders and ranch hands. He's probably best known for his McCaskill trilogy: "English Creek," "Dancing at the Rascal Fair," and "Ride with Me, Mariah Montana." My personal favorite is "Bucking the Sun," a historical novel centered around the construction of Fort Peck Dam in northeastern Montana.
ReplyDeleteThanks, whoever you are. I, too, like Ivan Doig and have read all his books. They're all good, but my favorite is Dancing at the Rascal Fair--although English Creek is right there.
DeleteThat's a fine list, Rod. Like you, I read a lot professionally, so when I get a chance to read for fun, it tends to be escapist stuff. I've read all of Robert B. Parker's westerns when he was still writing them. That man could write dialog like eavesdropping on a dusty street corner. My wife is the real consumer of good literature in our house. Every now and then she'll pass one along "You have to read". I pretty generally do what I'm told, though sometimes she's read enough passages to me I feel like I know the story without cracking the book. I digress. One author she recommends that should fit your list is Stanley Gordon Parker. He tells a great story with skill I admire as an aspiring scribbler. Blind You Ponies and To Ride A Dead Horse are two you might enjoy.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Paul
Thanks, Paul. Robert Parker tells some fine stories and I have enjoyed his Western novels--and the movies made from them. His mysteries are good, too. I don't know Stanley Gordon Parker, but will get acquainted.
DeleteGreat list, Rod. I've never read anything by Berry. I'll have to check him out. One thing is certain -- life's too short to read a bad book.
ReplyDeleteMichael
Thanks Michael. But I have to wonder--if life is so short, how did I get so so old?
DeleteLove the westerns of Richard Wheeler and Tony Hillerman, the quirky mysteries of Lawrence Block, Wyoming mysteries by Craig Johnson and the nonfiction of Mari Sandoz and John G. Neihardt. And still love reading anything by Mark Twain and Bill Nye (not the science guy, Twain’s friend), Edgar Wilson (Bill Nye)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Neil. Good stuff. I've read all those authors except Block and Nye--at least I don't recall them. I'll have to give them a try.
Delete