24 February 2008

Even More Lists - enough to drive you mad!

The UK Daily Telegraph carries an article called 50 crime writers to read before you die
It is compiled by 6 people. They preface it with an apology for giving the list in no real order, but that is just what is so annoying about the list: some sorted order would have been good, either having the authors in alphabetical order or in date order. However they do list each author, together with a brief description of what they write/wrote, with a recommended book and that is probably what makes the list a worthwhile one. You could probably feel ok about about ticking a name on the list if you've read at least one book by them.

The list is an interesting one with 19th century stalwarts particularly those who really defined the genre, Golden Age authors, a number of influential American ones, and some interesting "foreign" inclusions. It includes about 10 authors writing before World War I, and 9 books from the 21st century - you'll have to check the page to see which ones they are!
I wish I had the energy to turn it into a "proper" list.

You might like to visit The Rap Sheet to see the discussion going on over there.

Came across this one on someone else's blog (apologies for not acknowledging, I've lost track of whose it was)
I'm not sure what the point of this tournament is (perhaps someone knows) but the list of books is interesting. Seems almost a sales promotion.
Must confess though I've only heard of a couple, and not sure that I've read any.
What about you?

RUN by Ann Patchett
ON CHESIL BEACH by Ian McEwan
TREE OF SMOKE by Denis Johnson
THEN WE CAME TO THE END by Joshua Ferris
PETROPOLIS by Anya Ulinich
OVENMAN by Jeff Parker
THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO by Junot Díaz
YOU DON'T LOVE ME YET by Jonathan Lethem
NEW ENGLAND WHITE by Stephen L. Carter
REMAINDER by Tom McCarthy
THE SHADOW CATCHER by Marianne Wiggins
THE SAVAGE DETECTIVES by Roberto Bolaño
LET THE NORTHERN LIGHTS ERASE YOUR NAME by Vendela Vida
SHINING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA by Stephen Marche
WHAT THE DEAD KNOW by Laura Lippman
AN ARSONIST’S GUIDE TO WRITERS’ HOMES IN NEW ENGLAND by Brock Clarke

Interestingly at the bottom of the list I find that Kevin Guilfoile, the author of the recently read WICKER, is listed as ToB Commissioner.

Their 2007 list was

HALF OF A YELLOW SUN by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
ONE GOOD TURN by Kate Atkinson
ARTHUR AND GEORGE by Julian Barnes
BROOKLAND by Emily Barton
ENGLISH by August Upamanyu Chatterjee
THE LAY OF THE LAND by Richard Ford
PRIDE OF BAGHDAD by Niko Henrichon & Brian K. Vaughan
THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy
THE EMPEROR'S CHILDREN by Claire Messud
THE SECOND COMING OF MAVALA SHIKONGO by Peter Orner
THE ECHO MAKER by Richard Powers
AGAINST THE DAY by Thomas Pynchon
FIRMIN by Sam Savage
ABSURDISTAN by Gary Shteyngart
ALENTEJO BLUE by Monica Ali
APEX HIDES THE HURT by Colson Whitehead

3 comments:

Uriah Robinson said...

I agree Kerrie the list is a shambles, and I can only assume that they were intending to be controversial.
The only redeeming feature was they included Andrea Camilleri.

Kerrie said...

Somebody did the list thingy:
http://thebookaholic.blogspot.com/2008/02/50-best-crime-novels.html

Peter Rozovsky said...

There are good names on the list, and even some interesting surprises. But it falls short because the list's compilers fail to account for their omissions -- or their inclusions, for that matter.
==============
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

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