Wherein We Elect Our Favourite Novels of 2006

Also released this year: Giles Coren's Winkler.

Here we find the summative work by an American master, a monumental text that synthesises themes of fate, modernity and adventure into a transcendent whole.

We also find The Road

big fan of Lisey's Story then, imago?

All I'm finding are the most boring ways to talk about a book.

one would have thought a keen reader would spot the artful deployment of Reviewer Cliche to make a slightly crass point

mother's milk

anyway, I might genuinely prefer ATD to Gravity's Rainbow, it really is the most generous of books, it will give you everything

i would like to have enough years in my life to get around to against the day tho xp

one would have thought a keen reader would spot the artful deployment of Reviewer Cliche to make a slightly crass point

― imago, Tuesday, 2 November 2021 bookmarkflaglink

I'd believe this if it was coming from anybody else. But as you called your last post artful I don't.

one would have thought a keen reader would understand when words like 'artful' are artfully used with self-knowing archness

Keep trying to use your brain and you might succeed.

stop it both of you

I've only read The Road--which, meh. I gave up a few episodes into the Apple adaptation of Lisey's Story.

"Gravity's Rainbow" was a huge formative influence on my reading, but I haven't read any new Pynchon since "Vineland". I guess I'd probably start with "Inherent Vice" since its less of a commitment. I haven't read any of the books listed, but I have read a few other things from 2006: "The Echo Maker" by Richard Powers (meh), "The Emperor's Children" by Claire Messud (not bad), "King Dork" by Frank Portman (not bad for a YA novel).

Either Everyman or The Road, not sure which.

Against the Day I own but (as with so much Pynchon on my shelf) haven’t cracked yet

Probably The Damned Utd, but not a crowded field.

These past two polls have been the first where I don't even get to 50 choices. More books to sift through than ever but since canonization hasn't taken hold yet less obvious choices. Encourage everyone even more than before to let me know yr upcoming faves!

Yeah I might have voted for Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie if it had been on here, other than that I think maybe I've read World War Z but not sure ¯\(°_o)/¯ - will send you a list for future years.

In my defense that one wasn't on the list, would totally have included it if it had been!

Just please make sure my old mate Magnus and his cruel bird make it back for 2011 :)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Of these, I've only read World War Z and The Girl Who Played With Fire. If I were to vote I'd go with the zombie epic as displaying an impressive imagination, but in truth neither one rates as a "favourite", so I will not vote.

Enjoyed the half of World War Z that I listened to on audiobook, but the author's grasp of writing characters with different nationalities feels like it comes from an 80's X-Men comic - Chinese character talks about the Middle Kingdom, Israeli character talks about being used to being surrounded by enemies, German character says he will not go "quietly like some good Hitler Youth".

I experienced WWZ as an audiobook too but barely remember it

i've seen the WWZ film...

the only two i've read are listed together
Rainbows End by Vernor Virge
The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Did you get my ilxmail daniel?

oh just saw it, thanks!

I’ve only got two here, against the day & damned utd. Love both & could vote for either

Oh wait I’ve also read world war z (ok for what it is) and liseys story (really detest this)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Wherein We Elect Our Favourite Novels of 2007