Caribbean Readers discussion

What are you Top Five books by Caribbean writers?

I found it hard to put these in a particular order, but here are my Top 5 so far:

Miguel Street - VS Naipual
Beka Lamb - Zee Edgell
Wide Sargasso Sea - Jean Rhys
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Mystic Masseur - VS Naipaul

Mine are not in any particular order either, but these are the ones I can think of while my students are working and I've got a second to catch my breath:

1. Omeros - Derek Walcott
2. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz (brand new book to my top books!!!)
3. A Small Place - Jamaica Kincaid
4. The Farming of Bones - Edwidge Danticat
5. Wide Sargasso Sea - Jean Rhys

If any of you have any recommendations...feel free to shoot them to me!

Holly --
My list is of favorite authors because I tend to read right through their list of works. I was a bit surprised by the selection of Jean Rhys. I have read the Wide Sargasso Sea and I would like to include her on a lit list. I am glad that she has a Caribbean connection.
I found the following definition at westindiesbooks.com:
"My definition of a "West Indian Author" is rather broad: Most West Indian authors were born and raised in the West Indies. Some were born elsewhere and parented by at least one West Indian. Others immigrated to the West Indies from another part of the globe."
And so, I am just going to list authors.
Derek Walcott
Jean Rhys
V. S. Naipaul
Jamaica Kincaid
Shiva Naipaul
Paule Marshall -- who qualifies under the above definition.
Tim

This is good! I also enjoy Derek Walcott and Jamaica Kincaid! FYI, Jean Rhys was born in Dominica... Here's a link to her wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Rhys

Looks like our tastes overlap! I also enjoy Edwidge, Derek, and Jamaica. "The Brief, Wondrous..." is amazing, no?!

Bertille David-Allahar
Difficult to choose just five but I'll have a stab at it.
Maria Elena-John - Unburnable
Austin Clarke - The Polished Hoe
Edwige Danticat - The Farming of Bones
Vidia Naipaul - Miguel Street
Lise Winer - Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago

In no particular order:

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat
Unburnable by Marie Elena Johns
The True History of Paradise by Margaret Cezair-Thompson
(tie) John Crow's Devil and The Book of Night Women by Marlon James

Also in no particular order:
Anthony Winkler - The Lunatic
Peter Abrahams - Mine Boy (Peter is really South African but has lived in Jamaica most of his life)
Marlon James - The Book of Night Women
V.S. Naipaul - Miguel Street & A House for Mr. Biswaus
Jamaica Kincaid

Also not in a particular order
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz
In The Time of the Butterfiles - Julia Alvarez
The Framing of the Bones - Edwidge Danticat
The True History of Paradise - Margaret Cezair-Thompson
The Book of Night Women - Marlon James

The True History of Paradise-Margaret Cezair-Thompson
The Pirates Daughter-Margaret Cezair-Thompson
Wide Sargasso Sea-Jean Rhys
The Farming of Bones - Edwidge Danticat
Miguel Street- V.S. Naipaul

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the work of the Jamaican novelist John Hearne. His first novel 'Voices under the Window' (1955) was recently republished and is available in paperback. It's the story of a privileged light-skinned Jamaican politician, who, on his deathbed, recalls the episodes in his life that have defined him. It touches on so many of the issues that still bedevil this island. His other works are sadly out of print, although copies of his last published novel 'The Sure Salvation' (1985) can still be obtained fairly easily. The first 25 pages are a masterclass in story telling and exposition.

While I can't contribute a list, I certainly enjoyed reading your nominations. And Derek, your note about John Hearne sent me researching. Thanks.

In no order of preference:

Miguel Street - V.S. Naipaul
Annie John - Jamaica Kinkaid
The Book of Night Women - Marlon James
Brighter Sun - Samuel Selvon
The Farming of Bones - Edwidge Danticat (I love most of her books)

Thank you for your recommendations! I have a syllabus of books for the next months :-)

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