I love it when an author takes characters from a classic book and makes reference to them- and does it well, I might add; this is a must- and a new, modern novel is written using these characters or the idea of them.
I like it when the idea is fresh and not just a re-hashing of the old novel because if it's just a re-hash then I would read the classic.
It can't be done in chick lit style or that will make me gag so most anything to do with Jane Austin is not what I am talking about. (Have any of you noticed that anytime anyone writes a novel that has to do with Austin it's usually chick lit, and bad?)
And it must be well written, and clever. I like clever.
Now, taking all the into account, I love to read fiction based on real people. I love that! Again, it must meet the criteria that it's well written, clever, smart, and not chick lit, and must be fresh.
All of this being said, I really enjoyed a book I read called Gatsby's Girl, where it took the idea of F. Scott Fitzgerald, a real author of The Great Gatsby and gave his life a twist. I loved this book! And in the same vain, I also read a historical fiction about Hemingway and it was well written but made me really hate Hemingway, called The Paris Wife. Another one I loved was Lucy which is again historical fiction about FDR and his life long love Lucy Mercer. Again, wonderful
And since I'm such a Gatsby lover, I also loved The Double Bind (sorry Bragger, I know it wasn't your fav and I am so sorry you didn't like it, and that I recommended something you didn't!). It's a psychological thriller that treats Gatsby characters like they are real life people, and it's awesome!!!!!
I just checked out a book from the library called The Little Women Letters. It sounds good, bringing back the March girls through their great-granddaughters and through letters that Jo, Amy, Meg, and Beth wrote to each other. I also have a copy of Loving about Frank Lloyd Wright I want to read, and Sunflowers about VanGogh- all historical fiction!
Something about this just makes me a happy reader. If anyone has any suggestions along these lines, I'd love to hear, especially bringing book characters to life, living in our modern world!
Mags
Professor! Long time, no see!
ReplyDeleteI just wandered back into the blogosphere after an embarrassingly long hiatus and wanted to reach out to my threes of long-lost friends =)
Anyway, in an effort to stay on topic, have you ever read Finn, by Jon Clinch? It basically tells the life story of Huckleberry Finn's father, including the bits that overlap with Twain's novel. And he actually provides a reason for why "Pap" was found dead and floating in a house in Huckleberry Finn. It's got some flaws, and it's a much darker story than the original, but it's definitely worth a read!
Anyway, missed you! Happy to be back! Chat with you soon!
Irb- as I live and breath, it's you! You're alive! OMG!!!!!!! I look longing at your blog on a regular basis and it breaks my heart to see nada, day after day, so welcome back to the world of the blogging. And we bloggers are SO much more cool than that evil Zuckerberg! *muwah*
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