tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890767940009117053.post2945178125637180081..comments2024-02-23T09:40:38.879+01:00Comments on Books of gold: Hey, English is not the only language in which fiction is written!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890767940009117053.post-60218247543781535412009-04-08T18:44:00.000+02:002009-04-08T18:44:00.000+02:00I agree that buying a book just because it has won...I agree that buying a book just because it has won a literary prize can be disappointing, but sometimes the lists can help you in the choice. I always read the plots and decide what I might and might not like.<BR/>What interests me is learning about new interesting writers and not all the book shops have the interesting books on the most visible shelves.<BR/>Personally I use a bit of everthing: reading reviews on the newspapers, following news on the writers I like and new books that come out and good old browsing in my favourite book shops.<BR/>Maybe I should read more classic and appreciate all the previous centuries'worth of great literature, as you say, but I have a soft spot for world literature, especially post-colonial literature so I follow the news and the prizes. About the classics, sometimes I feel that writing about them is useless because so much has been said already.Stefania - The Italian Backpackerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02208023950547260256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890767940009117053.post-55161088618940723282009-04-08T04:52:00.000+02:002009-04-08T04:52:00.000+02:00Stefania, thanks for the tip on "Azazeel." It sou...Stefania, thanks for the tip on "Azazeel." It sounds fascinating. While I agree that many Americans and Brits could/should read more international fiction than they do, I could care less what books win the prizes because I rarely (if ever) factor that into my book-buying decisions. I also think "guides" like the 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die lists are horribly "misguided": you'll never convince me that Ian McEwan has written 11 more "essential" books than Borges or Cortázar for example. I like browsing in bookstores of all types to get ideas on what to read next (we have a great foreign language bookstore near where I work, but the titles are often a little pricey due to import and shipping costs), but I also get book recommendations from course syllabi, graduate reading lists for master's degree and doctoral programs, interviews with authors I like, lit blogs written in foreign languages, etc. The various current book awards that you cover so well are interesting to read about to be sure, but they have virtually nothing to say about all the previous centuries' worth of great literature. This is more of a disappointment to me than the pro-English bias you mention. Sorry for the rant, but you said you wanted to hear from Americans who read directly in French and Spanish!Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01746599416342846897noreply@blogger.com