Twice recently, I have accidentally traced writers that I greatly admire to their genesis. This first happened with Bukowski. I've read (and loved) almost all of Bukowski's novels. Then, a couple of months ago, I read Hemingway's A Moveable Feast. Within the first few pages, I recognised the lean, tell-it-how-it-is narrative style, and I cursed myself for wasting so much time with Bukowski when I could have been reading Hemingway. A Moveable Feast was an amazing book.
And now I've done it again. I read somewhere that Dave Eggers was a big fan of Kurt Vonnegut. That might be worth a look then, I thought. Fuck me - it's the best writing I've read in years. Again, you can see how the style is appropriated by Eggers - the rambling anecdotes told in a stream of consciousness, not afraid to mess with any idea of a traditional narrative. I'm just grateful that I found him.
But then, I'm sure that both Hemingway and Vonnegut have their influences, which I am yet to find. So they are not the genesis, but rather the next step back in evolution. Perhaps I will continue to work my way backwards through the history of the novel. If I work it just right, I can end with Don Quixote on my death bed (having first read everything inbetween).
2 comments:
Vonnegut rules. Read 'Slaugherhouse 5'.
I read 'The Old Man and the Sea' before going to Cuba earlier this year, and found it sorely lacking.
ok you fat lazy pig-sliggin flap of amusing cheese, ive had enough waiting around... when's thee gonna blog about something??
Post a Comment