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Her short stories are excellent too, btw. "The Whole Story and Other Stories", "Other Stories and Other Stories" and "The First Person and Other Stories" which is new and which dh bought me today - extra brownie points for him, then.
I've read others of hers (can't remember names), but The Hilary Mantel that I really liked was called Beyond Black. I found it really clever and intriguing ... but noticed on the blurb that it was " a masterpiece of wit" which I did not agree with...[puzzled] I've also enjoyed Kichen God's wife by Amy Tan (though took a few chapters to get into it) and Sky Burial by Xinran. (Chinese name)
BTWI don't have such fantastic recall powers as to quote blurb. Couldn't even remember the name of the book, or where I'd put it (turned out to be with the other books where I first looked). So picked up the best of the other ones that I'd read in the last six months from the pile by the bed.
pofaced I've just read Atkinson's Case Histories which I disliked so would need persuading to try Behind the Scenes - DH (similar taste to mine) gave up on it.
I loved 'Behind the Scenes' but not her others, apart from the most recent 'When Will There Be Good News'. 'The Book Thief', 'Child 44', and 'A Quiet Belief in Angels' are all excellent.
It's funny referring to them all by their surnames. Makes us sound like the Self-Righteous Brothers from Harry Enfield.
"Now, Atwood, I like a bit of Atwood."
"Oh, yeah, Atwood's yer real fing."
"But I tell yer what. If Atwood came round my 'ouse I'd say, "Atwood! I appreciates yer complex characters and yer intricate plottin'!" but if she tried to get all feminist on me, I'd be sayin', 'OY! ATWOOD! NOOOOOOO!'"
Many thanks all! Have added these to my list. Excellent suggestions. I have read one Siri Hustvedt plum, but would def read more.
And I know what you mean about Amis, definitely. I just like the way he writes - and sometimes I like to read outside my comfort zone. Everything I've read lately has been way too comfy - probably because people keep lending me books and I never get the chance to choose anything myself!
Ooh, your taste sounds similar to mine! (I know you are off short stories, but have you read The little black book of stories by AS Byatt? I thought it was amazing.)
How about Alan Warner? Morvern Callar and These Demented Lands are pretty special. I found the later stuff hard to read though.
Ann Enright? The Pleasure of Eliza Lynch - or any of them in fact...
Emotionally Weird by Kate Atkinson is good, and Helen Dunmore writes some haunting novels (so much so that I haven't been able to even begin reading some of the latest ones she's written!
If you like Carver you might like Updike. Not the same sort of writing, but lots of women don't seem to have the stomach for him. The Rabbit series is one of my all time faves.
Have you read any Michael Chabon? I've just started The Yiddish Policemen's Union, and am enjoying it, and thought The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay was fabulous.
John Irving? The Hotel New Hampshire or A Prayer for Owen Meany Philip Roth? Jonathan Frantzen (but wouldn't bother with him apart from The Corrections) If you like short stories, AL Kennedy is good - I'd recommend Original Bliss
I liked the look of the film of Morvern Callar, but thought it might not live up to the book for me.
I read some Siri Hustvedt but it didn't really do it for me. She is in the camp for me of people who want to be a writer, rather than want to write IFYSWIM.
Anna Karenina is probably my all-time favourite book. I tried once and couldn't get started, but non-stop breastfeeding dd1 meant that I had run out of all other options. It seemed to me it could have been written yesterday, and all the characters were just like people I knew.
Another one you might like is Restoration by Rose Tremain, and also the one by her about Hamlet's parents whose title I've forgotten.
I can't recommend Mating by Norman Rush highly enough. It's not that easy to get hold of, but well worth it to anyone who likes these authors. I would put Mating up there with Anna K.
How about Julian Barnes, Barbara Kingsolver and Carol Shields. Pretty much anything by any of them. Barbara Kingsolver tends to slightly purple prose in her opening chapter (IMO) but persevere.
I second the suggestion of trying Behind the Scenes at the Museum; it is far far better than anything else she's written, though it does have some thematic similarities to Case Histories, which may put you off.
