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

[OrmIrian]

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.

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.

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

oh oh. adult fiction. I see.

New unchartered territory.

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

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.

Takes a bit of getting into though I found

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

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

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

mesmerist is good.

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?

I am lost.

Sarah Waters' Night Watch is really impressive. Much better than her other books, although I enjoyed them too. If she was an athlete I'd have thought she'd started taking steroids.

Anne Enright divides opinions but every word she writes is fantastically crafted.

I really dislike Atwood and had to mark dissertations on it for years as some kind of vile punishment.

Lorrie Moore for short stories ...

Maggie O'Farrell

Right then fishie, I've just ordered Dora Damage. It'd better be good or I'll hunt you down.

Dislike Atwood I don't think you're allowed to say that in female company, are you?

(What, even Robber Bride and Alias Grace?)

Ok Ok Ok ....stooooop!

Right that's a good list to start with.

Atwood and Lessing....already covered and enjoyed. But so many others....

Thankyou

OMG i Love Maggie O'Farrell.after you'd gone and my lovers lover are so evocative.top writer

Time Traveller is rubbish and I don't particularly like Zadie Smith either.

What I Loved by Siri Hustvedt is fantastic.

Linda Grant? - The Clothes on their Backs and When I Lived in Modern Times are both good.

I LOVED Hilary Mantel's autobiography Giving up the Ghost. She's a fantastic writer. Policy you should get hold of a copy of that if you liked Bad Blood

I also quite liked Diana Athills Stet and the last one - Somewhere Towards the End. She is a very clear eyed writer, reminds me a little bit of Doris Lessing.

Have you got a library near you? In mine you can order what you want on-line and they ring you up when it's there. 50p a go. Brilliant for trying new people

was white teeth ZSmith- loved it.hated brick lane

The Icarus Girl - Helen Oyeyemi. I've not read it yet but it's beside my bed and next in line after recommendations from a couple of people.

Thank you Tatty. I tried to read A Place of Greater Safety a while back and just couldn't get into it - suspect it requires a bit more concentration than I was able to give it. And I have Beyond Black waiting to be read as well. But will add yours to the list!

One day my children will grow up and I'll be able to read books again.

I couldn't get on with A Place of Greater Safety either. Not that keen on historical novels in general.

Donna Tartt (or it might be Tarrt?) The Secret History is well worth a read IMO.

I love Margaret Atwood as well but that seems to have been pretty well covered...

What - the ability to write well is gender related?

I do like historical novels, and am interested in the French Revolution, so couldn't work out why I couldn't read that one. Think it must be a slow-starter.

I know Orm has said that she has enough, but I've just remembered Edith Wharton. Everyone knows House of Mirth, but read Custom of the Country - fantastic.