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Who is your favourite author?

132 replies

CockleburIck · 26/02/2023 13:12

Looking to explore literary pastures new, so need some inspiration!

My long term favourites have always been Charles Dickens and Jane Austin. Love the language and the humour.
And, more up to date I also enjoy a bit of Stephen King: so much warmth, humanity and humour in his writing, even, or especially, when writing about horrible things.
Also like David Mitchell, the occasional Martin Amis, and earlier Ian McEwan (he got sloppy and pretentious latterly)

What about you?

OP posts:
FlorisApple · 27/02/2023 06:10

Jane Austen will always be my favourite, but my others:
Dorothy L Sayers
George Eliot
Anthony Trollope
Wilkie Collins
Jonathan Franzen
Edith Wharton
Elizabeth Gaskell
Alison Lurie
Arthur Conan Doyle
Penelope Lively
Penelope Fitzgerald
Dodie Smith (for I Capture the Castle)
Dymphna Cusack
Peter Carey

TrinnySmith · 27/02/2023 06:23

I like William Boyd.

burblish · 27/02/2023 11:13

burblish · 27/02/2023 03:18

Where to start?! I have too many “favourite” authors to list, but here are a few that come to mind first: Jane Austen; Salman Rushdie; Stephen King; Robin Hobb; Robert Heinlein; Agatha Christie; Kate Atkinson; Rohinton Mistry; Vikram Seth; Fyodor Dostoyevsky; Ben Aaronovitch; Amy Tan; Gabriel Garcia Marquez; Diana Wynne Jones; Iain Banks; Khushwant Singh; Gita Mehta; RK Narayan; Adam Nevill; Bernard Cornwell; John Sheridan Le Fanu. I could keep going for a while…!

How could I forget to mention Neil Gaiman, George R R Martin, Kazuo Ishiguro, Jonathan Coe, Edward Rutherford, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Pat Barker. (I will try not to add any more!)

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SaguaroBlossom · 27/02/2023 11:31

Bchagall · 26/02/2023 22:14

So pleased to see this. My favourite too. A brilliant writer. I always thought about writing to her when she was alive. I wish I had.

Show quote history

I’m delighted that I have every one of her books, starting from Dame’s Delight from 1964. EBay and Amazon searches !

rugbychick1 · 27/02/2023 21:15

Ian Rankin
James Herbert
Kathy Reichs
Patricia Cornwall
Tess Gurritsen

TheNoodlesIncident · 27/02/2023 21:46

@JoonT Have you read any of Monica Dickens' books? The autobiographical ones are amazing, they are a step back in time and so funny, she had a wonderful way with words. One Pair of Hands, One Pair of Feet and My Turn To Make The Tea might well be right up your street! (Also The Happy Prisoner which is a thing of joy, not all of her novels were...)

Also E M Delafield wrote The Diary of A Provincial Lady which was set in the period between the wars. That is also worth a read as a gently humorous recount of life in that time.

I also liked The Edwardians by Vita Sackville West and The Go Between (and also The Shrimp & The Anemone) by L P Hartley, I would give those a go if you haven't already. I must admit I also enjoy the escapism of reading about life in the early part of the twentieth century, it's just such a fascinating time.

Goodread1 · 10/04/2023 09:18

Rolad Dhal Tales of the Unexpected
I like quirky dark twists of humans psyche shadow side aspect of this
Beatrix Potter whimsical tales of Animals

Laurie Lee A cider with Rosie
It's a bye gone era based around countryside

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