I was thinking about those writers which I used to buy every book by, and automatically snap up new stuff by, until I finally realised they weren't actually any good any more. These 3 examples are all writers I loved when I was younger, and with whom I persisted too long...
Martin Amis: 'Night Train' wasn't much cop. But then 'Experience' was great. But 'Yellow Dog' really was as shit as everyone said. I even read the next one, 'House of Meetings', which I liked. But his new 9/11 book looks too shit even for me to buy. Will Self: Loved his first couple of collections. Told myself I was enjoying his novels more than I really did. Finally realised during 'Doctor Mukti' that he was too boring to keep reading. Hanif Kureishi: In retrospect, his first two novels were great and I should have stopped there. I really should have stopped after ploughing through 'Intimacy'. Gave up on 'The Body'. That was that.
― James Morrison, Sunday, 9 March 2008 07:17 (seventeen years ago)
Paul Auster: Timbuktu
― Hurting 2, Sunday, 9 March 2008 16:24 (seventeen years ago)
I feel your disillusionment with Martin Amis, Mr. Morrison. I will buy the new one on 9/11, though, as I enjoyed some of his recent ones, like 'Koba the Dread', 'Experience' and even 'House of Meetings'. His best, I think, is 'Time's Arrow'.
Douglas Coupland: Miss Wyoming Salman Rushdie: The Ground Beneath Her Feet John Irving: A Widow For One Year John Updike: Rabbit Redux
I handed out pink slips to these authors after the above works.
― Chelvis, Wednesday, 12 March 2008 18:14 (seventeen years ago)
I just knew this thread was going to be about Amis.
I'd be tempted to nominate The Dying Animal for Roth, but I think that'd be a bit harsh.
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 13 March 2008 22:28 (seventeen years ago)
I know what you mean about The Dying Animal, but then I loved his next 2 (Plot Against America, Everyman). Haven't read the newest one, though. I forgot about Rushdie. Whichever was the one about the writer in New York with the model girlfriend who'd been in a car accident ('Fury'? 'Faith'? Something like that.) was the last one I bothered with.
― James Morrison, Thursday, 13 March 2008 22:31 (seventeen years ago)
Really I like Timbuktu, I think it was the first Auster I read, but Leviathan was a really shite book.
― I know, right?, Saturday, 15 March 2008 04:44 (seventeen years ago)
I've had that a few times with Auster, whereas with Roth I can't remember a thing about The Dying Animal but have loved most of his other recent novels.
― Eazy, Friday, 21 March 2008 14:36 (seventeen years ago)
actually I dislike more Auster than I like so it's probably not a good example. I do remember that when I tried to read Book of Illusions I was dumbfounded at how much he seemed to be recycling himself.
― Hurting 2, Saturday, 22 March 2008 03:54 (seventeen years ago)