8.10.2009

Gaddis recs?

If I wanted to try something by William Gaddis, what should I start with?

5 comments:

cfp said...

"The Recognitions" is the big gorilla, right? I tried reading it and failed, but you seem to have better luck with humongous literature. The NBA blog recently profiled JR and made me want to read it.

Grendel said...

Yes, I read that profile too and that's partly what sparked this question! I was only hoping to narrow down the choices based on a rec by a trusted personal source...

professorjfox said...

The Tunnel. Huge, difficult, but his most ambitious and famous.

Grendel said...

I suppose if you delete the "ddi" and add an "s" you may have something there.

Savoring the Narrative Arts said...

Tough question actually. JR is amazing but really forbidding. TR is easier to get into but is so massive. I found A Frolic of His Own to be a great intro to Willie goodness, but you should promise yourself you'll go back for one of the biggies later in life. Or maybe you'll end up reading all four plus Agape Agape in just a couple years like I did.

If you do opt for The Recognitions you get one of the most perfect and devastating finishes of any novel I've read. Stunning.