Excluding the most popular ones (ex. Jane Austin) who is your favorite "classic" female author?

Question

I'm trying to broaden my horizons I am aware of Jane Austin, Emily Bronte, Louise May Alcott, Laura Inglis and even Mary Shelley and Ann Franks but I'm sure there are a lot more and perhaps better female novelists representing a wide variety of genres. Who is your favorite, what genre did she write and what titles would you recommend?

Answer 1

Kate Chopin: The Awakening. It's been a while since I read that novel, but it's one that is dominated not only by a character I have come to care about, but a situation that smacks of raw, humanity...but it's subtle...understated.

Of more modern authors I would have to say Maxine Hong-Kingston. She rocks. The novel that first introduced me to her wild and freewheeling creativity and considerable intelligence was a novel rather improbably named: Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book

If you're into the genres of science fiction and fantasy, then I'd suggest ANYTHING by Octavia E. Butler and Ursula K. LeGuin. Both authors take an enlightened "anthropological" approach to the worlds/characters that they write about. By LeGuin, I would suggest her classic "The Dispossessed" or "The Left Hand of Darkness" as well as the more recent "The Telling."

From Octavia E. Butler, I would suggest the "Xenogenesis" novels: Dawn, Imago, and Adulthood Rites--currently collected in a single volume called Lilith's Brood, and as an great introduction to her body of work, I'd also suggest reading "Bloodchild and other Stories." Unfortunately, Ms Butler passed away all too recently, and so her body of work is not nearly as extensive as it should be. She was a brilliant writer and a keenly perceptive, indeed regal woman.

While I am on the topic, I'd also suggest Toni Morrison's entire body of work, but particularly the novel "Jazz" which was just one of those novels that touches on such profound humanity that you're left breathless by the end of it. In this novel, she describes a "deep down, spooky love" and WOW...you feel every horrendous moment of it and are richer for the experience.

Answer 2

All of these are fiction...not sure of really specific genres.

Catherine gaskin....A Falcon For a Queen and also Fiona

Mary Roberts Rineheart...The Door (Mystery)

Catherine Cookson...The Mallen Girl, The Mallen Streak
The Mallen Litter

Daphne Du Maurier...Rebecca

L.M Montgomery....Pat of Silver Bush, Mistress Pat (sequel to Pat of Silver Bush) Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea and many more sequels to anne...

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings...The Yearling...one of my favorite books ever..enduring classic.


Christine Weston...The Dark Wood

Charlotte Bronte... Jane Eyre
Emily Bronte...Wuthering Heights
Anne Bronte... Agnes Grey

Laverne Gay..Wine of Satan: A Tale of Bohemond Prince of Antioch

Phillipa Carr....The Witch from the Sea

Pearl S Buck... The Good Earth

Mrs. Henry de la Pasteur....The Man from America

George Eliot....Silas Marner

Answer 3

George Eliot (real name Mary Ann Evans) wrote Adam Bede and Mill on the Floss, Daniel Deronda. Deals with social issues in England in 19th Century, looks at a wider social spectrum than Austin.

Answer 4

You should definitely read EVELINA by Fanny Burney (Frances Burney). I discovered her in college taking a women's lit class. Her book was one of everyone's favorites. Others we read that semester were more well known (Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Middlemarch, etc) but no one had ever heard of Fanny Burney...and everyone loved her.

Elizabeth Gaskell is another woman novelist. We read Cranford as a class, although I don't think that was her most well-known book. I did not care for Cranford, but I have a good friend who loves some of her other books. So you might want to give her a try as well.

Zora Neale Hurston is one of my favorites. Again, someone I discovered through a literature class in college. I fell in love with her work--her short stories, her novels, her folklore collections. I really made a point of seeking out her work and devouring it.

Kate Chopin is another favorite of mine. I read The Awakening in college...and while I didn't love it...too sad for me...I did fall in love with her short stories. She has so many great short stories to read.

Dorothy Parker has some great short stories to read as well. I'm not sure if she ever wrote any novels...but I know she wrote poetry and short stories.

And Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind is definitely worth a read if you haven't read it yet. It is so good.

Edith Wharton, I've only read her short stories, but I know she wrote novels as well.

Answer 5

There are several that have been underrated. Charlotte Perkins Gilman is one of them Her most notable works include "The Yellow Wallpaper" ( a tale about a woman driven to the brink of insanity by the "rest cure" she is ordered to follow by her doctor to relieve her postpartum depression), & "Herland" (a story in which three men stumble upon a Utopian land of women only).

Edith Wharton & Kate Chopin (listed by someone else as well) have similar writing styles are equally good.

George Sand's "Indiana" is one of my favorite books. I feel that most of her literature has been overshadowed by works by other female authors.
She also led a fascinating life of her own so you may want to read a biography about her as well.
Below is a link for more information about her.

Answer 6

Hi,

As one of my favorite classic female authors,
I would love to say,

Katherine Mansfield.

I love the poetry of her feelings in her works and sentences.


They are stylish rather than classic, but let me pick up my favorite other female authors as follows:

Danielle Steel - somewhere, sometime, someday
Nora Roberts - affection and compassion
Mary Higgins Clark - romantic suspense

I feel something strong and deep from their works.

Answer 7

"Midnight Rider" - The Allman Brothers Band "Midnight Caller" - Badfinger "The Midnight Special" - CCR "Midnight Confession" - The Grass Roots "Sister Midnight" - Iggy Pop "After Midnight" - J.J. Cale "Midnight Man" - The James Gang "Hamburger Midnight" - Little Feat "In The Midnight Hour" - Wilson Pickett "South City Midnight Lad - The Doobie Brothers "Midnight Blue - Lou Gramm "Midnight Rambler" - The Rolling Stones "Midnight Train To Georgia" - Gladys Knight & the Pips "MIdnight Flyer" - The Eagles BQ - Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd BQ2 - Potato Chips or Cheese Crackers

Answer 8

I loved Ayn Rand. She wrote "The Fountain Head", "Atlas Shrugged", and "We the Living". Her books were based around her theory of "ojectivism..."a philosophy for living on earth." I don't know what else to tell you except her theories were interesting and her stories were wonderful. Another good book is "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.

Answer 9

Zora Neale Hurston.

fiction.

most know for: Their Eyes were Watching God

and: Mules and Men.

Answer 10

Elizabeth Gaskell....her books 'mary barton', 'north and south', and 'wives and daughters', are classics, which must be read.