We live in a culture where we’re supposed to all like each other, at least on Facebook. But what happens when our authors write unlikeable characters? Some of the protagonists below are beyond unlikeable — they are murderers, molesters, and unrepentant abusers — the Raskolnikovs of contemporary literature (with one throwback included in the list). How are we supposed to relate to someone who does reprehensible things and rarely looks back? Do we read on, or do we throw the book against the wall in exasperation? We wrote about morally questionable authors last week, but think it’s time to examine the voice and actions of main characters this time around, because it can be difficult to get through a novel when you can’t stand the person you’re reading about.
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New Jersey’s finest lust-ridden, humorous, hang-wringingly anxious (read: Jewish) novelist, Philip Milton Roth, won the Man Booker International Prize today. The verdict was announced in Sydney, Australia, during the Writers’ Festival. Roth will receive £60,000 and an obscene amount of praise for his work, although one judge was so strongly against the decision she quit. In a previous interview, Carmen Callil said, “He goes on and on and on about the same subject in almost every single book. It’s as though he’s sitting on your face and you can’t breathe.” Despite her protestations, Roth will officially accept the prize in London next month.
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A list of 13 authors from 8 different countries who were nominated for the Man Booker International Prize — which is awarded “to a living author for a body of work that has contributed to an achievement in fiction on the world stage” — was released yesterday. The winner will receive an award of £60,000 (approximately $85,000) as well as the ability to refer to him or herself in the third person as a “notable” author. Next month, the MBIP panel will winnow it down to a single winner, who will be announced at the Sydney Writers’ Festival, with an awards ceremony taking place on June 28th in London. Since the prize is awarded every two years, the last prize winner was the unflappable short story writer Alice Munro in 2009.
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In a new interview with Paul Harris at the Guardian, Jonathan Ames says, “I don’t really recognize success. I don’t see myself as on an upwardly mobile trajectory. I see myself as on the edge of a cliff about to fall off.” The author of the infamous essay, “I Shit My Pants in the South of France,” and the creator of the HBO series Bored to Death divulges to Harris that “privately I can still feel wounded, feel terrible and hate myself…” thus revealing that he is yet another self-hating New York Jew who loves to complain about his lot. And for this, we will love him, especially since he boxes under the name “the Herring Wonder” and sports a crooked nose and jaunty little hats.
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Food and wine pairings are old hat. Sure, there are some sommeliers that agonize over whether which notes go best with which sauces, and while our tummies sure appreciate their work, all we know is that fish goes with white wine and fava beans go with a nice chianti. But we think food and books go pretty well together. At least all of this writer’s childhood books are full of crumbs from a decade of eating and reading, the right hand pages tucked underneath the plate for safekeeping. And if you’re going to snack during storytime, you should probably eat something that goes with your reading material, whether it enhances the experience or just helps you make it through to the end. Click through for our expert list of essential food and literature pairings, perfect for your next nerdy themed dinner party – or just your average Sunday night at home.
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There has been a lot of talk about books and sex in this space lately, and it’s not just because of yesterday’s holiday. Anyone who has taken English 101 knows that literature has its share of dirty old men — the lascivious, the leering, and the lewd, the men who concern themselves with the baser instincts and darker drives, the author equivalent of the creep in the corner, stroking his chin and staring at the rears of the teenagers. Herein, some of the dirtiest, most salacious and scandalous men in letters, a list of the Top 10 Dirty Old Literary Men.
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Wooing is hard work. Inevitably all of us will be crushed by disappointment from time to time when a chosen paramour rejects us with a single, cutting remark. However, we are almost certain here at Flavorpill that having a background in literature will work in your favor, whether you find yourself pining at a bar, a café, or at an awkward house party filled with graduate students clutching red plastic cups — their eyes glazing over as another person enters the throng and attempts to discuss his thesis on Levinas’s idea of irreducible relations. Rally against this stagnation, readers, and use the quotes below to find love… but don’t blame us if you get slapped.
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Labor Day may have marked the unofficial end of summer, but last week’s long weekend also marked the beginning of the publishing world’s fall book rush. With dozens of new titles hitting shelves in the months leading up to December’s holiday shopping spree, this is the season to celebrate books across all categories. Our highlights for fall’s upcoming releases are spread out across a variety of genres, assuring ample reading options for every literary preference.
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As James Joyce once wrote, “Whatever else is unsure in this stinking dunghill of a world a mother’s love is not.” Sweet, right? While we’d agree that many of the most memorable mothers in contemporary literature (some real, some fictional) tried their very best to love their progeny, in most cases it just didn’t turn out so well — for either side. Check out our list of memorable moms, and be sure to add anyone who we’ve left off in the comments.
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Last week we were glad to hear that the novella is making a comeback. It’s also nice to know that people other than Ian McEwan are still writing them (On Chesil Beach is a heartbreaking and beautiful example of what he himself continues to do). But while Daily Beast fiction critic Taylor Antrim focused his lens on more recent examples of the form, we’ve decided to take a look at some classics. This is a short list about short books, so don’t get upset if your favorite isn’t here. Just add a mention in the comments.
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