Slate has just published a piece by Meghan O'Rourke about the nytimes' best work of American fiction in the last 25 years that came out yesterday. She argues that the newspaper is skewed towards long books by big names (duh) and provides a playdoyer of sorts for the consideration of shorter ones.
It does seem strange to see Toni Morrision up there with that group of old, white men.
May 22, 2006 at 9:38 pm
Ms. O'Rourke wrote:
"Taut perfection may not be the only hallmark of a good novel (the novel has always been an expansive form), but it is surely one of them."
She certainly has a good point. The novels of Graham Greene come to mind. Hemingway. I liked her allusion to Fitzgerald's "Gatsby". After reading War and Peace, I can certainly make a case for less being more.