Favorite authors from your native country?

[emelee]

I assume that there are more than one nationality of the members here... So the question of this thread is Who are your favorite authors from your native country?

 

 

I am from Sweden, so I can recommend these;

Stieg Larsson's "Millennium triology" ("The girl with the dragon tattoo", "The girl who played with fire" - and - "The air castle that blew up"). They are award-winning crime novels now made into movies as well. Recently heard that the US will make movies of them as well.

 

John Ajvide Lindqvist's successful vampire story "Let the right one in". It

[Kell]

I'm from the UK, so my favourites from my home ground include:

 

- Terry Pratchett (can't get enough of his fabulous Discworld!)

- Christopher Brookmyre (Scottish crime fiction with a pitch-black sense of humour)

- Stuart Macbride (another Scot writing crime, this time in Aberdeen)

- Simon Scarrow (historical fiction at its very best)

- Philippa Gregory (more superb historical fiction as well as some modern stuff that I haven'tyet read)

 

And, of course, the classics:

- Jane Austen

- The Bronte Sisters

- William Shakespeare

[Univerze]

Ehhm. None. I am from the Netherlands, and as far as books for adults go, I haven't found a great one yet. They all seem to be about normal people living normal lives, not the kind of book I love to read.

Children's books:

Thea Beckman

Tonke Dragt

 

And that's about it. My country doesn't have that many great writers in my opinion.

[poppy]

New Zealand has some well-known authors like Katherine Mansfield and Janet Frame, but I find a lot of our writers fairly intense and heavy reading. I keep meaning to delve into them more

[BookJumper]

My genealogy is... complicated, but as I was born and raised in Italy, let's go with that my favourite Italian writers are:

 

- Bianca Pitzorno, who writes marvellous children's books both fantastical and not. My favourite by her is Extraterrestre alla Pari, about a young alien who's neither boy nor girl yet, and can't understand why the kids of Earth are taught to behave differently and play separately. None of her works seem to be available in English (why, it seems that I have found myself an occupation!), though you are in luck if you can speak Spanish.

 

- Emilio Salgari, late 19th century writer of swashbuckling adventures. My favourite is his Black Corsair series, about a European nobleman forced into a life of piracy and revenge after the murder most foul of his family (The Black Corsair, The Queen of the Carribbean, Yolanda The Daughter of the Black Corsair and The Son of The Red Corsair. Only the last one seems to have been translated into English though - more work for me, it seems).

Trivia: apparently, 62 of Salgari's 200+ books and stories were devoured by a very young Che Guevara, who was inspired by the justice-seeking, anti-imperialist passion of his heroes...!

 

As for the classics, apart from the obvious Dante:

 

- Ludovico Ariosto, 15-16th century epic poet, author of Orlando Furioso and one of the first ever writers to have demolished the 'fourth wall' of dramatic illusion to speak directly to his audience.

 

- Ugo Foscolo, Greek-born romantic poet and exile. His I Sepolcri is one of the most moving meditations on mortality and memory I've ever read.

Edited December 30, 2009 by BookJumper

[Dimitra]

I have to confess, I've yet to read much of Greek literature. However, a great author who comes in mind is Eugene Trivizas. He writes children's books, but they are tremendously enjoyable, he's very talented.

[Scarlette]

I don't think I've read a novel by a South African author (or even in my mother tongue) since I was little. I just tend to not be interested in the general themes they use and I rarely read book reviews that capture my fancy. Unpatriotic? Maybe. Or perhaps just very particular.

[busy91]

What a great question.

I'm from the U.S of A.

 

 

Edith Wharton (1862-1937) - One of the few Classic authors I read from my native country.

 

Stephen King - What's not to love.

 

Richard Paul Evans - He writes mostly Christian Fiction (Christmas stories). He has branched out some, but I really like the Christmas stuff. Read a new one every year.

 

Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) I've read so many of her Asian novels. I just love them and her.

[purple95]

Favorite American Authors

(No particular order)

 

Stephen King

What busy91 said.

 

Harry Turtledove

Love his alternate history. His science fiction, not so much.

 

Joyce Carol Oates

Love her plots, dialogue, and descriptions.

 

John Steinbeck

Some of the best characters ever.

 

Ernest Hemingway

Great characters, great locations.

 

Robert James Waller

The The Bridges of Madison County guy.

When I write my Great American Novel, I'll bet it resembles his style.

 

There are lots more.

 

dan

[AbielleRose]

This is a toughie since there are so many wonderful authors from the U.S. My favorites would probably be Harper Lee and Emily Dickinson.

[ebibatboy]

I am from Iran so:

Arman Arian: Parsian And Me.its have 3 volume.and a fantasy story about The Shahname (Ferdoosi most popular Book).

Ferddosi:make sure to read even a little about Shahname.

 

i only remember these 2 for now

[Stephanie2008]

A few British authors I like:

*Charles Dickens

*JK Rowling

*Roald Dahl

*Sophie Kinsella

*AA Milne

*Shakespeare

*Jill Mansell

[catwoman]

Val McDermid

Roald Dahl

Beatrix Potter

Jane Austin

Agatha Christie.

 

I am so fortunate to live in such an amazing country of writers.

[Lit_Driven_Girl]

Well there are many US authors I could list, but I'm going to go for Indiana authors.

 

Gene Stratton Porter (She's known for A Girl of the Limberlost, but I really enjoyed her book The Magic Garden.)

Booth Tarkington (The Magnificent Ambersons)

 

Favorite (overall) from the US though would have to be Louisa May Alcott.

[SaraPepparkaka]

"Classic" Finnish authors I recommend are Mika Waltari (at least "Sinuhe the Egyptian" and "Michael the Finn" are translated to English) and V

[lyn]

here in Australia we have quite a lot of good authors for a relatively small country.

some of my favourites are: Juliet Marilier - historical fantasy.

Alison Croggon - fantasy.

Cecilia Dart-Thornton - fantasy.

Tansy Rayner Roberts - humorous fantasy.

Garth Nix - fantasy.

Kerry Greenwood - crime fiction

Lindy Cameron - humorous crime fiction.

they are a few off the top of my head.

[sirinrob]

Favourite UK writers

 

Jasper Fforde

Thomas Hardy

Dickens

[Nollaig]

For me:

 

John Connolly

Anna McPartlin

Oscar Wilde

 

but you'd have to give a mention to the likes of Bram Stoker and Jonathon Swift.

[Kylie]

John Marsden is my favourite Australian author by far. There are many others I still have to explore though.

[Des]

I am from South Africa so my fave home town author is John van d' ruit. He wrote the Spud books! Spud, Spud the madness continues and Spud learning to fly. They are brilliantly written books about a young boy starting out in boarding school and the years that follow. Charming and Funny!

[Chimera]

I am from Sweden, so I can recommend these;

Stieg Larsson's "Millennium triology" ("The girl with the dragon tattoo", "The girl who played with fire" - and - "The air castle that blew up"). They are award-winning crime novels now made into movies as well. Recently heard that the US will make movies of them as well.

 

Great thread idea emelee!

 

So you'd really recommend the Millenium series? I've heard it mentionned a lot, but was a little afraid they'd be very commercial, not so well written book (kinda like Twilight really *attemps to tiptoe her way out of the room*) I'll have to give it a go then.

 

Favourite french authors? mmm, I need to think a bit about that one. Will be back.

[funrun]

okay autralian books

April fool's day/Power of One

Bryce Courtenay

John Marsden Tommorrow when the war ends

Mathew Reilly Ice stataion

Tim Winton Breath

Gabriella Lord "Fortress"

colleen McCullough" Thorn Birds"

just to name a few

[BigWords]

For Scottish authors, I have to say Ian Rankin is right up there with the best (and there is a street down the road from me named after him, so the local connection nudges him up in my esteem)... If I broaden the focus out to the whole of the UK, I think that Clive Barker, Michael Moorcock or Neil Gaiman are still the most creative forces at play.

 

(my list is living authors only - the all-time greatest writer from the UK is still Shakespeare)

[paperplane]

The only Australian aurthor whose one book I've really enjoyed is Joan Lindsay's 'Picnic at Hanging Rock'.

 

When I was younger I loved reading Emily Rhodda's books.

[Peacefield]

Wow, there are so many from the US that I love! To narrow it down a bit though, here are a few in no particular order:

 

John Steinbeck

Stephen King

Tracy Chevalier

Matthew Pearl

Robert Frost

Laura Ingalls Wilder

 

I would also add a favorite MN author of mine, Jon Hassler. He unfortunately passed away last year, but had been writing some wonderful novels since 1977, all set here. If anyone ever has a chance to read his first work 'Staggerford,' I would highly recommend it .