[Sally II]

I've had a couple of professors who were fond of Joyce Carol Oates. I could never even finish any of her stuff; pure crap, utter garbage...

You too?!! Her writing is so boring and lifeless. I tried to read a few of her books, and I don't think I ever got past chapter 1. Another one was Barbara Kingsolver. I read her for the first time at a book club I was in. I hated it. Talk about being over-rated!

[goodnesswins]

I agree about Kingsolver's books....I read one - I usually make myself finish a book I start.....it was pathetic. Plus, isn't she a big leftie?

[Welsh Rabbit]

Yeah, I enjoy to read just about anything, but whether it be novel or short story, Ms. Oates is about the only writer whom I found it impossible to sled through...

[laurav]

Barbara Kingsolver's first novel, The Bean Trees, was fairly readable. I even liked Animal Dreams. Great imagery, a chopper rising like a prayer... The problem was, she got so into the politics that she turned away from the storytelling. That doesn't stop the early novels from having a way with words, though. I mean, when a novelist sets something in a place called Jesus-Is-Lord-Used-Tires that doubles as a refugee way station, that sounds pretty original to me, even if you don't like the politics.