Pulitzer Prize-winning fiction: How much have you read?
After reading “The Road,” I wondered if it was the first Pulitzer Prize for Fiction I’d ever read. Certainly it’s the first time I’ve read one so close to its winning: The awards were announced on April 16 of this year, and I read the book four months later.
Wikipedia has a handy list of Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winners. Note that before 1948, it was called the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel; those winners (1918-1947) are here.
It turns out I’ve read several. To wit:
“Middlesex,” by Jeffrey Eugenides.
“The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,” by Michael Chabon.
“A Confederacy of Dunces,” by John Kennedy Toole.
“To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee.
“The Old Man and the Sea,” by Ernest Hemingway. (Is it even possible to graduate from high school without having read “The Old Man and the Sea” at some point?)
“The Bridge of San Luis Rey,” by Thornton Wilder.
“Kavalier & Clay” and “A Confederacy of Dunces” are two of my most favorite books ever, and I quite liked the other Pulitzer winners I’ve read, too.
Which Pulitzers have you read? Which ones should I read? Discuss.
August 16th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Actually I did make it through High School without reading Old Man and the Sea (However we did read To kill a Mockingbird) but I also made it through High School without reading Hamlet either (we did King Lear instead) so I think my English classes were an anomaly.
August 16th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
It turns out I’ve only read four (shamefaced) - The Hours, The Shipping News, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Age of Innocence. I really liked The Age of Innocence and The Shipping News - the latter mainly because my favourite band is from Newfoundland and the place has always held a fascination for me, and the way she writes about it, you’d swear she was from there.
There are a lot of authors on the list that I want to read, though.
August 16th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Wow. I’d have thought I had read at least a few of them but it turns out “To Kill a Mockingbird” is the only one.
I think I’m too nerdy for Pulitzer winners. I’ve read more Hugo and Nebula award winners and a lot of classical literature instead.
So basically it’s obvious you shouldn’t read any of them.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
I can’t over recommend Richard Russo’s “Empire Falls”. It was made into an HBO movie which I have NOT seen, so I can’t say if its any good/faithful to the book, etc. However, Russo’s work in general is excellent. I read this on a recommendation from a friend and then proceeded to read EVERYTHING by Russo as I enjoyed it so much. I actually liked his book “Straight Man” more than Empire Falls. “Straight Man” is about the comedy type, not the lifestyle type…
August 16th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
I’ve also read Beloved, which I really enjoyed, although I can’t admit to totally “getting” it.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
“Beloved” by Toni Morrison is on the list, and that book was superb. The movie that was made starring Oprah Winfrey was superbly awful, especially compared to the book.
August 16th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
The Grapes of Wrath
To Kill a Mockingbird
A Confederacy of Dunces
The Color Purple
Breathing Lessons
I’m also a non-fiction fan and have read some of the winners from other categories:
The Making of the President
The Good War
part of A Bright Shining Lie
Angela’s Ashes
August 16th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
The Grapes of Wrath
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Color Purple
Breathing Lessons
Old Man and the Sea
Bridge of San Luis Rey
I’ve also read Angela’s Ashes, although generally I’m NOT a non-fiction fan. I didn’t like Grapes because it was too depressing, or Bridge because it didn’t seem to have any meaning, or Old Man because Hemingway talked funny. But Mockingbird is one of my favorite books ever. Breathing Lessons was great, and it led me to order several Anne Tyler books from eBay, but eventually I hit a lemon.
August 16th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Grapes of Wrath - 1940
A Bell for Adano - 1945
August 16th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
I never read “The Old Man and the Sea” either. I’ve only read a couple of the fiction winners, but the nonfiction category treats me a little better. “Godel, Escher, Bach” by Douglas R. Hofstadter is probably the most entertaining, enlightening book I’ve ever read. I’m working through another one of his bricks right now.
August 16th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
I’m just like Bret here. I’ve read a number of science fiction and fantasy classics, as well as some old classics by Hawthorne, Dickens, Melville and such, but “To Kill a Mockingbird” is the only one from that list I have tried. Well, I’ll visit the library soon.
August 17th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
I’ve read three or four of the books listed. I read “Kavalier & Clay” not too long ago. I liked most of the book, but I think it suffered from the same problem that the movie version of the “Lord of the Rings” does. It’s like he didn’t know how to end the novel. I also didn’t care for the descriptions of homosexuality. I think they were entirely gratuitous, not to mention too graphic for my taste.
August 18th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
I’ve read nine of them, but then I graduated in Humanities and Comparative Literature, so not so much the American authors. I personally prefer the Booker Prize winners, where you get FABULOUS books like Blind Assassin, Possession, and The True History of the Kelly Gang. And seriously, what is up with Grapes of Wrath? My Jr. Honors English teacher went off on how chapter 3 (I think) with the used car salesman is the key chapter in the novel, and all I can say with thirteen years perspective is still: What the hell?! And I’m actually a published novelist.
August 18th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
While I read a lot of classic novels, only two of them I’ve read ended up on that Pulitzer Prize-winning list. Alexander Nabokov’s Lolita, and Jack London fare are some good examples of the books I typically read. “Classics,” to be sure, but not on the list.
August 18th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
Interpreter of Maladies is one of my all time favorite books.
August 21st, 2007 at 10:38 am
I’ve read
Arrowsmith (I was a science major, but I admit it was kind of boring)
Gone with the Wind (long)
Yearling (sad)
Grapes of Wrath (long and sad)
To Kill a Mockingbird (AWESOME)
The Executioner’s Song (I think I was too young for this in High School- I don’t remember much)
The Color Purple (OK)
In nonfiction:
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (changed my life)
Beautiful Swimmers (made me cry)
The Dragons of Eden (I love me some Carl Sagan)
On Human Nature (ditto E.O. Wilson)
Godel Escher Bach (After numerous readings, I still need to re-read it)
The Making of the Atomic Bomb (Utterly incredible)
The Ants (see above for E.O. Wilson)
Angela’s Ashes (disturbing)
and Guns Germs and Steel (fascinating)
Also, check out the website for the Newbery award winners for children’s literature. I’ve read too many to list off here, but some of my fondest childhood memories are related to these books. Do kids still read those old books?
August 18th, 2008 at 2:48 am
I just came across this post (for some reason I didn’t post in it before) and figured I’d better enter mine for posterity’s sake.
The Grapes of Wrath–John Steinbeck: I am a huge Steinbeck fan, and this was my favorite of his until I read East of Eden
The Old Man and the Sea–Ernest Hemingway: I read this in one night to fulfill my English class reading requirement, and I loved it.
The Reivers, A Fable–William Faulkner: I love Faulkner too, he is very difficult to read at times but I think when you “figure it out” or whatever, he is very rewarding. I was surprised that these two won the Pulitzer but “The Sound and the Fury” didn’t. Very strange.
To Kill A Mockingbird–Harper Lee