The Catcher in the Rye discussion

There has been a post about overrated books so I was wondering if anyone can think of any books they feel are underrated. I would suggest Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter.

I am glad someone has started this message thread. I attempted the same several months ago with Little response
Oxygen Man
Smail
Star Café
Last Exit to Brooklyn
Memoirs of a Geisha
SotWeed Factor
The Little Engine that Could
A Wrinkle in Time
Wheel on the Roof
Dr. Schweitzer of Lamburene

It's difficult to define "underrated," for instance, Memoirs of a Geisha has been highly praised, both critically and popularly. I thought of it, too, but then reconsidered after thinking about all the publicity and acclaim it's had.

El sueño del celta.
Couldn't find the English title on Goodreads, but it should be something like "The Dream of the Celt".

I agree with "Last Exit to Brooklyn"

Renee
Yes, I believe the book is even better than all its accolades. It probably won´t be read 100 years from now, but it deserves to be a contemporary classic.

Bill Hicks Love All the People: The Essential Bill Hicks

Geoffrey wrote: "Renee
Yes, I believe the book is even better than all its accolades. It probably won´t be read 100 years from now, but it deserves to be a contemporary classic."

Oh, I agree with you. I thought it a more stunning accomplishment in all facets than One Hundred Years of Solitude, but what do I know? ;-)

Paul, you are right, the title of the English edition actually is The Dream of the Celt but for some reason it isn't listed on Goodreads.

I can think of several books that are underrated, or were a success in their time but are not read much now, or have been eclipsed by their authors' other work.

Trouble in July
Elmer Gantry
The Moon is Down
Bright Day
The Return of the Soldier
Ashenden
Journey Among Warriors

Geoffrey wrote: "I am glad someone has started this message thread. I attempted the same several months ago with Little response
Oxygen Man
Smail
Star Café
Last Exit to Brooklyn
Memoirs of a Geisha
SotWeed Factor
T..."

I consider "The Sot Weed Factor" one of the three funniest books I've read in over 50 years as a reader. It goes with:

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.

Manray9 wrote: "Geoffrey wrote: "I am glad someone has started this message thread. I attempted the same several months ago with Little response
Oxygen Man
Smail
Star Café
Last Exit to Brooklyn
Memoirs of a Geisha..."

Greatly admire the Bulgakov myself.

Mike wrote: "Manray9 wrote: "Geoffrey wrote: "I am glad someone has started this message thread. I attempted the same several months ago with Little response
Oxygen Man
Smail
Star Café
Last Exit to Brooklyn
Mem..."

Have you read "Heart of a Dog?"

Manray9 wrote: "Mike wrote: "Manray9 wrote: "Geoffrey wrote: "I am glad someone has started this message thread. I attempted the same several months ago with Little response
Oxygen Man
Smail
Star Café
Last Exit to..."
Yes! Brilliant. Now that is definitely underrated. At least The Master and Margarita is still widely read; I don't think many people in the west have read Heart of a Dog, although there's an excellent translation.

I should also have added The Bridge of San Luis Rey - a big success when published but seems not to be much read now.

Mike wrote: "Manray9 wrote: "Mike wrote: "Manray9 wrote: "Geoffrey wrote: "I am glad someone has started this message thread. I attempted the same several months ago with Little response
Oxygen Man
Smail
Star C..."

And going back to John Barth, underrated is "The Floating Opera."

Mike wrote: "I should also have added The Bridge of San Luis Rey - a big success when published but seems not to be much read now."

True. It was an assigned book when I was in 8th grade.

Mike wrote: "I should also have added The Bridge of San Luis Rey - a big success when published but seems not to be much read now."

Or what about The Moviegoer by Walker Percy. I never read it, I don`t believe it was popular, but the critics loved it.
Or V by Pynchon I believe
Or Herzog by Bellow
Or THE HORSES MOUTH by Joyce Cary
Or Hopscotch by Cortazar.

I`ve never read any of these, have always wanted to, know they are held in high esteem by the pundits and literati, but they simply are not particularly popular books.

Yes, SotWeed Factor was a bellyful of laughs. I read it for a lit course in my senior year. I would read a few chapters, wait for the roomie to return and give him the synopsis. He loved every minute of non reading and daily would ask me to keep him updated. It was a tear wrenching read with the tears rolling down our cheeks from its humor.

I did read Herzog; it is good, but I was probably too young to appreciate it. Apparently Bellow said he never meant it to be read by many people. His Seize the Day made more of an impression - actually I think that is underrated.

I completely agree where The Master and Margarita is concerned, a truly wonderful novel for which there is no praise too lavish.

Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There

Not just a story for children, or a book of nonsensical tales, the work of a highly organized mind of matchless creativity, full of relevance to and revenants of society, humanity, Life, The Universe and Everything.

With a side of sly sarcasms delicately seasoned with fresh grated irony.

Oh! Add Jack Cady's anthology, The Night We Buried Road Dog to my Underrated Offerings.

The best way I can describe Cady is he's at least a couple of rungs up the evolutionary ladder from Jack London — not lessening London, raising the art.

In the blue light of african dreams by paul watkins

Here's my "underrated" shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Linda wrote: "There has been a post about overrated books so I was wondering if anyone can think of any books they feel are underrated. I would suggest Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter."

The Little Engine that Could
A Clockwork Orange
Like Water for Chocolate

Renee wrote: "Oh! Add Jack Cady's anthology, The Night We Buried Road Dog to my Underrated Offerings.

The best way I can describe Cady is he's at least a couple of rungs up the evolutionary ladder from Jack Lo..."

Cady does look interesting - I'd never heard of him; and while we're on the subject of Jack London, this doesn't seem to be read widely now but is wonderful: The Mutiny of the Elsinore.

In my opinion there are many turkish writers that have excelent books but are underrated. Such author is Orhan Pamuk, and I love all of his work but my favourite is Snow. Also, since I'm from Balkans, I can recomend many great books from native authors that are absolute classics in our schools but western world mostly haven't heard about them at all.

Mensi wrote: "In my opinion there are many turkish writers that have excelent books but are underrated. Such author is Orhan Pamuk, and I love all of his work but my favourite is Snow. Also, since I'm from Balka..."

Mensi: Name a few of these writers for me.

Mensi wrote: "In my opinion there are many turkish writers that have excelent books but are underrated. Such author is Orhan Pamuk, and I love all of his work but my favourite is Snow. Also, since I'm from Balka..."


Maybe you could compile a list of works from the Balkans that you believe would interest western readers? Would be great!

Kenny wrote: "Bill Hicks Love All the People: The Essential Bill Hicks"

Now, that's one I'll definitely check out. Bill Hicks, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, George Carlin. The Four Horsemen of the American Apocalypse....

Brooke wrote: "Here's my "underrated" shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list..."

"Private" shelf...

Manray9 wrote: "Mensi wrote: "In my opinion there are many turkish writers that have excelent books but are underrated. Such author is Orhan Pamuk, and I love all of his work but my favourite is Snow. Also, since ..."

My favourite turkish authors are Elif Safak, Ayfer Tunc, Ece Temelkuran, Nedim Gursel and Murat Uyurkulak. It is important to understand how dual turkish society is befor you start reading their books. On one side there is a secular state, and on the other is islamic upbringing and way of life.Many books are exploring an internal conflict of a person living in such surroundings.

Paul Martin wrote: "Mensi wrote: "In my opinion there are many turkish writers that have excelent books but are underrated. Such author is Orhan Pamuk, and I love all of his work but my favourite is Snow. Also, since ..."

Here is my list for you. It contains many authors from different time periods. My proposition is to start with contemporary authors like Abdulah Sidran and Miljenko Jergović. Also,Branislav Nušić is well liked for his humorous dramas and it's fun stuf to read.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Mensi wrote: "Manray9 wrote: "Mensi wrote: "In my opinion there are many turkish writers that have excelent books but are underrated. Such author is Orhan Pamuk, and I love all of his work but my favourite is Sn..."

Thanks, Mensi.

Mensi wrote: Here is my list for you."

Thank you!

Some random ones:

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
The Chill
A Confederacy of Dunces
Sex and Sunsets
Without Feathers
The Partly Cloudy Patriot
Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned
How to Talk Dirty and Influence People

I think, as a whole, just about anything classified as "genre" or "popular," immediately gets dismissed without due consideration of its merits.

Sure, there's plenty of it that fair-to-middling, some quite horrid, but there are gems there that are ignored by the public at large and little known to those other than fans of that genre.

Gene Wolfe, in general
Frank Herbert's Dune
Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes (popular, but not generally given the serious weight of his contemporaries)
Stephen King, when he's not being self-indulgent

I believe One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has a place on this list.

Robert wrote: "I think, as a whole, just about anything classified as "genre" or "popular," immediately gets dismissed without due consideration of its merits."

There's a kind of blow-back reaction to things that become a popular success. A friend of mine was talking about fashion, not books, but the idea does apply. She said, "Fashion changes, and as soon as it’s hot, it’s dumb...." The pop culture demands constant change and new material. It doesn't have to be significant change, but there's got to be some sense that something is new.

For our purposes, though, that might be an working definition of "over-rated." If it falls out of fashion then that is a pretty good indication that it was a fashion in the first place.

Gary wrote: "Robert wrote: "I think, as a whole, just about anything classified as "genre" or "popular," immediately gets dismissed without due consideration of its merits."

There's a kind of blow-back reaction to things that become a popular success. A friend of mine was talking about fashion, not books, but the idea does apply. She said, "Fashion changes, and as soon as it’s hot, it’s dumb...." ..."

Ah, the Hipsterocrisy.

Kipling. Popular, politically incorrect. The Rubens of literature. Kim, especially, was loved by Twain, T.S. Elliot and Henry James. To name a few.

Mick wrote: "Kipling. Popular, politically incorrect. The Rubens of literature. Kim, especially, was loved by Twain, T.S. Elliot and Henry James. To name a few."
I agree with you, I really liked Kim. It has some great descriptions of indian costumes and landscape.

Gotta say, of all Kipling's work, my favorite, O my Best Beloved, is Just So Stories. :D

Linda wrote: "There has been a post about overrated books so I was wondering if anyone can think of any books they feel are underrated. I would suggest Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter."

Yes, Angela Carter in general I think, though 'The Company of Wolves' was made into a movie that too was underrated. I liked 'Last Exit to Brooklyn' (again, at least a film adaptation was made). But Dawn Powell, Joy Williams, Deborah Eisenberg, Valerie Martin, Paula Fox; these writers are wonderful and original in every way, and nearly unknown to the general reading public.

I don't understand how someone as famous and generally read as Kipling can be called underrated. If so, I would have to add Thomas Hardy, who was excoriated for 'Jude the Obscure' and Kate Chopin likewise, after 'The Awakening.'

Kipling may be famous and generally read, but he's also looked down on.

Gary wrote: "Kenny wrote: "Bill Hicks Love All the People: The Essential Bill Hicks"

Now, that's one I'll definitely check out. Bill Hicks, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, George ..."

Just reading the introduction is a journey of it's own. I think it can be a very enlightening journey for some.

Kenny wrote: "Gary wrote: "Kenny wrote: "Bill Hicks Love All the People: The Essential Bill Hicks"

Now, that's one I'll definitely check out. Bill Hicks, Lenny Bruce, Richard P..."

Thanks. I really like Bill Hicks and didn't know about this book.

Hopscotch is only underrated if you're not a spanish speaker: otherwise it's incredibly ubiquitous, even to the point of overrating it, I think. Young latin people who want to pass off as cool use it as a bible, pretty much.

I have to second whoever said A Visit from the Goon Squad; that is one wild-ass, messy, weird, fantastic book. I'll also back those of you who've pointed out A Confederacy of Dunces. It's a curious case: every time someone asks this question that book is top of the list. One would think a book with so many passionate accolades would have broken into the main canon by now.

And for my own contributions to the list, I'll pitch in The Crow Road, by Iain Banks and The 25th Hour, by David Benioff, as extremely engaging and well-written modern novels which some people read, but are nowhere near breaking into the canon. Coincidentally, Banks's has one of the best opening sentences I've ever read, and Benioff's one of the best closing passages. In addition, I'd point out Doctorow's Ragtime as a book that gets a ton of respect in academic circles, but hardly any readers outside of them. This shouldn't be; I concede that its historical references make it a read for the cultured, but it's also morally stirring and funny as hell.

Kenny wrote: "Bill Hicks Love All the People: The Essential Bill Hicks"

bill hicks was a genius, a true genius, maybe thats not the right word, maybe he was something else. whatever it was he really KNEW.

Mensi wrote: "Paul Martin wrote: "Mensi wrote: "In my opinion there are many turkish writers that have excelent books but are underrated. Such author is Orhan Pamuk, and I love all of his work but my favourite i..."

Thanks for your list. I also like 'The Bridge on the Drina' by Andric and Pamuk's 'Snow.'

'God's Snake' by Irini Spanidou is a keeper.

Robert Drewe's 'The Shark Net': A memoir, but so much more than that because Drewe evokes a creepily familiar culture. It's also funny without trying to be.