"Literary" Thrillers/Action books?
Discussion
Could anyone give me a heads up on stand-alone thriller/action books which have been written to a very high quality?
I'm talking very good prose or structure and excellent characterisation.
An example would be "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt.
I'm not interested in any books as part of an ongoing series or recurring character.
Thanks
I'm talking very good prose or structure and excellent characterisation.
An example would be "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt.
I'm not interested in any books as part of an ongoing series or recurring character.
Thanks
Have you tried any Ian McEwan? Enduring Love is perhaps a good 'thriller' although not action really.
Literary and Thriller/action are not always easy bedfellows as, typically, action/thriller implies 'genre' fiction which is more often than not, considered non-literary.
Hemingway - For Whom the Bell Tolls - literary and action although not a thriller in the modern sense.
I would consider Gone Girl, a 'literary' thriller. Also Sharp Objects and Dark Places - both by Gillian Flynn too.
Girl on a Train, Paula Hawkins.
Sebastian Faulks - Engleby.
Eileen - Otessa Moshfegh.
The Collector - John Fowles or The Magus also Joh Fowles.
It's like weighing scales, the more weight you attach to the thriller/action side, the lighter the literary side becomes, and vice versa.
Literary and Thriller/action are not always easy bedfellows as, typically, action/thriller implies 'genre' fiction which is more often than not, considered non-literary.
Hemingway - For Whom the Bell Tolls - literary and action although not a thriller in the modern sense.
I would consider Gone Girl, a 'literary' thriller. Also Sharp Objects and Dark Places - both by Gillian Flynn too.
Girl on a Train, Paula Hawkins.
Sebastian Faulks - Engleby.
Eileen - Otessa Moshfegh.
The Collector - John Fowles or The Magus also Joh Fowles.
It's like weighing scales, the more weight you attach to the thriller/action side, the lighter the literary side becomes, and vice versa.
I'd suggest that anything by Alan Furst will fill your requirements sir, will you be returning for dinner?
Couldn't resist, sorry
Furst writes so well in the idiom I found it difficult to believe he wasn't contemporary with Buchan or Rider Haggard or as his own publicist says Ambler or Greene
I think it might have been the Foreign Correspondent that brought him into me sphere of attention and appreciation
Gloomy foggy, dark, blacked out streets
And shenanigans
Great stories
Couldn't resist, sorry
Furst writes so well in the idiom I found it difficult to believe he wasn't contemporary with Buchan or Rider Haggard or as his own publicist says Ambler or Greene
I think it might have been the Foreign Correspondent that brought him into me sphere of attention and appreciation
Gloomy foggy, dark, blacked out streets
And shenanigans
Great stories
thanks all for the advice.
I'd been looking at the Zafon books for a while, I've got it on Kindle, I'll make it my next one. I've read another Spanish writer Reverte-Perez who's done some amazing literary thrillers like "The Club Dumas" (turned into an awful Johnny Depp film, but still a damn fine nove).
I'll give Alan Furst a try as well.
A google search gave me William Boyd's "Any Human Heart" and "Ordinary Thunderstorms" as example of literary thrillers, I'd be interested if any PHers have read these and can vouch if the books are as good as the critical reviews?
I'd been looking at the Zafon books for a while, I've got it on Kindle, I'll make it my next one. I've read another Spanish writer Reverte-Perez who's done some amazing literary thrillers like "The Club Dumas" (turned into an awful Johnny Depp film, but still a damn fine nove).
I'll give Alan Furst a try as well.
A google search gave me William Boyd's "Any Human Heart" and "Ordinary Thunderstorms" as example of literary thrillers, I'd be interested if any PHers have read these and can vouch if the books are as good as the critical reviews?
ATV said:
thanks all for the advice.
I'd been looking at the Zafon books for a while, I've got it on Kindle, I'll make it my next one. I've read another Spanish writer Reverte-Perez who's done some amazing literary thrillers like "The Club Dumas" (turned into an awful Johnny Depp film, but still a damn fine nove).
I'll give Alan Furst a try as well.
A google search gave me William Boyd's "Any Human Heart" and "Ordinary Thunderstorms" as example of literary thrillers, I'd be interested if any PHers have read these and can vouch if the books are as good as the critical reviews?
The Club Dumas is good, I agree, and if you liked that, you’ll love The Shadow Of The Wind.I'd been looking at the Zafon books for a while, I've got it on Kindle, I'll make it my next one. I've read another Spanish writer Reverte-Perez who's done some amazing literary thrillers like "The Club Dumas" (turned into an awful Johnny Depp film, but still a damn fine nove).
I'll give Alan Furst a try as well.
A google search gave me William Boyd's "Any Human Heart" and "Ordinary Thunderstorms" as example of literary thrillers, I'd be interested if any PHers have read these and can vouch if the books are as good as the critical reviews?
I read The Shadow Of The Wind umpteen years ago, and revisited it again this summer. It truly is a wonderful book. I’m now currently reading (for the first time) The Angels Game, which is the second book of the trilogy and I’m thoroughly enjoying it.
Can’t comment on Any Human Heart or Ordinary Thunderstorms, as I haven’t read ‘em.
ATV said:
A google search gave me William Boyd's "Any Human Heart" and "Ordinary Thunderstorms" as example of literary thrillers, I'd be interested if any PHers have read these and can vouch if the books are as good as the critical reviews?
Boyd is excellent, AHH is one of my favourite books, but it is a historical novel of a man's life with some moments of action during the war and plenty of humour - not what I would call a thrilerOT is definitely a thriller, light but very enjoyable
Ayahuasca said:
Interested in what makes Child execrable and 'literary' writers better.
where did anyone say "execrable" - his books are derivative, repetitive and cliche, but a decent quick pulp read if you want an action fix - absolutely fine if you want that kind of thing, which I occasionally do.The OP clearly doesn't want those type of recommendations so why derail the conversation?
Let's get back to an interesting thread topic please - I am interested in all the sensible responses as I too would like to try some of the types of book requested
Adam B said:
Ayahuasca said:
Interested in what makes Child execrable and 'literary' writers better.
where did anyone say "execrable" - his books are derivative, repetitive and cliche, but a decent quick pulp read if you want an action fix - absolutely fine if you want that kind of thing, which I occasionally do.The OP clearly doesn't want those type of recommendations so why derail the conversation?
Let's get back to an interesting thread topic please - I am interested in all the sensible responses as I too would like to try some of the types of book requested
Ayahuasca said:
The OP asked for literary boom recommendations so I think it is a fair point to try to define the term 'literary book'.
why? it would just get into a pointless discussion of subjective definitions (start a new thread for that if you want).Everyone else seems to know roughly what he meant so why not just add a few suggestions? Sounds like you could contribute well
Adam B said:
Ayahuasca said:
The OP asked for literary boom recommendations so I think it is a fair point to try to define the term 'literary book'.
why? it would just get into a pointless discussion of subjective definitions (start a new thread for that if you want).Everyone else seems to know roughly what he meant so why not just add a few suggestions? Sounds like you could contribute well
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