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04/03/2007
4 Novelists
4 Novelists
As stated in another post, I read a LOT of books.
I reckon I get through about 20-30 novels a year, and that's just on my lunch break at work.
I've read many, many authors, but there seems to be 4 that I keep coming back to again and again to see what else they've written and add them to my library.
In no particular order then, here are the 4:
Rankin
Ian Rankin, also known sometimes as Jack Harvey, is what I would describe as a modern Noir writer. He writes detective stories mainly with his number one character; DI Rebus an ex SAS soldier turned copper and now very much the worse for ware. Thing is Rebus is clever, he breaks the rules we all know are nonsense, gets punished, which means so little to him, but gets results.
It's great writing. There are now so many books in the series you could jump in anywhere and just read.
George
Elizabeth George. She also writes detective stories, but this time rather than Rankin's dirty alcoholic Rebus, it's Inspector Lynley, a blue blood aristocrat who joined the met. He has a slobby partner Barbara Havers and together they solve crimes. It's the sort of summary that you'd think would be on daytime TV along with Quincey (there is in fact a TV series, I've seen one and am still trying to forget it. I advise against watching it.)
In reality, these are some of the most well thought out stories you'll ever read. The writing from George is in a real class of it's own. She manages to convey horror and despair from characters that are so well developed you'll be believing by page 1. As said, the summary sound like it should be a British Romp from a couple of do-gooders, but if you want a level of realism seldom seen before, this is it. My first george was "In the presence of the enemy" a great start, but feel free to jump in anywhere. Again, like Rankin, there are a lot in the series now.
Elton
Well, what can you say about Ben Elton. The original Motor Mouth, creator of The Young Ones & Black Adder, and now creator of musicals like We Will Rock You.
I picked up my first Elton novel a few years ago on a whim to see what it was like. Stark was the novel and instead of it being a poor story full of silly dirty jokes, it turned out to be a very thought provoking book, a sort of modern parable. I've read a lot more of his books now and the theme to his writing seems to be to offer us alternative viewpoints that are hard pressed to argue against, views that stop you in your tracks and make you notice that what you though were lovely new clothes are in fact invisible. These stories are usually served with massive amounts of superb humour and unusually, very emotional and sensitive moments.
I've put Inconceivable as the picture here, it's a great example of Elton at his most funny and most sensitive. Please dont watch the film (Maybe Baby) it bears so little resemblence to this superb book.
Clancy
Tom Clancy, a monster of a writer. If you ever thought you were getting little book for your buck then buy one of his tomes. I found LeCarre a little depressing, I loved Forsythe, but have read nearly all of his. I tried Clancy and realised I'd hit gold. Clancy's magic is to take the most outrageous plots and make them too realistic. For instance, I remember reading a review on Amazon suggesting the idea of a terrorist hijacking a plane to fly into the congress building just too far fetched, it was written years before 9/11 !
Clancy has 2 main heroes, that occasionaly overlap. Jack Ryan, who you've probably seen in Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games etc and John Clarke, who made an appearance in Sum of all Fears (film). between the 2 of them they save the Western world, and sometimes, the whole world from madmen and terrorists. I delved right into the middle of these books when I started, but I'm now trying to read them in order. If you want to do the same then start with Without Remorse, a John Clarke book giving the origins of the man who is destined to run Rainbow 6.
So, to finish off. If you like your books, and like the quality of language and characterisation as well as being entertained by a very good story, any of the above can help you out.
My standard for a good writer is they leave you with a character that does'nt die when the last page is finished.
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