So, five books that, not quite changed my life, but the five books that have brought
incredible meaning to my life. Five is very tricky and I'm probably going to
add some more because as soon as you walk around a bookshop I'm sure
everybody feels like that, you suddenly go yeah and that one and that one.
So here we are Toni Morrison, of course everybody should
read her, she is the master. Jazz, Bluest Eye, Love, Beloved of course which is
just a truly, beautiful, incredible book. The one I
would choose however is Song of Solomon, mainly because of the way that she
writes about men. It is masterful, incredible, I don't know how she did it.
It takes great love to write like this and great perception and the opening
scenes really do set us up for what's to come. So highly influential.
Of course, Sarah Waters.
How could she not enter this small list that I have.
She's never written a bad novel, she's only written incredibly brilliant novels, I think.
The Night Watch I would say is my favourite,
set predominately in the years of the Second World War. Structurally it is quite incredible
but she turns it around and you start the end at the beginning.
A story about predominantly between lesbians
another woman and her gay brother. It is so poignant and so incredibly I would say sexy/neurotic at times
It is purely what she does the best and yeah
when I really don't have anything else to read, I always go back to this book.
I know I'm veering off here, I know I'm supposed to be going looking
at something else and you already told me five, however, Colm Toibin, how can he not be there?
Again, I've learnt so much from his writing. Beautiful,
beautiful, lyrical, beautiful characterization and let me put these ones back
very pertinent but for me this book heavily influenced my writing of Tin Man
A story, really it was an AIDS story in this book.
He writes women so brilliantly
And I defy anyone who thinks they know this book will not leave them bereft.
Even now I still kind of shudder when I think about it. So yep, he has to be in there.
Okay John McGahern I knew this book written by the American
title, By The Lake, and it was given to me by my agent, Robert Caskey, who knows that I
love Irish literature. It's hard to know what to say about this book, it's a very
simple book and one could probably say that very little happens. But I think
that's the beauty of it. It is what a lot of writers and artists talk about
when they talk about seeing past the every day, maybe to something sacred,
and this is that book. Very, very quiet beautiful novel.
Okay, so the last one: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.
Last because maybe best. This is absolutely an incredible piece of writing, so pertinent today.
The story of Janie Crawford, the most incredible heroine, if you like,
challenging the roles of men and women, journeying really to womanhood I would
suppose, that's the simplest thing to say. And a very, very strong voice. It's a
triumphant novel, it's a beautiful novel it's a book that everybody should read,
all women should read this book.
I don't really know what to say, I think it's just left me a little bit wanting words,
because it's just sublime really.