Favorite Writer

Who is your favorite writer and why?

George Orwell is certainly #1 for me. Nineteen Eighty Four is the best and creepiest book I have ever read. The idea of "Newspeak" still sends shivers down my spine. If you have not read it yet, then you're missing out on something amazing. Animal Farm is of course another masterpiece by Orwell which I recommend to anybody

I too love Orwell's writings. 1984 has an important theme that anyone should read. Animal farm is also a great book, as it shows the gradual slip into tyranny a society can face.

I really liked Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. It's really interesting to see a story with a theme of such importance told through the eyes of a 6 year old girl. Plus its meaning extends well beyond prejudice, and is very relevant in todays world where Gay Marriage is such a big issue.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier and a lot of Ray Bradbury's books like Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles are great too.

Can't say that a really have any but if I must choose then
Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

First and foremost Alexandre Dumas, pere.

Following that, probably...hm....Ivan Turgenev or Lev Tolstoy.

First and foremost Alexandre Dumas, pere.

The quality of his work is so inconsistent.
His best books are my all time favourites but in the same time some of his works are barely readable at all.

I'm not sure who my favourite writer is, but I definitely know that J.R.R. Tolkien, Frank Herbert and Anthony Beevor are on the list..

Originally Posted by Trax

The quality of hisw work is so inconsistent.
His best books are my all time favourites but in the same time some of his works are barely readable at all.

Well, every writer has his downsides (I agree that Dumas has quite a few), but all of his works that I have read have been absolutely stellar: The Valois Romances (and the Two Dianas), The Three Musketeers novels, Comte de Monte Cristo, The Black Tulip.....all are excellent novels.


Actually, I think I remember having a discussion with you about the Forty Five Guardsmen, about why it ended so suddenly, as if it were never finished

Orwell is a very, very good author, and his books are still fresh in my mind. Only finished Animal Farm two days ago. I'd like to put up JD Salinger, as Catcher in the Rye is one of the most insightful books into the contemporary teenage mind I've ever seen, but the rest of his books just don't come up to par. And JRR Tolkein, too, although I love his books his writing is just too complex for me - maybe that's good for some people, but not for me. I dunno, no definite favourite writer, there's one for each genre I guess.

Hands down, Chuck Palahniuk

The Valois Romances

Hmmm
Queen Margot - good but not stellar
Monsoreau - very good, I've read it 5+ times I think
45 - good but unfinished?
By the way, have you seen the superb Russian miniseries about the Margot and Monsoreau?

Anyway, my favourite from Dumas is probably 20 years after, even better than the Three Musketeers itself.

Originally Posted by Trax

Hmmm
Queen Margot - good but not stellar
Monsoreau - very good, I've read it 5+ times I think
45 - good but unfinished?
By the way, have you seen the superb Russian miniseries about the Margot and Monsoreau?

Anyway, my favourite from Dumas is probably 20 years after, even better than the Three Musketeers itself.

Perhaps stellar was not the best word, but definitely quality works.

No, I haven't, but I think my uncle's store has it in video, so I'll ask about it. As for my favourite Dumas work, I have to say The Three Musketeers. All three volumes of the Musketeers romances were great, but I have to say the first did it for me; don't know why. Maybe it was because it was the first Dumas that I read.

Mr. Wilde

Why? the wit.

I can't believe all you Orwell fans havn't mentioned Huxley. The two gotta be read together.

http://www.conniggulden.com/?page_id=26

Conn Iggulden

Thats why

Well, quite clearly nobody here can possibly decide who their absolute favourite writer is, so I shall break the rules and give you a sample:

Leo Tolstoy
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
George Orwell
George Macdonald Fraser
Evelyn Waugh
J.R.R. Tolkien
Anthony Burgess
Vladimir Nabokov
Robert Graves
Emile Zola
Oscar Wilde

To me there's just too many great authors to be able to declare that there can be only one. So i'll compromise with a list.

Victor Hugo-I've only read Les Miserables but that was such a great book that he deserves a mention.

George r r Martin-As far as the fantasy genre goes his song of ice and fire series is hard to beat.

Robin Hobb-Another fantasy writer but one i can't get enough of.

James clavell- For Shogun. all of his other works are dreadful from what i have read.

I know i'm forgetting several authors but i'll edit them in later.

Originally Posted by ~The Doctor~

You deserve negative infinite rep points for that post.

Trax: I definitely will check it out

No, I haven't, but I think my uncle's store has it in video, so I'll ask about it.

The second one is the most faithful adaptions of any book ever, it practically follows the dialogue word by word. Don't remember much about the first one, it was too long ago.

God.