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?

Nomen - I'm fluent in French but don't like reading French book, and the reason is to be seen in the description of that book on Amazon.fr:

Descriptions du produit
Description
La Vie mode d'emploi est un livre extraordinaire, d'une importance capitale non seulement dans la création de l'auteur, mais dans notre littérature, par son ampleur, son organisation, la richesse de ses informations, la cocasserie de ses inventions, par l'ironie qui le travaille de bout en bout sans en chasser la tendresse, par sa forme d'art enfin : un réalisme baroque qui confine au burlesque. (Jacqueline Piatier, Le Monde) L'ironie, très douce, imperceptible, fantomatique, moirée, faite d'un détachement extrême, d'une méticulosité et d'une patience qui deviennent de l'amour... En résumé, c'est un prodigieux livre-brocante, qu'on visite sans se presser, à la fois livre fourre-tout, livre promenade. (Jacques©Pierre Amette, Le Point) Et cela donne des romans exotiques, extravagants, des crimes parfaits, des fables érudites, des catalogues, des affaires de moeurs, de sombres histoires de magie noire, des confidences de coureurs cyclistes... Jeux de miroirs et tables gigognes, entrez dans cet immeuble et vous ferez le tour du monde. Un vertige majuscule. Quand on en sort, on est léger comme une montgolfière. (Catherine David, Le Nouvel Observateur) En quelques centaines de pages, fruits de neuf années de travail, Perec opère le ratissage délibéré, systématique, hallucinant du champ romanesque contemporain. Son livre est, sans doute, à la littérature ce que le Robert est à la lexicographie. (Oatrick Thévenon, L'express)

What is it about, ffs?!? I can't stand the flowery and ultimately meaningless writing style so popular in France.

Lessing, The Golden Notebook.

Hard to summarise, but it's an insanely brilliant book, IMO. The English translation is good, I think, so read that, if you prefer. Translated as Life: a user's manual.

It tells the multiple, overlapping, chronologically complicated stories of the inhabitants of a French apartment block. Incredibly humane, despite its 'mechanistic' building of plot, etc.

The ending is so ingenious, it took my breath away.

Truly, ignore the wanky French blurb you've posted, and try it.

I didn't say I 'liked' it as such. :) Dp is a huge Nick Cave fan so he bought it and I read it afterwards. Not sure I'd read another! Dp loved it though.

I see 'The Master And...' mentioned on here a lot.

So, which should I read first:

Master And...
Slaughterhouse
Dune

Advise me oh wise ones! :)

Another classic: Eliot, Middlemarch.

(I'm posting 'big' books with scope and vision, à la your OP, btw: could recommend little books too...)

MASTER.

S'cuse the shouting. [bugrin]

It is too ace, and I am envious that you get to read it for the first time.

Continue with the "big" books, please. I'm looking them up as you post them.

I will vote DUNE

Re Middlemarch - Do I really want to read about rural England in 1930s? Does anyone?

What makes this book special? (I'm curious)

Remus - As a long-term fan of his older stuff myself, I had always suspected that Nick Cave is not well in the head, but having read that book, I now know for a fact that he is insane. That album Murder Ballads was no fluke.

1830s.

And, yes. You do. Tut tut for even questioning this. [bugrin]

Again, if you've not already read it, I can only say I'm most envious that you get to read it for the first time.

Because Eliot is a genius. Her characterisation and control of theme are wonderful.

God - don't read Middlemarch: sooooooooo boring. It makes Conrad look cheerful and interesting.

So one vote each for Dune and Master (and you were both the same volume!). Tell me WHY then - and I'll read the one voted for by whichever of you convinces me best!

I think I will pass on the 1830s rural England book, sorry. Just thinking about reading it stressed me out here

Because there is a talking cat in Master. And Pontius Pilate. And it's all allegorical and satirical and shit.

I am too lazy to try to persuade you. After all, it's your loss, IMO, if you don't...

You are missing out ? Middlemarch is one of the best books I've ever read. Dorothea is a fabulous character and I have seldom read such an insightful description of an unhappy marriage

Well, I would just say that you seem to be me and so would no doubt love it

Also, it is otherworldly (literally) but timeless because it deals with the complex inner calculations of people, rather like a vast multi-player chess game. I wish there were more books like it.

Fair deuce, Cote. But do give Perec a try. That and Ulysses (amongst other things, of course) are what Mitchell was plagiarising paying homage to.

Allegorical good. Talking cats good (is it like the one in Coraline?). Satire - maybe good. Pilate - maybe good. Shit - not good. :)

Do I need to be v v clever to 'get' it?

Not read Coraline. Been meaning to.

Which reminds me: Maus and the sequel are excellent graphic novels.

No, you don't need to be clever. There is a lot which you could look up (e.g. about Stalinist Russia) to enrich your reading. But you only need to know about good and evil, and love, to 'get' it.

Have to add my vote for Master-fabulous book. In fact, I think I will dig out my copy for a re-read, it's been a while since I last read it and I always enjoy getting into it again. Talking cat is a bonus!

Nomen - I dare say Mitchell was not plagiarising nor paying homage in Cloud Atlas with his numerous references to other books & stories. Imho those were intentional, and used to drum in the feeling that everything repeats, just like Nietzsche said.

Can we enjoy it even if we scoff at books for adults that talk about good and evil? It sounds interesting, otherwise.

Indeed. Or like Vicomte and Jouce said too...

Thanks - am pretty clued up on Stalin.

Will try and get Master and Dune in the library tomorrow.

Vicomte? Wretched iPad. Should say VICO.