Comments on: The Great American Novel http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/ Christopher Lydon in conversation on arts, ideas and politics Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:09:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Liza Hockaday http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-329844 Liza Hockaday Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:38:18 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-329844 hurley ..."My nomination for the Great American Novel is William Gaddis’ JR, with Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow somewhere in the running." I also agree with you on your nomination. I mean, there is a reason why Pulitzer Prize jury on fiction supported Gravity's Rainbow for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1974 if I remember that correctly. However catcher in the rye is up there in my list as well. hurley …”My nomination for the Great American Novel is William Gaddis’ JR, with Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow somewhere in the running.” I also agree with you on your nomination. I mean, there is a reason why Pulitzer Prize jury on fiction supported Gravity’s Rainbow for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1974 if I remember that correctly. However catcher in the rye is up there in my list as well.

]]> By: NIGEL BEALE NOTA BENE BOOKS » Blog Archive » Wood, Greif, Franklin and Johnson on the Future of the Novel http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74661 NIGEL BEALE NOTA BENE BOOKS » Blog Archive » Wood, Greif, Franklin and Johnson on the Future of the Novel Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:25:44 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74661 [...] of n+1 along with Ruth Franklin (The New Republic) and Dennis Loy Johnson (Moby Lives, again)on The Great American Novel and the NY Times poll topped by Toni Morrison’s Beloved… from a couple of years [...] [...] of n+1 along with Ruth Franklin (The New Republic) and Dennis Loy Johnson (Moby Lives, again)on The Great American Novel and the NY Times poll topped by Toni Morrison’s Beloved… from a couple of years [...]

]]> By: carolyn rhea drapes http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74660 carolyn rhea drapes Thu, 10 Aug 2006 07:43:48 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74660 just discovered the photo link. thank you for choosing my image on flickr.com. chacal, el paso, texas. just discovered the photo link. thank you for choosing my image on flickr.com. chacal, el paso, texas.

]]> By: Talking Sweet About Nothing » Blog Archive » Summer Reading: Week 6 http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74659 Talking Sweet About Nothing » Blog Archive » Summer Reading: Week 6 Sun, 16 Jul 2006 09:41:35 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74659 [...] Since there has been a lot of dead time in the writing center, and because a discussion of the Great American Novel on Christopher Lydon’s Open Source peaked my interest on [...] [...] Since there has been a lot of dead time in the writing center, and because a discussion of the Great American Novel on Christopher Lydon’s Open Source peaked my interest on [...]

]]> By: thisuser http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74658 thisuser Sun, 11 Jun 2006 15:28:40 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74658 Hi All. Just heard the program and I can't believe no has mentioned this: Sampling Error. The reason that the NY times list didn't include any baby boomers is that the poll was done on on a group that likely had a lot of baby boomers in them who were grew up on the previous generation's work. Another way of saying this is that if the group being polled didn't read it, how would they know about it? Hi All. Just heard the program and I can’t believe no has mentioned this: Sampling Error. The reason that the NY times list didn’t include any baby boomers is that the poll was done on on a group that likely had a lot of baby boomers in them who were grew up on the previous generation’s work. Another way of saying this is that if the group being polled didn’t read it, how would they know about it?

]]> By: darwhin http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74657 darwhin Fri, 09 Jun 2006 09:19:13 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74657 i wonder whats the average age of the buyers of such novels anyways. because certainly the only time i felt a need to read such "great books" was when i was forced to in school. generally the "greatness" is lost on most of us. its the same with films. have you watched any of those "great" films at the top of critics lists and felt nothing? lists are just opinions, and labels such as "great american novel" are granted by a very narrow group of people. the need for novels is less. we have huge amount of entertainment mediums that did not exist until recently. we have world news that is instant, communications around the world that is instant. we have incredible amounts of information to assimilate. i'm sure the past was filled with empty leisure time and wide spread ignorance that drove people to novels. but that doesn't mean its some how superior because it has snob appeal. i wonder whats the average age of the buyers of such novels anyways. because certainly the only time i felt a need to read such “great books” was when i was forced to in school. generally the “greatness” is lost on most of us. its the same with films. have you watched any of those “great” films at the top of critics lists and felt nothing? lists are just opinions, and labels such as “great american novel” are granted by a very narrow group of people.

the need for novels is less. we have huge amount of entertainment mediums that did not exist until recently. we have world news that is instant, communications around the world that is instant. we have incredible amounts of information to assimilate. i’m sure the past was filled with empty leisure time and wide spread ignorance that drove people to novels. but that doesn’t mean its some how superior because it has snob appeal.

]]> By: farreDV http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74656 farreDV Thu, 01 Jun 2006 18:35:25 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74656 Thanks, Zeke. I have heard of Powers, so I'll keep him in mind. Bill J--you're right about Stephenson. I basically forgot about him for a while because I've found his Cryptonomicon over-written--and am not that interested in his current cycle. But I thought Diamond Age was magnificent. Thanks, Zeke. I have heard of Powers, so I’ll keep him in mind. Bill J–you’re right about Stephenson. I basically forgot about him for a while because I’ve found his Cryptonomicon over-written–and am not that interested in his current cycle. But I thought Diamond Age was magnificent.

]]> By: zeke317 http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74655 zeke317 Sat, 27 May 2006 22:58:34 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74655 farreDV--Someone mentioned Richard Powers earlier. He is a very worthy writer. Unlike Munroe or Salter, who write exquisite short stories about people and manners, I consider Powers a "big" writer of ideas. Having checked out your website, I think you might really like his work (if you haven't seen it already) because he writes about physics and cosmology and, in the book I just finished, Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance, the metaphysics of photography. My favorite is The Time of Our Singing. farreDV–Someone mentioned Richard Powers earlier. He is a very worthy writer. Unlike Munroe or Salter, who write exquisite short stories about people and manners, I consider Powers a “big” writer of ideas. Having checked out your website, I think you might really like his work (if you haven’t seen it already) because he writes about physics and cosmology and, in the book I just finished, Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance, the metaphysics of photography. My favorite is The Time of Our Singing.

]]> By: Bill Jankowski http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74654 Bill Jankowski Sat, 27 May 2006 03:12:01 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74654 I'm suprised that no-one mentioned anything about science fiction. Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash" had everything the panelists were ooking for - good writing, biting social commentary, forward looking. Similarly, Cory Doctorow's work (he's Canadian, though) meets the wickets of current, visionary, etc. The books and authors mentioned are all products of the literary establishment, whereas the greats of the past came from areas that were in flux - journalists, travelers, etc. In the adolescence of the internet, the great books are no longer straight fiction - those problems have been done. I’m suprised that no-one mentioned anything about science fiction. Neal Stephenson’s “Snow Crash” had everything the panelists were ooking for – good writing, biting social commentary, forward looking.

Similarly, Cory Doctorow’s work (he’s Canadian, though) meets the wickets of current, visionary, etc.

The books and authors mentioned are all products of the literary establishment, whereas the greats of the past came from areas that were in flux – journalists, travelers, etc. In the adolescence of the internet, the great books are no longer straight fiction – those problems have been done.

]]> By: farreDV http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74653 farreDV Fri, 26 May 2006 14:49:58 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/the-great-american-novel/#comment-74653 James Salter. Thanks for the tip, Zeke. I'll check him out! James Salter. Thanks for the tip, Zeke. I’ll check him out!

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