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I like this list and the logic behind a lot. But as a French speaker and reader and don't know how much I will enjoy the English book he recommend or how much I

I like this list and the logic behind a lot. But as a French speaker and reader and don't know how much I will enjoy the English book he recommend or how much I will gain from it. I like Calvino, Asimov, Aurelius but will I enjoy the English authors?; I would be quite intersted to have a list of book that you should read to understand English and/or American culture. Other list for chinese, japanese, ... would be interesting also :) . I like a lot that he gives the translator of the books the good one like Patrick Couton are unsung heroes.

wkirby 11y ago
I would also be curious to see these lists. As for understanding American culture, that's a _very_ interesting question: what America do you want to learn about? I might argue that for understanding the American identity that Mark Twain is essential reading --- but just by the nature of time, what he writes has little bearing on the literal facts of today's America. He won't address how computers and mass media affect our populace, but he _will_ touch on divided racial identities, struggles with the unknown, war, the power of geography to unite and divide... If you're looking for something more recent (and from my list), I believe that William Maxwell possesses a uniquely American voice. Hemingway and Faulkner are also both arguably quintessential American writers, and --- even though I discarded my copy of Gatsby --- F. Scott Fitzgerald will give you a fun weekend in. For truly contemporary work, I'd look at Jonathan Franzen, David Foster Wallace, Jonathan Safran Foer, Kurt Vonnegut, Cormac McCarthy, Philip Roth... These, of course, represent largely my own experience. You'll likely notice right off the bat that these are all white men. In addition to books that are cultural guides to other countries, I'd be interested in seeing a similar list composed by someone from a different socioeconomic, racial, or sexual background from myself.

wkirby 11y ago

I would also be curious to see these lists. As for understanding American culture, that's a _very_ interesting question: what America do you want to learn about? I might argue that for understanding the American identity that Mark Twain is essential reading --- but just by the nature of time, what he writes has little bearing on the literal facts of today's America. He won't address how computers and mass media affect our populace, but he _will_ touch on divided racial identities, struggles with the unknown, war, the power of geography to unite and divide... If you're looking for something more recent (and from my list), I believe that William Maxwell possesses a uniquely American voice. Hemingway and Faulkner are also both arguably quintessential American writers, and --- even though I discarded my copy of Gatsby --- F. Scott Fitzgerald will give you a fun weekend in. For truly contemporary work, I'd look at Jonathan Franzen, David Foster Wallace, Jonathan Safran Foer, Kurt Vonnegut, Cormac McCarthy, Philip Roth... These, of course, represent largely my own experience. You'll likely notice right off the bat that these are all white men. In addition to books that are cultural guides to other countries, I'd be interested in seeing a similar list composed by someone from a different socioeconomic, racial, or sexual background from myself.