Chris Dietzel's Blog - Posts Tagged "bolano"
Top 5 Fictional Authors
Classic novels have given us memorable characters of all sorts, from heroes we never forget to villains we can never forgive. In this list, here are the top five most memorable fictional writers of all time.
5. Elizabeth Costello – Costello is J.M. Coetzee’s alter ego. Like Coetzee, she lectures about literature and animal rights. She also happens to be one of Coetzee’s less likeable characters because she is overbearing and obtuse. In addition to appearing in a couple of Coetzee’s works, an entire book is named after her.
4. Jack Torrance – “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Ever since a crazed Torrance wrote that over and over in Stephen King’s The Shining, readers and moviegoers have loved being terrified by the abusive and alcoholic writer. Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of Torrance helped elevate the fictional author to popular culture.
3. Benno von Archimboldi – 2666 is considered Roberto Bolano’s masterpiece and Archimboldi, a fictional German writer, is at the center of many of the plotlines in the story. At the beginning of the novel, he is introduced as an elusive writer who not even his most loyal critics and professors know much about and have never seen a picture of. At the end of the novel, you find out exactly who Archimboldi is and how his life has driven varying storylines to converge. The amount of mystery at one point, combined with the amount of depth throughout, makes Archimboldi impossible to forget.
2. Ellsworth Toohey – Toohey is a journalist and critic in Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead. He represents the embodiment of establishment opinion and the power of creating popular conformity. In the novel, Toohey starts off as a sort of bumbling and lowly critic, but as the story progresses you come to understand that he’s more powerful than the business owners and the men and women of true ability because he shapes the public’s opinion. How many times have we heard of a lackluster movie or book that became a success just because the critics all said it was great, or a movie or book of true genius that bombed because critics convinced people it wasn't worth their time? Toohey is the embodiment of that idea, and Rand’s success in using him to that end makes Toohey a highly underrated villain.
1. Kilgore Trout – Although the character was inspired by one of Kurt Vonnegut’s friends, in many lights, Trout is also Vonnegut’s alter ego. Like Vonnegut, Trout is a science fiction writer. Also like Vonnegut, many readers simply don’t know how to interpret much of Trout’s writing. He is noted as being a prolific writer and even writes his own memoir. Trout is mentioned or appears in almost a dozen of Vonnegut’s stories, most notably in Slaughterhouse-Five.
Honorable mention - Richard Bachman – Bachman was Stephen King’s pseudonym for many of his early novels and isn’t a fictional author in the classic sense. He’s included here because the idea of two different writing personas within one man, which is what Bachman represents, was King’s inspiration for The Dark Half. I include Bachman here because he went from being a pseudonym to a fictional author when King dedicated The Dark Half to "The late Richard Bachman."
5. Elizabeth Costello – Costello is J.M. Coetzee’s alter ego. Like Coetzee, she lectures about literature and animal rights. She also happens to be one of Coetzee’s less likeable characters because she is overbearing and obtuse. In addition to appearing in a couple of Coetzee’s works, an entire book is named after her.
4. Jack Torrance – “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Ever since a crazed Torrance wrote that over and over in Stephen King’s The Shining, readers and moviegoers have loved being terrified by the abusive and alcoholic writer. Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of Torrance helped elevate the fictional author to popular culture.
3. Benno von Archimboldi – 2666 is considered Roberto Bolano’s masterpiece and Archimboldi, a fictional German writer, is at the center of many of the plotlines in the story. At the beginning of the novel, he is introduced as an elusive writer who not even his most loyal critics and professors know much about and have never seen a picture of. At the end of the novel, you find out exactly who Archimboldi is and how his life has driven varying storylines to converge. The amount of mystery at one point, combined with the amount of depth throughout, makes Archimboldi impossible to forget.
2. Ellsworth Toohey – Toohey is a journalist and critic in Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead. He represents the embodiment of establishment opinion and the power of creating popular conformity. In the novel, Toohey starts off as a sort of bumbling and lowly critic, but as the story progresses you come to understand that he’s more powerful than the business owners and the men and women of true ability because he shapes the public’s opinion. How many times have we heard of a lackluster movie or book that became a success just because the critics all said it was great, or a movie or book of true genius that bombed because critics convinced people it wasn't worth their time? Toohey is the embodiment of that idea, and Rand’s success in using him to that end makes Toohey a highly underrated villain.
1. Kilgore Trout – Although the character was inspired by one of Kurt Vonnegut’s friends, in many lights, Trout is also Vonnegut’s alter ego. Like Vonnegut, Trout is a science fiction writer. Also like Vonnegut, many readers simply don’t know how to interpret much of Trout’s writing. He is noted as being a prolific writer and even writes his own memoir. Trout is mentioned or appears in almost a dozen of Vonnegut’s stories, most notably in Slaughterhouse-Five.
Honorable mention - Richard Bachman – Bachman was Stephen King’s pseudonym for many of his early novels and isn’t a fictional author in the classic sense. He’s included here because the idea of two different writing personas within one man, which is what Bachman represents, was King’s inspiration for The Dark Half. I include Bachman here because he went from being a pseudonym to a fictional author when King dedicated The Dark Half to "The late Richard Bachman."
Best Books Read of 2018
Each year, I look back at the books I’ve read. Here are the five books I read for the first time this year that I most enjoyed (regardless of when they were originally published).
5. The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights (1976) by John Steinbeck – Steinbeck is one of my all-time favorites authors, but I didn't even know this book existed until I found an old copy in a used book store. It’s incredibly neat that one of my writing idols translated Sir Thomas Malory's Arthurian tales from Middle English into modern English and then added a little bit to the stories where he felt gaps existed. The result is a series of tales that become accessible to current audiences. The best part for me, however, was the final 60 pages, containing Steinbeck's personal letters in which he discussed his approach to the translation. Steinbeck goes into detail on his approach to editing and translating, the problems he faced in both regards, and how he planned to fix those issues. Those pages in particular are a must read for anyone who has ever tried to edit or translate someone's work or likes insight into Steinbeck’s mind.
4. Hag-Seed: The Tempest Retold (2016) by Margaret Atwood - I started this book thinking it would be a 3-star. The premise didn't sound particularly exciting and I hadn't heard anything good or bad about it so I figured it would be lackluster. Immediately after starting it, however, I knew it would be at least a 4-star. As always, Atwood does a great job of using dialogue and dysfunction to keep you interested as the story unfolds. By the time I was half way through the book I knew I had deeply underestimated the story. I'm familiar with a bunch of modern Shakespearean re-envisions but this might be my favorite. The depth by which Atwood is able to retell The Tempest within her new setting while also having the actual Shakespearean play unfold as a plot point within that story is genius.
3. 2666 (2008) by Roberto Bolano – This is a large book (900 pages) but after only a few pages I already found myself invested in the story. Bolano’s intention was that the book be sold as five separate parts before being sold as one collected volume. Each part has a different but related story that converges into one brilliant storyline. The two parts dealing with fictional author Archimboldi (books 1 and 5) were my favorites but all were good. Bolano creates an epic tale that spans characters across the world. The result is well worth the long read. The only detraction is that the collected volume starts with an introduction that says it was Bolano's dying wish that the books be released separately before being released as one volume but the publisher and Bolano's family disagreed and published the collected version first. What is the goal of making a point to emphasize you went against a dying man's last wish? Other than that, great book.
2. The Buried Giant (2015) by Kazuo Ishiguro - On its surface this book is a fable that recounts an old couple wandering the lands in a post Arthurian world, looking for a son that left them long ago. In that context, the story was worth 4 stars for me until I got to the ending, which I didn't care for. However, I interpret the entire story as an allegory for an old couple looking back on their relationship together and all the struggles and decisions they had to make over decades together. Everything--the candles, the dragon, the fog, the warrior--are all devices to continue the metaphor of a relationship that went through tremendous challenges over the years. In that context, the story is superb and the ending is not only satisfying, it is perfect and incredibly touching.
1. Manuscript Found in Accra (2013) by Paulo Coelho – Another great book by Coelho, and maybe my favorite of his outside 'The Alchemist'. Coelho is at his very best here, using the story to convey wisdom of the world and lessons to help the reader feel like they can understand the nature of life. If you found Coelho because of 'The Alchemist', I would definitely recommend either this book or 'The Zahir' as the book of his that most provides a comparable experience.
Honorable mention. The Great Train Robbery (1979) by Michael Crichton – This isn’t included in the top 5 because it was my second time reading it. I originally read this in middle school and loved it. It was one of the reasons I spent a childhood summer reading everything I could find by Crichton and I think it might be my favorite of all of his books. It has a great blend of historical fiction, nonfiction, and the author's natural ability to provide a sense of excitement and adventure. Highly recommended even if you typically only enjoy Crichton's science fiction.
5. The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights (1976) by John Steinbeck – Steinbeck is one of my all-time favorites authors, but I didn't even know this book existed until I found an old copy in a used book store. It’s incredibly neat that one of my writing idols translated Sir Thomas Malory's Arthurian tales from Middle English into modern English and then added a little bit to the stories where he felt gaps existed. The result is a series of tales that become accessible to current audiences. The best part for me, however, was the final 60 pages, containing Steinbeck's personal letters in which he discussed his approach to the translation. Steinbeck goes into detail on his approach to editing and translating, the problems he faced in both regards, and how he planned to fix those issues. Those pages in particular are a must read for anyone who has ever tried to edit or translate someone's work or likes insight into Steinbeck’s mind.
4. Hag-Seed: The Tempest Retold (2016) by Margaret Atwood - I started this book thinking it would be a 3-star. The premise didn't sound particularly exciting and I hadn't heard anything good or bad about it so I figured it would be lackluster. Immediately after starting it, however, I knew it would be at least a 4-star. As always, Atwood does a great job of using dialogue and dysfunction to keep you interested as the story unfolds. By the time I was half way through the book I knew I had deeply underestimated the story. I'm familiar with a bunch of modern Shakespearean re-envisions but this might be my favorite. The depth by which Atwood is able to retell The Tempest within her new setting while also having the actual Shakespearean play unfold as a plot point within that story is genius.
3. 2666 (2008) by Roberto Bolano – This is a large book (900 pages) but after only a few pages I already found myself invested in the story. Bolano’s intention was that the book be sold as five separate parts before being sold as one collected volume. Each part has a different but related story that converges into one brilliant storyline. The two parts dealing with fictional author Archimboldi (books 1 and 5) were my favorites but all were good. Bolano creates an epic tale that spans characters across the world. The result is well worth the long read. The only detraction is that the collected volume starts with an introduction that says it was Bolano's dying wish that the books be released separately before being released as one volume but the publisher and Bolano's family disagreed and published the collected version first. What is the goal of making a point to emphasize you went against a dying man's last wish? Other than that, great book.
2. The Buried Giant (2015) by Kazuo Ishiguro - On its surface this book is a fable that recounts an old couple wandering the lands in a post Arthurian world, looking for a son that left them long ago. In that context, the story was worth 4 stars for me until I got to the ending, which I didn't care for. However, I interpret the entire story as an allegory for an old couple looking back on their relationship together and all the struggles and decisions they had to make over decades together. Everything--the candles, the dragon, the fog, the warrior--are all devices to continue the metaphor of a relationship that went through tremendous challenges over the years. In that context, the story is superb and the ending is not only satisfying, it is perfect and incredibly touching.
1. Manuscript Found in Accra (2013) by Paulo Coelho – Another great book by Coelho, and maybe my favorite of his outside 'The Alchemist'. Coelho is at his very best here, using the story to convey wisdom of the world and lessons to help the reader feel like they can understand the nature of life. If you found Coelho because of 'The Alchemist', I would definitely recommend either this book or 'The Zahir' as the book of his that most provides a comparable experience.
Honorable mention. The Great Train Robbery (1979) by Michael Crichton – This isn’t included in the top 5 because it was my second time reading it. I originally read this in middle school and loved it. It was one of the reasons I spent a childhood summer reading everything I could find by Crichton and I think it might be my favorite of all of his books. It has a great blend of historical fiction, nonfiction, and the author's natural ability to provide a sense of excitement and adventure. Highly recommended even if you typically only enjoy Crichton's science fiction.
