Properly literary fiction vs just fiction

Jane Gardam! Glad to see that someone else likes Robertson Davies, I thought he had been forgotten in the tsunami that is the publishing industry.

Lots of favourites and good ideas here! Robertson Davies was/is a particular love of mine. Enjoyed them all, and I assume they are still in print. Pat Barker, Sebastian Faulkes, Ian McEwen, and I can't think of the author's name, but the Old Filth trilogy is fantastic.

It's non fiction but I can't put down the aquariums of pyongyang

Can I say Doris Lessing even though I haven't read any? My df is a huge fan but we don't see eye to eye on books (ditto Trollope) so am wary. Gauche question alert, what are her books like? Always liked her when (rarely)seen as herself.

Another vote for Remains of the Day.
My all time favourites:
Little Women and Good Wives.
War and Peace.
Gone With The Wind.
The Just William Books.

Alice Munro! I had one of those transcendental moments you describe when I first read a book of hers. She only writes short stories, just FYI but you won't regret it.

GuestWW I too am loving the Essex Serpent, I don't want it to end.

The Goldfinch
All the Light we Cannot See
The Rules of Civility
A Fraction of,the Whole

All bloody brilliant books (IMO)

Elena ferrante!

I'm reading Morningside Heights at the moment and enjoying it very much. Thanks for the recommendation.

Recently released 'The Essex Serpent' which I am half-way through is fabulous.

Golden Hill, I thought was a great read. Also just read The Muse by Jessie Burton, her first novel The Miniaturist was also excellent.

I steer clear of 'trash' but do believe there is a lot of great 'literary' fiction being written today. However, what I consider literary might be someone else's trash and vice versa!

Anything by Michel Houellebecq - especially loved The Map and the Territory.

Lots of new books to try in this thread.

Love Half of a Yellow Sun and also The Corrections...

No one has mentioned David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest have they? If you're looking for something different. I thought it was a bloody difficult read but so worth it in the end. Very varied and inventive. Annoyingly inaccessible at times but did have a very interesting story, characters, premise.
Also he writes some great essays, try Consider the Lobster.

I also would recommend gilead by Marilynne Robinson one of the best books i have ever read.

Oh and some of my absolute favourites - JG Farrell - Siege of krishnapur and Singapore Grip

one of my favourite books is Vernon God Little. And Margaret Atwood is always good (although some better than others)

For the Elizabeth Strout fans, she has a new collection of short stories out, one of which features the character Lucy Barton.

And two more recommendations from the heart, and I utterly envy you if you haven't yet read these writers Alice Munro (Canadian, long short stories, but with the plot, characterisation and timescale of a novel compressed into each, unspeakably good and I don't normally find a collection of short stories as compelling as a novel) and Alice McDermott (Irish-American, has won large numbers of awards in the US, less-known here -- start with Charming Billy or Child of My Heart).

And while we're on Virago reprints, Rebecca West's semi-autobiographical trilogy: The Fountain Overflows, This Real Night and Cousin Rosamund. These are set in early 20th c England, about an eccentric family with a gambling journalist father, an ex-concert pianist mother, two brilliantly-gifted pianist daughters -- also a poltergeist, and a murder, and an art-collecting millionaire. These are so good that after I'd read the first few chapters of the first novel, I ordered the delivery of the two sequels by Amazon Prime to arrive the next day.

Signing in because his is such a great thread but also to recommend We are not ourselves - Matthew Thomas. I really didn't think it was my thing reading the reviews but it was wonderful and I cried my eyes out.

From the blurb on the back, I did not expect to like Brazzaville Beach but I really enjoyed it. He writes female characters so well.

and it was Mrs Oliphant not Mrs Carlingford (think Carlingford might be where the novel is set!) who wrote Miss Marjoribanks.

www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/User:Christiguc

This is a link to the list of Virago publications. Virago opened up so many new writers to me in my teens - reading these is like looking at old friend.

The only Virago I read and didn't like was The Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter. My favourite funny one is Provincial Daughter by R.M. Dashwood and Union Street by Pat Barker made me sob for about an hour. They certainly have a book to suit every mood.

Oh so delighted mmack. I love her - and the 2 sequels are lovely too. I really loved the third one Love Work Children. It has that lovely thing - middle aged as well as young protaganists who deserve (and maybe get?) love.

When I have been stuck wondering what to read next, I have gone into lists of Virago books for inspiration. One of the funniest books I read from the 19th century was Miss Marjoribanks by Mrs Carlingford (a virago reprint. She was one of those indomitable 19th century women who kept her entire family afloat by churning out novels etc. It is truly very very funny and a great story.

Kate O Brien - every one of hers - fit the bill too for this thread.

I just ordered Morningside Heights from the library, Pallisers. I'd never heard of her before but it looks excellent.