Coming off a literary high - please help

[CoteDAzur]

I just read Cloud Atlas and This Thing Of Darkness in quick succession, both epic, fantastic books of great scope and vision.

Now I don't now what to do with myself. Read another book, but what? What can I read now that won't be a huge disappointment after these two wonderful books that I have just finished?

Oh, I hated CLoud Atlas, especially as it was one of the last novels I read before I had ds1 and then couldn't read anything for ages. Will never read anything else Mitchell writes. Read Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake afterwards, which I thought was great.
Try Rose Tremain's Music and Silence.

That might have been baby brain? I would understand being too distracted to appreciate Cloud Atlas, but hating it is hard to imagine.

I have read a lot of dystopian sci-fi & speculative fiction but none of it was by women authors. What kind of writing can I expect from Margaret Atwood? Emphasis on feelings or hard science, for example?

I didn't particularly like Cloud Atlas either, but then I've read so much of that type of literature over the years that it had a lot to live up to for me.

Going to get This Thing of Darkness for DH as it looks like something he would really enjoy.

I'm currently reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series as I never finished it when I started it before, but will be interested to see what recommendations you get on this thread. Haven't bought any new books in ages as when I moved in with DH I aquired lots of books with him and have been working through his 'classic' section for the last couple of years.

I can't recommend This Thing Of Darkness highly enough. I bought it thinking it would be interesting for the clashes Darwin's evolutionary/scientific viewpoint and Captain FitzRoy's (inferior, I was prejudiced to think) religious viewpoint. It delivered that but SO much more with it. The incredible bravery and self-sacrifice of so many characters. The amazing story around the world which takes decades to unfold. The extermination of local populations in the name of superiority of Christian civilization and then, increasingly, in the name of "survival of the fittest". I have spent the last couple of days Googling individual characters and marveling at their precise and detailed depictions in this book.

It was interesting (although unintentional) to follow Cloud Atlas with This Thing Of Darkness, because the latter book continues with the theme of strong preying on the weak and the pacifist (or less aggressive) local populations being exterminated by the greedy and aggressive newcomers on their shores.

And Cloud Atlas was right about the fragility of knowledge, especially if not written down and propagated across generations. (Sadly, only religious books like the Bible have escaped from oblivion) Before reading this book, I had no idea about these events, no knowledge of these extraordinary people who made history.

'This Thing Of darkness' is amazing, isn't it? i didn't get on with 'Cloud Atlas' at all though.

I also totally recommend King's Dark Tower series - I've just recently re-read them all for the 7th time.

How about The Worst Journey In The World? Not a novel but v v interesting.

I din't like, 'Oryx And Crake' much but did enjoy the follow up, called something to do with a flood I think. 'The Handmaid's tale' is well worth a read.

If you like distopian etc, you may like 'The Passage' or you may hate it: I quite liked it. I take it you've read 'The Stand?'

And there's a really interesting history book about Jeremy Button etc - will find its name if you're interested.

Oh and read 'A Clockwork Orange' too - though I bet you've read it already!

No, it wasn't baby brain - just thought it was really badly written and that whole Sloosha's Bloody Crossing section - I still remember how annoyed I was by it. Atwood is very varied: Oryx and Crake is also futuristic, whereas The Blind Assassin is totally different, as are The Edible Woman or Alias Grace. So she's a very varied novelist, not type-castable. Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake both up your street, I'd have thought.

The ending of, 'Alias Grace' annoyed me so much I wanted to scream!

Remus - I'm glad that you found this thread. Thank you for recommending This Thing Of Darkness. It is truly brilliant.

I read The Stand about 25 years ago and loved it. I read the first Dark Tower book around the same time and wasn't interested at all, because I just don't like fantasy books and can't stand stories around magic, quests, etc.

I will take a look at the other books you mentioned, thanks.

Slaughterhouse 5
A Clockwork Orange (give it a go and stick with it)
To Kill A Mockingbird
Good Omens
American Psycho
Catch 22
The Strangers in Paradise series
The Sandman series
Watchmen
The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: Year One

I loved both cloud atlas(I actually felt changed after reading the last few pages ) and this thing of darkness. I also realy enjoyed the passage (although it's not on the same level). So defo try it. For a mind bender try Q by Luther Blisset (yr DH/DB/DF will ask if it is written the football player - it's not, it's written by some weird Italian group/collective against capitalism or societyor summat). It is difficult to get into but briliant IMHO. All about the beginning of the Reformation in Germany but in a mad way!

Also an instance of the fingerpost is another big favourite of mine - some people hate it though.

1984
Fahrenheit 451
Brave New World

I also love post apocalyptic dystopian stuff. Just finished oryx and crake - loved it. Only like Margaret Atwood sci if.

Have you tried 'the death of grass'. Great stuff. Ifmyoumlike sci if as well then Alastair Reynolds and Ian m banks are superb.

I loved Cloud Atlas.
The Road by Cormack McCarthy is intense. Also love Margaret Atwood - Handmaid's Tale is still my favourite. And look up Joyce Carol Oates - she's written loads of great books: My Sister, My Love, Black Girl/White Girl and We Were the Mulvaneys to name some excellent examples.

why not go for a complete contrast....have just finished elizabeth von arnim's enchanted april...4 women escape to italy from london in the 20's...quite a light read with some knockout insights and one liners along the way.

btw loved this thing of darkness but not so keen on cloud atlas...much preferred ghostwritten by david mitchell

Cote Please try the second Dark Tower book before you write the series off for good. I also hate pretty much most other fantasy but this is truly excellent.

Have you read, 'American Gods' and 'Anansi Boys' by Neil Gaiman? I think you might like those. Also, have you read the obvious things like '1984' and 'Day Of The Triffids' etc? I imagine you have, but I thought I'd ask anyway!

MNHubbie - Thanks for these suggestions:

• 1984 - I read it before the year 1984 & loved it
• Fahrenheit 451 - read, it was OK
• Brave New World - read & loved it
• To Kill A Mockingbird - read at school & wasn't interested at all. Can't understand the hype (for adults).
• American Psycho - read & liked 20 years ago, but not what I am looking for now. Actually, the author's first book Less Than Zero was better, I thought.
• Catch 22 - Read & liked 20 years ago, but it is simply a satire on war and again, not comparable to epic masterpieces like This Thing Of Darkness imho.
• The Strangers in Paradise series - don't think it's for me.
• The Sandman series, Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One - I did enjoy the film Watchmen too much, DH thought, but not feeling like reading comic books at this time

I will take a look at these books, thank you for the suggestions. I have heard so much about Slaughterhouse 5 that perhaps I really should read it

• Slaughterhouse 5
• A Clockwork Orange (give it a go and stick with it)
• Good Omens

Not sure you'd like, 'Good Omens' tbh. In fact, I'm pretty sure you'd hate Pratchett.

Have you read, 'Fight Club' by any chance? I didn't 'like' it as such but it was reasonably diverting.

Ooh and what about the book about the true story that inspired Moby Dick? I can find out its name if you're interested - that was excellent.

Remus I'm not a Pratchett fan (though I do like Hogfather and Soul Music) but I found Good Omens enjoyable in an 'easy read' kind of way, and I think he's tempered very well by Gaiman's input.

Clockwork Orange I attempted twice before I finally finished it, and have to say I'm glad I did because I did enjoy it.

I'd agree with your advice to Cote to have a go at the second Dark Tower book before writing the series off. It's really not a magical questy type book once you get past the first installment.

Interesting - I thought Cloud Atlas was brilliant but found This Thing of Darkness really pedestrian, just one long exposition of stuff I already knew, and not a novel at all.

Hurray! Together, we may just convince her! :)

It took me several attempts to read, 'A Clockwork Orange' too - for ages I couldn't get past the second page...but then I forced myself to keep going and it turned out to be one of the best books I have ever read.

Oh and Cote - have you read the CJ Sansom Matthew Shardlake series?

And, 'Paula' by Isabel Allende?

And, you might like, 'Wolf Hall' though I must admit it irritated the hell out of me.

Just added The Road to my reading list, thanks.

I heard a lot about Handmaid's Tale but books about the suffering of sequestered women (like 1000 Splendid Suns) are not really my cup of tea. Likewise re girly light reads.

The Handmaid's Tale is v good. A Thousand Splendid Suns is crap.

I hadn't heard of Alastair Reynolds but his books look interesting, thanks for the recommendation.

Re Ian M Banks - I read his Consider Phlebas, Use of Weapons, Player of Games, Excession, Inversion, State of The Art, and Look to Windward, then gave up. Out of the above, Player of Games and Inversion were good but not great, and the rest were just mediocre. After a while, it just got on my nerves that he never explains anything and how all is dandy in his utopian "Culture" with apparently no friction between humans, aliens, and AI. I gave up on him and haven't bothered with his newer books. If you like his kind of sci-fi (soft sci-fi with a touch of space opera) you have to read Frank Herbert's Dune (consistently elected as the best sci-fi book of all time) and Dan Simmons' Hyperion.