I’d like to read a book from Richard Powers. His work seems to be close to the one of some authors that I’ve been interested in recently like David Foster Wallace, Pynchon and De Lillo.
However, I’ve noticed that with these authors it is often a hit or miss… I’ve absolutely adored Withe Noise but couldn’t get to finish Libra, loved The crying of lot 49 but didn’t like Vineland etc. Of course it is largely personal, but having opinions from people that have read multiple books from an author usually helps me to start with the right book.
I was very tempted by Gain just because I’m interested in the topics (capitalism, economy) but a lot of reviews on goodreads say that they have found the book disappointing compared to other books by the author.
It is also worth mentioning that I’m not a native English speaker. I haven’t encountered any particular problem while reading De Lillo or Foster Wallace, however the linguistic aspect did tire me quite a lot while reading Pynchon, do you think I’ll encounter a similar problem with Powers? How complex and/or experimental he is when it comes to language ?
by Erodiade
2 Comments
*The Overstory* is one of my favorite books, so I’d say start there! I didn’t think the language was difficult, and his prose is really nice to read.
The Gold bug Variations was my first and favorite. Nice tie in of form, symbolism, and plot. All with a compelling plot and characters you can’t help but invest in. Reminded me a bit of Gravity’s Rainbow in the way the structure echos the science. Don’t let the dense poem on the first page hold you back.
Overstory is amazing, but perhaps a bit over the top for some folks. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
My SO did not enjoy Bewilderment. I’m conflicted on starting it based on her reactions.