If there is a book you wish you had written...

[Provencalroseparadox]

...what is it and why?

Mine is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I think it is imaginative and beautiful. I love the language, the characters and the way the story builds to its climax. It has stayed with me long after I first read it and only improved with subsequent readings.

There are others but that is the main one.

To Kill a Mockingbird. Wonderful book!

Agree it is wonderful. Night Circus is not my fave book of all time (East of Eden) but for some reason it left me wishing I could write like that.

I love 'I Capture The Castle' - it justs depicts that lovely moony teenage romantic phase so well. Also I wish I'd written all the Moomin books - deceptively called childrens books but full of wisdom and beautiful depictions of nature.

My struggle by Karl Ove Knausgaard. Damn I wish I had written that book.

The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffneger (sp?) I just love it- clever concept, well executed, clever idea.

Is The Time Traveller's Wife worth a read?

I heard mixed about My Struggle. Maybe I should reevaluate.

Not sure I've ever read the Moomins.

I also loved the writing in Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels. While I enjoy a great story as much as the next person I think it's what the language evokes for me that makes me want to have written it some books.

The Stand.

Why U2?

Second time travellers wife - one of only two books that had me in tears at the end (first - Birdsong)

I only got through about a chapter of the Night Circus before giving up on it.

Hmmm I feel I should say something tebbly high brow as befits my position as an English graduate, but I actually just wish I'd written all the Jilly Cooper books with Rupert Campbell Black in them.

For the royalties & the loyal fans - either the Harry Potter series or the His Dark materials trilogy.

If it's just about the use of language then I think that Angela Carter is rarely equalled. Every line sings.

For the money, Fifty shades.

For writing something I would like to have said, Melissa Bank's or Laurie Moore stuff.

For greatness, hmm, Wuthering Heights?

One Day. Not because I think it's good - I think it's crap - but because it's the kind of book you think you could have written if you could have been arsed. And I'd now be loaded

Bleak House. I wanted to be Charles Dickens when I grew up.

Don't break it to me that's not how it works.

Harry Potters for the wage packet

The Lovely Bones. What a submersive and wonderful tale.

Everything by Richard Yates. He is brilliant. Also Alan Sillitoe.

Oh, I love Lorrie Moore. I have multiple copies of the short stories but haven't read A Gate at the Stairs - is it good?

ThinkIveBeenHacked Have you read Lucky by Alice Sebold? It's a memoir detailing her rape and the ensuing search for her attacker and the trial. It's incredibly affecting and upsetting and, after reading it, I really felt writing The Lovely Bones must've been cathartic for her.

Cheboludo, yes A Gate at the Stairs is brilliant but dark!

Not a novel but two short stories by Lorrie Moore I wish I'd written. You're Ugly, Too from her Like Life collection and Which Is More Than I Can Say About Some People from Birds of America.

Gosh curioussuze I just love TNC. It was a universal thumbs up from my book group which rarely happens. It is slower at the beginning but once Celia and Marco appear it's wonderful.

Can't beat Jilly though

There are some things on here I haven't read. Lorrie Moore I've never even heard of.

Wondered about reading the Alice Senold as have read Lucky Bones

Lorrie Moore's short stories are great. She's a wonderful writer. However, I wish I'd never read 'A gate at the stairs'. I found it way too traumatic - I had to put it down but I still get flashbacks to the incident, so vivid was her writing.
(wuss)

I so agree about that assessment of One day. Lucky bastard!

I'm not normally a fan if short stories but I may look them up.

I enjoyed One Day but it was really chick/pulp lit. An easy holiday read

Beloved by Toni Morrsion. Outstanding.

*Morrison.