As I stated in the prelude to an EzineArticle I recently posted, “Four Authors of Classical Contemporary Literature Defined the Craft of Writing Perfect Prose,” it would be absurd to proffer that anyone’s suggested reading material is superior to anyone else’s. I certainly make no such claim, now, only that I’ve found the novels that follow to be attractive for the reasons stated.

From a chronological perspective, the last time I employed this list with a workshop group, it was spread over 15 months. With an eye toward balancing the word count in
a reasonable manner, I segregated the material into three sections (hence, five months
to complete each section). Obviously, the important issue is to read and learn from the material, not the time frame associated with doing so, but people seemed to appreciate
it being set up this way, so I am doing the same for this article also.

If a serious writer will read (or reread) these novels, I don’t think it would be immodest to state that this person’s writing can only become more proficient. So, to good reading and better writing, here is the list, along with a brief explanation of the Purpose and Rationale behind suggesting this material.

PURPOSE

Reading from these selected works will provide the background necessary for understanding the nuances of form and structure.

READING RATIONALE

One of the most daunting problems with any structured reading program is currency. For this reason, every selection in the following group will be contemporary, in that none of the material was published prior to the 20th century. Although not limited to these, selections will encompass treatments related to Style Nuance, Story Threads, Pacing Elements, Theme Development Techniques, Dialogue Cant, Paragraph Style, Chapter Patterning, and Punctuation Subtleties.

“First 5 Month Reading Program”

Group 1 – Read one from group

1) A CURTAIN OF GREEN, by Eudora Welty. Seventeen short stories, some of
which will stand your hair on edge. Not horror, but what I refer to as pure noir writing,
even though it’s doesn’t fall into the traditional bleak and present danger definition. Ms. Welty won a Pulitzer Prize and about every other award one can win for literary achievement.

2) A SHIP OF FOOLS, by Katherine Anne Porter. Another Pulitzer Prize Winner.
A deep story that exposes human frailty, amongst a host of other things.

3) AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY, by Theodore Dreiser. Since I am from Indiana, I had to select one Hoosier writer. Just kidding. Mr. Dreiser’s story is a treatment of what happens when there is a hole in the social fabric.

Group 2 – Read one from group

1) GOD’S LITTLE ACRE, Erskine Caldwell. The book was one of the all-time best-sellers. In his lifetime, Mr. Caldwell’s books exceeded 80 million sales. This story will illustrate cant and how dialogue develops depth of characterization.

2) THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD, by Zora Hurston. Oprah made her famous, but a member of the literati rediscovered her much earlier, sadly, well after Ms. Hurston’s death. Many feel that the novel begins with one of the most brilliant opening paragraphs ever written. She also wrote a metaphor for the ages, which I won’t describe in the hope you will read the book. Again, this is a treatment of how cant in dialogue creates characters that we remember.

Group 3 – Read one from group

1) GLITZ, by Elmore Leonard. Known as much for his skill at pacing as for his dialogue, this is my favorite of his works from the perspective of the story line; liking it
so much that I’ve read it three times.

2) THE DA VINCI CODE, by Dan Brown. One of the best-selling stories of all time.
And for those who have enjoyed finding fault with it, I have not heard anyone disparage
its pacing. As you might have guessed, this group of stories is about pacing.

3) ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Perhaps thought to be
a weird placement with the other works in this group, yet with a child’s short attention span, nothing exemplifies the need for great pacing than when writing in the Children’s genre.

Group 4 – Read one from group

LONESOME DOVE, by Larry McMurtry. He won a Pulitzer for this work and it is an example of fluent prose writing at its best. Also not a half-bad story.

THE POISONWOOD BIBLE, by Barbara Kingsolver. One of my all-time favorites.
A “layered” story with a fabulous history lesson as a byproduct.

THE THORN BIRDS, by Colleen McCullough. Another book that is an example of fluent prose writing at its very finest.

Each of these novels demonstrates what the phrase “writing redemptive characters” means.

End of Part 1

“Second 5 Month Reading Program”

Group 5 Read one from group

ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. A story that traces many generations of a family, from its beginning until its ultimate demise. Mr. Marquez won a Nobel Prize, in large measure for this work.

THE FORSYTHE SAGA, by John Galsworthy. Another Nobel Prize winner. A multi-layered treatment of a complex family tree, along with the perfect illustration of creating conflict between the lead characters.

Group 6 Read one from group

USA, by John Dos Passos. A novel in trilogy form that at first blush is a history
lesson which details the Socialist movement in America after WWI and beyond the Great Depression. But it is much more of a literary treatment than a historical novel. The format for inserting material so the reader can sense the cultural perspectives of the era is unique to anything I have read.

RAGTIME, by E. L. Doctorow. Multiple inserts on the order of USA, but the threads are carried throughout the book, making it impossible not to become invested with the various characters.

Group 7 Read one from group

THE CONFESSION OF NAT TURNER, by William Styron. Another Pulitzer Prize Winner. We have discussed this novel in our workshops because the entire work is written in back-story (or flashback, if you prefer), demonstrating that it can be done.

A COLOR PURPLE, by Alice Walker. Still another Pulitzer Prize recipient. This work is presented in its entirety in epistolary form, via a series of letters, and is another exceptional example of stylistic variation.

DOLORES CLAIBORNE, by Stephen King. In this instance viewed for his skill-sets
and not for the horror genre for which he is best known, he is a true genius who can write anything, as William Goldman expressed so well. This book is 90,000 words of pure monologue without one adverb attribute. This is a quintessential example of characterization developed via dialogue, and worth studying as to how this is achieved.

Group 8 Read one from group

TO THE LIGHTHOUSE, by Virginia Woolf. Once it is recognized that this is stream-
of-consciousness writing, it is not as difficult to understand or accept as a style. The importance is that a work such as this enables a writer to become more creative.

THE SOUND AND THE FURY, by William Faulkner. Should you choose to read the novel, read it from the beginning with a Norton’s Criticism so you can better understand
how Faulkner uses Benji to expand the stream-of-consciousness concept. Develop an understanding of this, and it will reward you greatly as a writer.

End of Part 2

“Third 5 Month Reading Program”

Group 9 Read one from group

HOT SPRINGS, by Stephen Hunter. Great tale, in my opinion, by a very skilled writer. Big change of pace from the recent material. Again, pay particular attention to the pacing.

ONE MORE SUNDAY, or CONDOMINIUM, by John D. MacDonald. Famous for Travis McGee stories. If you should choose to read him, either book will depict a topical story that is easy to read, again demonstrating the value of writing prose in a fluent manner.

Group 10 Read both

THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE, by Evan Hunter. Hugely popular story that is important because of the visceral nature of the writing and the surprise ending.

KISS, by Ed McBain. Ed McBain is the pen name under which Evan Hunter writes his 87th Precinct novels. The purpose of each of these suggestions is to detect the subtleties in the style of both novels written for different genres by the same author.

Group 11 Read one from group

THE JOY LUCK CLUB, by Amy Tan. The story and the writing demonstrate ways
to incorporate a foreign culture into the fabric of a work through the eyes of several characters.

THE RIVER SUTRA, by Gita Mehta. Another instance of bringing the reader into another culture.

THE GOOD EARTH, By Pearl Buck. She did not win a Nobel Prize for nothing. If
you have never read this story, it is not the Pollyanna some people think by the title. An incredible work of art expressing some harsh aspects of the Chinese culture and that there can be children in any family who do not respect what their parent’s have had to endure to provide a better life.

Group 12 Read all three

THE STRANGER, by Albert Camus.

THE VICTIM, by Saul Bellow

STEPPENWOLF, by Hermann Hesse.

What I find so exceptional about these novels is that this is the same story line treated
in a different way by three people who have each won a Noble Prize for Literature. See how this triumvirate of brilliant writers handled the identical theme.

Group 13 Read one from group

A THOUSAND ACRES, by Ann Smiley. Another Pulitzer Prize Winner. Conflict that expresses writing for dramatic effect at its best. The easiest of the three books in this group to read. And I wish I had Ms. Smiley for a neighbor.

BEACH MUSIC, by Pat Conroy. If you can stomach a dysfunctional family at its worst, this story brings out some of the best writing anyone could ask for. Just don’t expect a warm fuzzy feeling when you finish it. But the characterizations are spectacular, and you’ll learn something from reading this book.

BREATHING LESSONS, by Anne Tyler. Again, a Pulitzer winner, but this time a story without a redemptive character, proving once more that someone can write against the grain and be successful. The importance of this book is its brutal honesty.

End of the Suggested Reading Program to Improve Writing

Robert L. Bacon
robertlbacon@aol.com

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