The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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DIANE'S TASK - POSTHUMOUSLY SPEAKING
When you say "undead" does a vampire count?
Any suggestions for books told by a narrator who is dead? Or how to find this out without having too much given away about the plot? One suggestion I have is Murther and Walking Spirits by Robertson Davies (who is also a Canadian author). This was my introduction to Davies and I enjoyed it.
I am most likely reading Death of an Ordinary Man since I already own it.Other options are:
The Late, Lamented Molly Marx A Novel
Saving Fish from Drowning A Novel
The Lovely Bones
Everlost
A Certain Slant of Light
ETA: this is for the 'narrator' part of the task
i assume The Book Thief would count. Plus any books narrated by a vampire, like Midnight Sun or Breaking DawnThough I wonder if Cynthia is finding a difference between a book told in first person and third person, where the main character is obvious, but not technically the narrator?
Is Midnight Sun published? That would be an interesting choice. Cait, Death of an Ordinary Man sounds really interesting.
For the second part of the task (book published after author's death), I highly recommend The Third Policeman by Flann O'BrienOther options are:
Persuasion and Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen
The Mystery of Edwin Drood - Charles Dickens
Suite Française - Irene Nemirovsky
Armageddon in Retrospect - Kurt Vonnegut
Anne Frank The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank
The Master and Margarita - Mikhail Bulgakov
Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor was also published posthumously. That's another book I highly recommend.
Wikipedia has a list of posthumous works with a section on lit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_published_posthumously
Petra wrote: "Any suggestions for books told by a narrator who is dead?"To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip José Farmer
Already Dead by Charlie Huston
Letters from Hades by Jeffrey Thomas
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/books..."Some of Thornton Wilder's Our Town A Play in Three Acts (referenced several times by Sebold) is told from the perspective of the dead, as is Flann O'Brien's The Third Policeman, the first chapter of Orhan Pamuk's My Name Is Red ("I am nothing but a corpse now, a body at the bottom of a well"), and Thomas Gray's An Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, to name but a few examples."
Petra wrote: "Any suggestions for books told by a narrator who is dead? Or how to find this out without having too much given away about the plot? One suggestion I have is Murther and Walking Spirits
Another suggestion is The Lovely Bones
itpdx wrote: "Petra wrote: "Any suggestions for books told by a narrator who is dead? Or how to find this out without having too much given away about the plot? One suggestion I have is [book:Murther and Walki..."
The Steig Larrson Trilogy which starts with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was published posthumously.
Petra wrote: "Is Midnight Sun published? That would be an interesting choice."No, it's not. It's not even completed. But you can read the partial draft (which is great, and over 100 pages) on Stephenie Meyer's website: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/midnightsun.html
I also want to second A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb. It's REALLY good.
Has anyone read Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin? Is it good?
Mod
Narrating after death is a theme in many YA books
The Wish List
The Heavenly Village
Family
The Afterlife
The Great Blue Yonder
Restless
Sara ♥ wrote: Has anyone read Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin? Is it good?I haven't read it, but that's what I plan to read for this task. I put it on my TBR after I read a review that Zevin did on Catching Fire. I liked the things she said about it, so I thought if we were in mutual agreement about a book, then maybe I'd also like her book.
Yeah, it's been on my TBR list for a long time... I should just go ahead and read it....
There is a book, published a few years back, that starts with the death of the narrator in a freak bowling accident. It is in the Heaven Can Wait mold. Would either of those books qualify as having dead narrators?
Sara ♥ wrote: "Petra wrote: "Is Midnight Sun published? That would be an interesting choice."No, it's not. It's not even completed. But you can read the partial draft (which is great, and over 100 pages) on S..."
Despite being over 100 pages, does a partial draft of a book count? I wouldn't think so.
Any idea of whether she'll ever finish and publish this book?
itpdx wrote: "Petra wrote: "Any suggestions for books told by a narrator who is dead? Or how to find this out without having too much given away about the plot? One suggestion I have is Murther and Walking Spirits
Another suggestion is The Lovely Bones..."
Thanks, itpdx! I'm one of the few who didn't like The Lovely Bones.
People have been using Midnight Sun for the Fall Challenge... *shrugs* 
Sara☺ wrote: "When you say "undead" does a vampire count?"Yes.
Sara ♥ wrote: "People have been using Midnight Sun for the Fall Challenge... *shrugs* Cynthia? Diane?"I would accept the Midnight Sun draft.
Cait wrote: "For the second part of the task (book published after author's death), I highly recommend The Third Policeman by Flann O'BrienOther options are:
Persuasion and [book:Nort..."
Thanks Cait for all of the great suggestions!
Bridgit wrote: "i assume The Book Thief would count. Plus any books narrated by a vampire, like Midnight Sun or Breaking DawnThough I wonder if Cynthia is finding a difference between a book told in..."
Bridgit wrote: "i assume The Book Thief would count. Plus any books narrated by a vampire, like Midnight Sun or Breaking Dawn
Though I wonder if Cynthia is finding a difference between a book told in..."
The book has to be actually narrated by a deceased character. It does not have to be the main character of the book. The book can even be narrated by Death itself, as in The Book Thief.
Greyweather wrote: "Petra wrote: "Any suggestions for books told by a narrator who is dead?"To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip José Farmer
..."
As an added wrinkle, Philip Jose Farmer died this year, so this could be used used for task 15.0. Thus it would also qualify for Jan's 25 point Multi-Tasking task.
Diane - this might be a stretch but what about a character (or two in this case) who is stuck between life and death?Thanks!
I imagine Peony in Love would work since the dead narration takes place within the first couple of chapters?Oh YES! Posthumous! I can now fit Played with Fire!!
I saw the title A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb mentioned a couple of times in this thread, and I want to add that I also LOVED this YA read.
Rebecca wrote: "Diane - this might be a stretch but what about a character (or two in this case) who is stuck between life and death?Thanks!"
I'll accept that!
Deedee wrote: "Mort by Terry Pratchett -- the lead character is Death (complete w/black cowl and sickle)."Yes!
Tanja wrote: "I imagine Peony in Love would work since the dead narration takes place within the first couple of chapters?Oh YES! Posthumous! I can now fit Played with Fire!!"
That would work.
Diane wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "Diane - this might be a stretch but what about a character (or two in this case) who is stuck between life and death?Thanks!"
I'll accept that!"
Thanks Diane!
In the Forests of the Night is another good YA book that avoids most of the cliches of the teen-vampire genre
Diane wrote: "Tanja wrote: "I imagine Peony in Love would work since the dead narration takes place within the first couple of chapters?Oh YES! Posthumous! I can now fit Played with Fire!!"
Diane's Response: That would work.
..."
Hi Diane: Were you saying that Peony in Love, Played with Fire or both titles work? I'm hoping Peony in Love is okayed for this task as it's been sitting on my bookshelf for awhile now.
She was saying Peony in Love is good. :) I figured since there are some Lisa See fans out there, they may want to read it. I HIGHLY recommend. I <3.The Girl Who Played With Fire fits the 2nd part of the task - the author's books were published posthumously.
Tanja wrote: "She was saying Peony in Love is good. :) I figured since there are some Lisa See fans out there, they may want to read it. I HIGHLY recommend. I <3.The Girl Who Played With Fire fits the 2nd pa..."
Cool, thanks for the response Tanja! I'll pencil it in as one of the possibilities for this task.
As a teenager, I loved Remember Me by Christopher Pike, in which the main character is dead. I don't know if I'd enjoy it as much these days, but I suppose it's another option for those who enjoy YA.
Some suggestions for part B:The Last Theorem by Arthur C. Clarke
For Us, The Living: A Comedy of Customs by Robert A. Heinlein
Variable Star by Robert A. Heinlein
The Trial by Franz Kafka
The Castle by Franz Kafka
Psycho Shop by Alfred Bester and Roger Zelazny
Petra wrote: "Is Midnight Sun published? That would be an interesting choice. Cait, Death of an Ordinary Man sounds really interesting. "
Midnight Sun can be found on Stephanie Mayer's site. It is technically not published. It is Edward's pov of Twilight. I have read it and it is good. I am sadden she won't finish it.
Mod
First person narration can be very hard to determine without reading the book.
Jayme wrote: "I am sadden she won't finish it. ..."
If it's not finished, can it be used for this task? I had hoped she'd finish it one day but can't say I'm too surprised that she won't. She was probably greatly disappointed at the story having been leaked.
Deedee wrote: "Here's another fantasy novel with Death as a character: On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony."You might to double check and see if the narrator is 3rd person or 1st person. If it's not 1st person, then it doesn't work for the task, and I'm pretty sure the narrator isn't the main character.
Jamie wrote: "As a teenager, I loved Remember Me by Christopher Pike, in which the main character is dead. I don't know if I'd enjoy it as much these days, but I suppose it's another option for thos..."I have read this many, many times since the first time I read it, when I was 12. I still love this book. Maybe I will use it for this challenge!
The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
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Our Town (other topics)
The Mercy of Thin Air (other topics)
Versailles (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Brandon Sanderson (other topics)Robert Jordan (other topics)
Brandon Sanderson (other topics)
Robert Jordan (other topics)
Mary Ann Shaffer (other topics)
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A. Read A Fiction Book Told By A Narrator Who Is Deceased While Telling The Story (I.E. The Lovely Bones, Elsewhere, Or Stories Told By Characters Who Are Among The "Undead").
AND
B. Read Either Fiction Or Non-Fiction Book That Was First Published After The Death Of The Author (I.E. Maurice A Novel By E.M. Forster, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society By Mary Ann Shaffer) .
If you need suggestions for books to read for this task post a request here.