It's easy (for me, at least) to talk about books and writers that disappoint, so maybe it's time to talk about the ones that knock your socks off, the writers that astonish you with their prose. Not just good writing, or even really good writing, but extraordinary writing.
The books I've listed below aren't necessarily my favorites, though some are; they're not always heavy on plot, and a number are interrelated short stories—not my particular structure of choice.
Mainly, they're impressive for the sheer beauty of their prose and vision—the kind of writing that elicits a shiver and a..."how did they do that?" Some are fairly new releases, others have been around for a couple of years. Here's my list...so far.
| Kevin Brockmeier | — | The Illumination |
| Jennifer Egan | — | A Visit from the Goon Squad * |
| Louise Erdrich | — | A Plague of Doves |
| Jeffrey Eugenides | — | Middlesex |
| Jonathan Franzen | — | Freedom * |
| Nicole Krauss | — | Great House |
| David Mitchell | — | A Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet * and Cloud Atlas |
| Elizabeth Strout | — | Olive Kitteridge * |
| Zadie Smith | — | On Beauty * |
| (* Click on title for Reading Guide; click on * for our Book Review.) | ||
Of course, there are plenty of wonderful writers...really, really good ones. Some of my favorites are Kate Atkinson, Margaret Atwood (she probably should be on the superlative list), Anita Brookner, Michael Chabon, Jonathan Safran Foer, Elinor Lipman, China Mieville, Ann Patchett, Richard Russo, and Colm Toibin.
Let us know if you've got some superlatives...or some all-time favorites.