Active Users:723 Time:18/12/2025 05:45:51 AM
We tried to get some less-mentioned genres, so makes sense, but you can interpret them widely. Legolas Send a noteboard - 03/01/2011 06:23:43 PM
I would really like to try this because it would open me up to several genres that I don't typically read. But what are some examples of books in the Family Chronicles and Surrealist genres? I think the others are fairly straight forward, if as someone mentioned earlier, subjective. But these are not genres I am familiar with, at least not by those names.

For family chronicles, as someone pointed out in an earlier thread, a book like Gabriel Garcia Marquez' One Hundred Years of Solitude would qualify, but so would less high-brow works like Colleen McCullough's Thornbirds, Edward Rutherfurd's Sarum, and many others. Wikipedia's article on the subject (called "Family saga" there) even lists some books I wouldn't have thought of categorizing as such, like Zadie Smith's White Teeth (which I reviewed here, it's a phenomenal book) or Frank Herbert's Dune. In short, the description covers pretty much any book that has multiple generations of one family as main characters and covers a certain timespan.

"Surrealist books" can also be interpreted in a number of ways. It could mean books that are mostly set in the "real" world but have some surrealistic or magical elements - some of Eco's and Rushdie's books would definitely fit that description, Thomas Pynchon's books fit as well, and one could make a good case for Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. But you could also take it further and go for books that have a setting that is quite different from our world, or have tons of surrealistic elements, like Kelly Link's marvelous short stories (one could also classify those as horror, I suppose, or at least some of them). Or even books that don't necessarily have any particular element that is magical or unreal, but still manage to create a certain surreal atmosphere, such as Carson McCullers' lovely Ballad of the Sad Café.

So, yeah, you're quite welcome to interpret those genres in whichever way you prefer, if that helps you find books that you think you'd like to read more than the obvious choices. These are just a few suggestions (not all of them books that I've actually read, mind you).
Reply to message
2011 Challenges: For January and February the challenge is... - 01/01/2011 11:54:05 AM 1958 Views
I'll play - 01/01/2011 12:32:07 PM 1283 Views
Have you read any Kelly Link? - 03/01/2011 06:27:02 PM 1104 Views
Re: Have you read any Kelly Link? - 03/01/2011 07:36:28 PM 1084 Views
And what, pray tell... - 05/01/2011 10:23:34 AM 1073 Views
Re: And what, pray tell... - 05/01/2011 01:08:41 PM 1067 Views
Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book - 21/01/2011 06:52:06 PM 1422 Views
I don't either, that would just be lame. *NM* - 21/01/2011 07:43:47 PM 470 Views
Indeed - 21/01/2011 07:46:08 PM 1199 Views
Let's see, what classic can I pick... - 01/01/2011 01:39:53 PM 1263 Views
A few questions... - 01/01/2011 04:07:09 PM 1315 Views
A few answers. - 01/01/2011 04:31:24 PM 1254 Views
Shockingly, Paul, I agree with all of your answers. - 01/01/2011 04:52:57 PM 1096 Views
Oh no! Whatever has happened to you, Rebekah? - 01/01/2011 06:22:42 PM 1090 Views
Sounds good. - 01/01/2011 05:14:26 PM 1324 Views
To Kill a Mockingbird is, indeed, a great book. - 01/01/2011 06:28:40 PM 1229 Views
Re: To Kill a Mockingbird is, indeed, a great book. - 01/01/2011 06:47:37 PM 1059 Views
Re: To Kill a Mockingbird is, indeed, a great book. - 01/01/2011 07:29:38 PM 1182 Views
Re: To Kill a Mockingbird is, indeed, a great book. - 01/01/2011 07:39:50 PM 1134 Views
ok - 01/01/2011 04:18:37 PM 1226 Views
I will be reading Gulliver's Travels. - 01/01/2011 05:45:46 PM 1217 Views
I have my own challenge. - 01/01/2011 06:39:08 PM 1091 Views
I found L'Étranger quite dull, but my French was very poor when I read it. - 01/01/2011 07:45:27 PM 1028 Views
I think that the tone was supposed to be detached. - 02/01/2011 03:50:10 AM 1183 Views
Just going for 50 this year. - 01/01/2011 10:00:09 PM 980 Views
I challenge you to help me! - 02/01/2011 12:46:51 AM 1135 Views
I read Slaughterhouse Five a couple years ago. - 02/01/2011 01:58:54 PM 1202 Views
What Rebekah said, but - 02/01/2011 02:53:51 PM 1257 Views
I'm going to... - 02/01/2011 01:35:17 AM 1153 Views
Re: I'm going to... - 02/01/2011 10:09:14 AM 1178 Views
Awesome. *NM* - 02/01/2011 02:08:12 PM 559 Views
I'm in, I'll read "The Picture of Dorian Gray" - 03/01/2011 02:38:48 AM 1284 Views
I'm doing that too. Got it on my kindle and am 20% done now. *NM* - 03/01/2011 09:28:28 PM 544 Views
Question on Genre Challenge - 03/01/2011 03:31:28 AM 1271 Views
We tried to get some less-mentioned genres, so makes sense, but you can interpret them widely. - 03/01/2011 06:23:43 PM 1176 Views
Thanks! - 03/01/2011 06:42:19 PM 1134 Views
Alrighty ... I'm going to go for Crime and Punishment. - 03/01/2011 05:37:33 AM 1120 Views
Ok, let's be seeing this... - 03/01/2011 09:19:20 AM 1069 Views
Re: Ok, let's be seeing this... - 21/01/2011 07:33:15 PM 1340 Views
I've finally chosen my books for these challenges: - 03/01/2011 06:46:03 PM 1171 Views
Finished A Christmas Carol - 15/01/2011 11:12:19 AM 1078 Views
What would this count as? - 05/01/2011 02:20:24 AM 1283 Views
I don't think that really falls into any of our categories... - 05/01/2011 06:36:39 PM 1058 Views
Well, there's book one I guess. *NM* - 05/01/2011 08:02:31 PM 546 Views
Aight - 06/01/2011 01:19:03 AM 1164 Views
Man its weird being on this board again. Wacky. - 10/01/2011 09:59:43 PM 1258 Views
Hey Ryan! Long time no see, alright. How's married life treating you? - 11/01/2011 09:51:48 PM 1049 Views
My first round draft picks are: - 11/01/2011 10:54:06 PM 1279 Views
Re: My first round draft picks are: - 15/01/2011 11:13:59 AM 1479 Views
Re: My first round draft picks are: - 21/01/2011 07:30:47 PM 1155 Views

Reply to Message