I love 20th century British literature. Authors like John Fowles, Iris Murdoch, Kazuo Ishiguro, Martin Amis, and Ian McEwan have been a huge influence on me. I just got back from visiting London for the first time and it reignited my interest in British writing.
Beryl Bainbridge is one of the notable 20th century British authors I’ve never read. I know her reputation as the Booker Bridesmaid. I was thinking about diving into Bainbridge, except she has such a large body of work I don’t know where to start. I am a big fan of historical novels, so I could start with one of her later books like Every Man For Himself or Master Georgie. I was thinking it might be better to start with one of her earlier books, like The Bottle Factory Outing, and then lead up to the histories. I’ve heard great things about An Awfully Big Adventure too.
For those who are familiar with Bainbridge, what do you think would be the best starting point for someone who has never read her before? I’d appreciate any recommendations!
by MoskalMedia
1 Comment
replying partly so I can monitor this thread. I’m a big fan of all that emotional-realism (just made that term up) lit of that time.
the only novel of hers i remember reading is injury time. it was thought provoking in a kind of depressing way, like a lot of the lit in that era. sort of in the huis clos mode, ie “everyone sucks”. I think too I may have been a little too inexperienced at the time to get the best out of it.