Kurt Vonnegut dead at 84

[Steely Dan]

Wow!... This is getting confusing with the Wolfe's...

 

I know it is from Wiki... But, this about Thomas (Clayton) Wolfe... ie: You Can't Go Home Again:

 

After Wolfe's death, William Faulkner, considered by many to be the best writer of the Lost Generation-era, said that Wolfe was his generation's best writer; Faulkner listed himself as second. Wolfe's influence extends to the writings of famous Beat writer Jack Kerouac, and he remains one of the most important writers in modern American literature.

 

Any literary historians out there? Where they related?

 

??

 

Thomas Clayton Wolfe begat Thomas Wolfe with his wife Virginia Wolfe, who he was desperately afraid of. They had another son Nero who became a private detective of some note. Nero had a son named Gene Wolfe, so named because he had the famous Wolfe genes. It seems the families writing prowess is developed through a exercise they call the electric kool-aid acid test. A man in full, they say, must pass this test in order to have the right stuff to be a fantastic writer. The family has also been known to enjoy swapping stories while camping around a bonfire of the vanities. For some reason the family is constantly remodeling the bathrooms in their house. All of them were somehow related to writing of some literary merit.

 

The Wolfe's are often times confused with wolves which are dog like creatures that forage and hunt in packs in the forests. They have no known literary writings to speak of and nobody knows why. When asked why they say it's rough. Interestingly this answer is also how they describe sandpaper and the greatest baseball player who they all seem to believe is Ruth. They also say rough when asked what is the best way to develop a character throughout a novel. Is it careful study of vignette's of a life or just a list of attitudes espoused by the character in contrived situations? Why they say this nobody understands and it seems to point to a very limited vocabulary that is probably the main reason they don't write. That and the lack of opposable thumbs.

 

Anyway the Wolfe's have all achieved very interesting levels of success. The family also has a line of wool sweaters which they all wear thus making them Wolfe's in sheeps clothing. This business was started by Virginia.

 

There's your answer.

[Sketch Soland]

What about Fitzgerald, Keruac, Wolfe, Salinger, Irving? America has had many great authors

 

Yes, as Exiled noted, I did specifically say "two most influential and original" 20th Century American Authors. Fitzgerald, Kerouac, Salinger, and Irving (I assume you mean John) I would definitely put on a shortlist of the Great 20th Century American Authors. Ken Kesey is another to be mentioned. Saul Bellow would be on there if he wasn't Canadian. Philip Roth is definitely on there. Norman Mailer. So there's been a lot of great authors. But in terms of the uniqueness of their prose and the influence that their unique styles had on writers that came after them, I would have to say Faulkner and Vonnegut. Faulkner is an absolute no-brainer, imo. Vonnegut takes the number 2 slot because, as Slothrop noted and I would agree with, he bridged the gap between all the post-modernesque writers that came after him and the modernist writers of the past through his combination of so many different genres and styles of writing while still keeping his prose as sparse and succinct as it was.

 

Edit: I also find Thomas Wolfe to maybe be the most overrated author out there, so he's definitely not on my shortlist.

 

IMO

[DrDawkinstein]

you guys can debate all you want. Vonnegut was the best.

[Sketch Soland]

Thomas Clayton Wolfe begat Thomas Wolfe with his wife Virginia Wolfe, who he was desperately afraid of. They had another son Nero who became a private detective of some note. Nero had a son named Gene Wolfe, so named because he had the famous Wolfe genes. It seems the families writing prowess is developed through a exercise they call the electric kool-aid acid test. A man in full, they say, must pass this test in order to have the right stuff to be a fantastic writer. The family has also been known to enjoy swapping stories while camping around a bonfire of the vanities. For some reason the family is constantly remodeling the bathrooms in their house. All of them were somehow related to writing of some literary merit.

 

The Wolfe's are often times confused with wolves which are dog like creatures that forage and hunt in packs in the forests. They have no known literary writings to speak of and nobody knows why. When asked why they say it's rough. Interestingly this answer is also how they describe sandpaper and the greatest baseball player who they all seem to believe is Ruth. They also say rough when asked what is the best way to develop a character throughout a novel. Is it careful study of vignette's of a life or just a list of attitudes espoused by the character in contrived situations? Why they say this nobody understands and it seems to point to a very limited vocabulary that is probably the main reason they don't write. That and the lack of opposable thumbs.

 

Anyway the Wolfe's have all achieved very interesting levels of success. The family also has a line of wool sweaters which they all wear thus making them Wolfe's in sheeps clothing. This business was started by Virginia.

 

There's your answer.

 

:devil:

 

Who knew the truth was so much stranger than the fiction!

[slothrop]

Yes, as Exiled noted, I did specifically say "two most influential and original" 20th Century American Authors. Fitzgerald, Kerouac, Salinger, and Irving (I assume you mean John) I would definitely put on a shortlist of the Great 20th Century American Authors. Ken Kesey is another to be mentioned. Saul Bellow would be on there if he wasn't Canadian. Philip Roth is definitely on there. Norman Mailer. So there's been a lot of great authors. But in terms of the uniqueness of their prose and the influence that their unique styles had on writers that came after them, I would have to say Faulkner and Vonnegut. Faulkner is an absolute no-brainer, imo. Vonnegut takes the number 2 slot because, as Slothrop noted and I would agree with, he bridged the gap between all the post-modernesque writers that came after him and the modernist writers of the past through his combination of so many different genres and styles of writing while still keeping his prose as sparse and succinct as it was.

 

Edit: I also find Thomas Wolfe to maybe be the most overrated author out there, so he's definitely not on my shortlist.

 

IMO

 

In my opinion I think Pynchon and Faulkner are the "most influencial" in the 20th century. I would also not underestimate Don Delillo or Doctorow. These are authors who I feel pushed the genre forward. Here are others (this is a open list - not exclusive. I I thought about this more than five minutes I would add many others):

 

- Vonnegut

- Faulkner

- Kerouac

- Toni Morrison

- james baldwin

- Pynchon

- Delillo

- Doctorow

-

[Sketch Soland]

In my opinion I think Pynchon and Faulkner are the "most influencial" in the 20th century. I would also not underestimate Don Delillo or Doctorow. These are authors who I feel pushed the genre forward. Here are others (this is a open list - not exclusive. I I thought about this more than five minutes I would add many others):

 

- Vonnegut

- Faulkner

- Kerouac

- Toni Morrison

- james baldwin

- Pynchon

- Delillo

- Doctorow

-

 

Yeah, I forgot DeLillo; I read Underworld and Libra and he is definitely on my list. Toni Morrison, can't leave her off. Baldwin, same thing. Doctorow, I don't know much about, I will have to defer to others there. We should also throw Henry Miller into the discussion here somewhere.

 

In terms of Pynchon, he of course is definitely on the shortlist but I almost think the jury is still out on him in terms of how highly he will place in terms of influence (which he obviously has had a lot, the huge post-modern American novel has been in vogue since Gravity's Rainbow, see Powers and what's his name, the guy who wrote "Infinite Jest" as examples) But Pynchon is a much loved/hated kind of writer. His acclaim is not as universal as Faulkner nor does his work generally resonate through a generation like Vonnegut's did, imho. He would not make my top 2 most influential and original 20th century Author list but that is not a slight to him (You could argue that Gravity's Rainbow is the most impressive novel written by an American author in the 20th century, for example).

[Steely Dan]

I hate to admit that I've never read all of those authors but I would say two more 20th century writers I really like are Sherwood Anderson and Willa Cather. Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg Ohio novel is great as well as influential. Also Willa Cather who wrote my favorite short story of all time; "Neighbor Rosicky".

[slothrop]

Yeah, I forgot DeLillo; I read Underworld and Libra and he is definitely on my list. Toni Morrison, can't leave her off. Baldwin, same thing. Doctorow, I don't know much about, I will have to defer to others there. We should also throw Henry Miller into the discussion here somewhere.

 

In terms of Pynchon, he of course is definitely on the shortlist but I almost think the jury is still out on him in terms of how highly he will place in terms of influence (which he obviously has had a lot, the huge post-modern American novel has been in vogue since Gravity's Rainbow, see Powers and what's his name, the guy who wrote "Infinite Jest" as examples) But Pynchon is a much loved/hated kind of writer. His acclaim is not as universal as Faulkner nor does his work generally resonate through a generation like Vonnegut's did, imho. He would not make my top 2 most influential and original 20th century Author list but that is not a slight to him (You could argue that Gravity's Rainbow is the most impressive novel written by an American author in the 20th century, for example).

 

I actually think Mason & Dixon and "V" are Pynchon's best works. The author of Infinite Jest is David Foster Wallace. I really do not like him. THere are two predominate theories regarding Wallace. Either he has tried to mirror Pynchon and Delillo or he wrote an elaborate parody, thus the title.

 

By the way, I think Delillo's Underworld is one of the top five novels ever written. It truly is a masterpiece.

[RuntheDamnBall]

I actually think Mason & Dixon and "V" are Pynchon's best works. The author of Infinite Jest is David Foster Wallace. I really do not like him. THere are two predominate theories regarding Wallace. Either he has tried to mirror Pynchon and Delillo or he wrote an elaborate parody, thus the title.

 

By the way, I think Delillo's Underworld is one of the top five novels ever written. It truly is a masterpiece.

I'm looking forward to reading Pynchon (have only read the bite-size Crying of Lot 49) but I think Infinite Jest is a masterful work about three diseases: addiction, entertainment and consumerism -- and the intersections thereof. It took me several tries to get through the first 150 pages but I was off to the races after that. Couldn't put it down. I'm curious to know why you really don't like DFW... Have you read IJ in its entirety? His essays (the one about the cruise ship is hysterical)?

 

I have read "White Noise" and enjoyed it immensely also.

 

A more modest and understated, but also very lovely post-apocalyptic novel also came out recently. I know Oprah gave it her seal of approval, but nonetheless I'd recommend Cormac McCarthy's The Road.

[generaLee83]

dead at 84

 

I can't think of a writer who meant more to me. He was a true original.

 

From Cat's Cradle:

 

Tiger got to hunt

Bird got to fly

Man got to ask himself, "why why why?"

 

Tiger got to rest

Bird got to land

Man got to tell himself, "I understand"

 

This bums me out big time, I got into Vonnegut after reading all of Chuck Palahniuk's novels. I've only read Cat's Cradle but I plan on reading his entire collection before my life ends.

 

Very witty, observant and intelligent, bummer.

[slothrop]

I'm looking forward to reading Pynchon (have only read the bite-size Crying of Lot 49) but I think Infinite Jest is a masterful work about three diseases: addiction, entertainment and consumerism -- and the intersections thereof. It took me several tries to get through the first 150 pages but I was off to the races after that. Couldn't put it down. I'm curious to know why you really don't like DFW... Have you read IJ in its entirety? His essays (the one about the cruise ship is hysterical)?

 

I have read "White Noise" and enjoyed it immensely also.

 

A more modest and understated, but also very lovely post-apocalyptic novel also came out recently. I know Oprah gave it her seal of approval, but nonetheless I'd recommend Cormac McCarthy's The Road.

 

I can't remember what my first Pynchon novel was - it may have been The Crying of Lot49. For a GREAT pynchon resource visit the wiki page for his new novel, "Against the Day." There are links to other Wiki pages for his other works.

 

I will check out "The Road." I admit that I have never heard of it.

[Sketch Soland]

A more modest and understated, but also very lovely post-apocalyptic novel also came out recently. I know Oprah gave it her seal of approval, but nonetheless I'd recommend Cormac McCarthy's The Road.

 

"The Road" just won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

 

It's like 15 dollars on Amazon, hardcover. Now I've got to read it.