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Original poster

I have come to the conclusion that I don't like quite a lot of female writers

109 replies

OrmIrian · 24/01/2009 21:45

Nicole Krauss - History of love. Yaaaaaawnn!
Someobody Niffeneagger? 'Time Travellers Wife' made me so cross I wanted to burn the f*ing book!
Even struggled with Zadie Smith.

OK I've had too much soave and I can't think of any more examples but I have come to the conclusion that I don't want endless analysis of emotions, angsting over love affairs. I want interest, something actually happening, description, intellectual analysis. Not who fed who and who didn't and what is the emotional mess that results. If someone behaves badly and irrationally, I want to kow why*, not just put it down to past traumas and say 'of that's OK then'.

Does that make me a bad sister? Or just a man manque?

I love Terry Prathcett. I suspect that indicates serious emotional embolism. But wtf.

OP posts:
elkiedee · 24/01/2009 22:32

I love Denise Mina's work (which is crime fiction). And Sarah Waters.

Nigerian Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - author of Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun, is a newish young writer I like.

I've not read all her work by any means - mostly earlier but post 1990 - but Helen Dunmore is someone else I like.

Anne Tyler or the Canadian Alice Munro started before 1990 but are still writing.

But also, there's a lot of fantastic pre-1990 women's writing to look at.

The first couple of books you mention aren't ones I've wanted to try, I know they've been bestsellers but they just haven't appealed. Perhaps your tastes are a bit more um, literary?

fishiedewar · 24/01/2009 22:32

i loved lorna sage. did read it in a really nice small hardback edition which helped

mesmerist is good.

policywonk · 24/01/2009 22:28

And have you read Bad Blood by Lorna Sage? Autobiography but very good.

Also 'Paradise' by Toni Morrison, if you haven't already.

wrongsideof40 · 24/01/2009 22:27

Takes a bit of getting into though I found

fishiedewar · 24/01/2009 22:27

i do like sarah waters. sometimes reluctantly.

that dora damage is brilliant and didn't get any decent publicity because the author died sorry for spoiler there but i read it at the end on the tube and wept.

policywonk · 24/01/2009 22:26

There you are then! Read Fingersmith - it's better IMO. The Night Watch is good too.

QS · 24/01/2009 22:26

oh oh. adult fiction. I see.

New unchartered territory.

Original poster
OrmIrian · 24/01/2009 22:24

OK. Hands up. I liked the Sarah Walters one about the spiritualist in nick. Twas good. I forgot that one

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Bink · 24/01/2009 22:24

Women in the last twenty years then. With an uncompromising kind of take.

I would have thought Siri Hustvedt would work for you? And Angela Carter, surely?

I do think Helen Simpson is marvellous, though her canvas is small (ie she does short stories) and she's got rather bitterer (and accordingly less reliably uncompromising, if that isn't all muddled) of late, I think.

policywonk · 24/01/2009 22:22

I see someone below doesn't like Sarah Waters, but I'd be surprised by anyone who likes novels but doesn't like Fingersmith.

Original poster
OrmIrian · 24/01/2009 22:20

I am so glad that so many of you hated the Niffiggle woman's book. Pure irritating trash.

Male writers. Hmm...maybe you are right penthe. Maybe I am stuck in a rut with re-reading old books. I think I have greater expectations of women.

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fishiedewar · 24/01/2009 22:20

denise mina [drones on] please someone else must have read her?

wrongsideof40 · 24/01/2009 22:19

Rose Tremain latest is The Road Home about an Eastern European man's experiences in London - excellent read

For post 1990 male writers try Andrew Greig 'In Another Light' , Eletric Brae or Andrew (or is it Ian ?) O'Hagan

QS · 24/01/2009 22:18

I havent heard about any of the writers/books in your op.

To a certain extent I agree, there seem to be less good female writers around, but I think it is because so many women seem to park their brains on chic lit.

I have read a lot of fab female writers.

Try Anita Desai "Feasting Fasting"
Isabel Allende "Kingdom of the Golden Dragon"
Patricia Duncker "Hallucinating Foucault"

Otherwise I must remind you of Erica Jong, Iris Murdoch, Fay Weldon, Alice Hoffman and Louise Erdrich, just to name a few. And if you want to go way back, try Jane Austen or the Bronte sisters......

shonaspurtle · 24/01/2009 22:15

Yes, The Road Home - Rose Tremain. vv good.

FairLadyRantALot · 24/01/2009 22:14

surely it's the book you read that counts....and you either like or not like it....don't thinkn it is against sistehood to dislike some female writers and like male ones....

shonaspurtle · 24/01/2009 22:13

Try Scarlet Thomas - PopCo & The End of Mr Y are two that I've read recently.

She's not Angela Carter or Margaret Atwood, but waaay better than Audrey Niffffefefeff

wrinklytum · 24/01/2009 22:13

Haven't read whole of thread but my favourite female writer is Margaret Atwood.

I also hated the "Time traveller's wife".Gave up after 60 odd pages as I just couldn't get engrossed in it and found it very irritating.

Penthesileia · 24/01/2009 22:13

TBH, I can't think of many male writers who began publishing after 1990 that I rate that highly either...

Maybe it's a bad time for writing?

Original poster
OrmIrian · 24/01/2009 22:13

Ah yes Rose Tremain. SOmeone I keep meaning to read.

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Nantucket · 24/01/2009 22:11

Rose Tremain? Will check the dates but she is pretty recnt isn't she? and excellent.

Penthesileia · 24/01/2009 22:10

Toni Morrison, though she began publishing before 1990, is still going strong. Just bought her latest. Can't wait to read it...

Original poster
OrmIrian · 24/01/2009 22:09

Sorry. I meant 'post-feminist' not post-moderm

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Original poster
OrmIrian · 24/01/2009 22:09

iris m goes without saying.

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Original poster
OrmIrian · 24/01/2009 22:08

I love Atwood and Lessing. And Le Guin and Marge Peircy and many female writers from pre 1990. It's just recent ones. Perhaps it's the post-modern ones. I like women writes to have some fire in their bellies.

Someone point me to a female writer published since about 1990 that is worth reading .... please!

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