Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! Do come join the fun....To be honest, I haven't had a lot of time to put into this, so forgive my almost-guaranteed major overlooks. Do, however, feel free to tell me about them.
Elizabeth Goudge. If it wasn't for J.K. Rowling, I don't know if she'd still be noticed; as it is, I say her name and far too many people say "Who?" Little White Horse, in my opinion, is one of the best fantasy novels ever written.
G.A. Henty. His books are long out of print, though a couple of small presses have taken them up here and there, but I loved In the Reign of Terror.
Patricia M. St. John. Another author too often out of print. My childhood would not have been the same without Star of Light and If You Love Me. She wrote a number of other great stories, too.
Catherine Marshall. When Christy was picked up as a TV series, recognition spread—but apart from the excellent casting of Kellie Martin, Stewart Finlay-McLennan, and Tess Harper, the story carried little of the power and virtues of the book (let alone of the original storyline.) Her other novel, Julie, is also excellent.
Zoe Marriott. I haven't yet reviewed Daughter of the Flames, which I just read, but that's coming soon. I thought it well written and moving. And from something she said on her blog, I don't get the impression that it sold very well. I certainly liked it enough to want to track down her other book, The Swan Kingdom, which apparently did a little better.
Wow. Five. That seems shameful. Granted, my favorites are often longtime popular favorites, but still. I'm looking at my shelves, thinking—George MacDonald? Frances Hodgson Burnett? Johanna Spyri? Therese of Lisieux? But those names seem pretty well known to me. I might be wrong. Of course, I've got serious catch-up work to do on newer authors, too.
You tell me, then. Whom have I missed?
I don't know 3 of these authors, but Elizabeth Goudge and Catherine Marshall are very good choices.
ReplyDeleteKathleen Norris - not fiction, but I've been spreading the word as much as possible. She has an amazing ability to see life well.
ReplyDeleteGabriel Garcia Marquez - it seems like everyone's read '100 years of Solitude' and NOTHING else. His writing is consistently fantastic and shouldn't be neglected.
Albert Camus - Not "just an exetentialist writer". And such a fascinating man!
Rainer Maria Rilke - Only one of the best poets EVER! Has some of the most beautiful religious imagery I've ever read & some of the best writing advice ever given in "Letters to a young Poet".
Thanks, Kathy and Masha!
ReplyDeleteMasha, I thought of including Kathleen Norris and then realized that I have no idea how well known she is. But she's definitely deserving.
Also, little knowledge as I have of poetry, I may have to give Rilke a try. :)
Jenna, I have a collection of 12 first edition G.A. Henty books, you should see them sometime!
ReplyDelete