Who is your favorite author and why?

Question

Just wondering

Answer 1

Hi Nauman,

When Herman Melville died in 1891, his works were already forgotten. They lay on dusty shelves for several decades until the poet T. S. Eliot rediscovered them and began to tout their author as an authentic genius. The world took notice, and now Melville is considered a literary giant.

Interestingly enough, the same was true for J. S. Bach. After his death in 1750, the contrapuntal music he perfected was considered old fashioned and stale. People totally forgot about him until the mid 19th century when Felix Mendelssohn reintroduced the master to the world. Once again, the world noticed; and now Bach is regarded as the greatest composer who ever lived.

I mention these things as introduction to point out that "greatness" and "recognition" do not always go hand-in-hand. Eventually the cream DOES rise to the surface; but often, it takes some cream longer to rise than you think.

In my opinion, we have an unsung genius whose works in literature are every bit as memorable as the greatest who ever put pen to paper -- and his name is Peter de Vries.

More than anything else, de Vries was the cataloguer of modern social eccentricites, foibles and hypocritcal stupidities. His searing wit, and unfailing eye for spotting nonsense earned him the sobriquet of "urban Mark Twain." Indeed, Twain is an apt comparison. One can also compare him to Balzac and Dickens.

He is my favorite author, and I cherish each book he wrote. I have no doubt that in time his name will be in lights with the other giants of western prose; but for now, do yourself a favor and check him out.

Cheers, mate.

Answer 2

The author of Harry Potter and Francine Pascal. I like their style of writing.
Also Jack Loondon did an excellent job on White Fang and Edgar Allen Poe is pretty good too.

Answer 3

I'm a huge fan of any literature that can change your view on the world--even if you don't agree with it. That being said, I adore Ayn Rand and Robert Heinlein. I don't necessarily agree with everything they say, but it really makes you look at life differently. They are such revolutionaries in thought and their writing style keeps you captivated. There is nothing worse than a book that doesn't inspire you. (And in case you're wondering, my favorites from them are The Fountainhead and I Will Fear No Evil.)

Answer 4

My answer to this probably changes every few months - but right now, Leo Tolstoy is my favorite.

War and Peace, and Anna Karenina are two of the greatest works ever written. Tolstoy's ability to weave together such varying elements - war, love, politics, philosophy - into one engrossing narrative is something very few authors can even begin to imagine themselves doing.

Answer 5

Hey! that is a very difficult question to answer. Given that books belong to different genres,different time periods, different cultures & different languages it doesnt seem very right to compare authors. What i mean is..... it would seem completely absurd to compare 'harry potter & the half blood prince' with 'the fountainhead' -------both are completely different but i enjoy them both equally. But if one is to judge only on the basis of common parameters like content , quality of language, expression, essence, pace of the book, & its intrest level then i would have to go with AYN RAND!!!!

Answer 6

Right now its Patricia Cornwall. I have always been a sucker for mystery novels, but hers are of a different class. The main character of her novels Kay Scarpetta fascinates me. She is a forensic expert and works on the most bizzare gory cases. Cornwall is an expert on forensic science, law, police work and more. She rules!

Answer 7

Luke, Paul are some of my favorites....