How to Unfold myself?

harryspooner · Sat Nov 05, 2011 3:32 pm

Hi this is harish. I am a 23yr old male from India. My biggest ambition in life is to write! It is like the one thing that I want to do. But my daytime job doesn't let me do that. Recently i wanted to pen something down and i was intrigued about technique and structure. I haven't had professional education on writing but i thought it would be worthwhile getting a few thoughts from fellow book lovers. My most favorite genre has to be Satire. That said i read anything that i can get my hands on. But my current area of interest is Dark Humour. I want to get opinions on this genre and if you could suggest some authors i would be very very thankful.

To me writing is a way of unfolding myself, letting free the spirit that resides inside.

R. LeBeaux · Sat Nov 05, 2011 5:17 pm

Hi Harish, welcome to Booktalk. I am also a lover of satire, and I might recommend a few authors. First is Christopher Buckley, a writer of hilarious social and political satire (Thank You For Smoking / The White House Mess, etc.). Next would be Christopher Moore, whose novel Lamb - The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, might be a bit tough if you are a devout Christian, but it definitely sets some precedents in religious satire. Finally, there is Max Barry, a writer of corporate and business satire, whose novels are really bizarre and funny. Here are the Amazon pages for these three:

Christopher Buckley:
amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_1_6?rh=i%3A ... B000AQ1O6I

Christopher Moore:
amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_1_6?rh=i%3A ... B000APFLHC

Max Barry:
amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_1_5?rh=i%3A ... B001IXMF4W

Good luck with your writing!

harryspooner · Sat Nov 05, 2011 11:11 pm

Hi R, thanks for the suggestions. I don't know how much of indian literature is talked about here. But I am sure that the likes of Anita Desai, Jhumpa Lahiri, R.K.Narayan are great reads. PlusI am looking for the dark humor genre too

tanks anyways

Chris OConnor · Sat Nov 05, 2011 11:22 pm

Welcome to BookTalk.org.

I have never even heard of the "dark humor" genre.

harryspooner · Sat Nov 05, 2011 11:28 pm

Oops , i looked up dark humor and it returned humor that deals with death and the likes. I also found out certain movies of The Coen Brothers that correspond to this genre http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_humor.

R. LeBeaux · Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:58 am


	Chris OConnor wrote: I have never even heard of the "dark humor" genre.

I think what Harish is referring to when he says “dark humor” are novels that at one time were referred to as “black comedy” or “gallows humor.” These usually involve topics and events that are/were seen by society as taboo (death, sadomasochism, gruesome murder, etc.), and are handled humorously or satirically. The point is to make the reader uncomfortable while also making him/her laugh, perhaps at the same time. A few classics that might fit this category are books like Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson, Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, and even The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger, which, for its time, was a pretty “dark” story.

Chris OConnor · Sun Nov 06, 2011 9:35 pm

Thanks for that explanation.

I haven't read any of the dark humor books you mention but I know enough about several if them for your examples to be helpful.

harryspooner · Mon Nov 07, 2011 1:54 am

Catcher in the rye ? i have heard of it , but never got around to read it. would love to give that a try though.

R. LeBeaux · Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:04 am


	harryspooner wrote: Catcher in the rye ? i have heard of it , but never got around to read it. would love to give that a try though.

Be aware that this book is a bit dated. It was considered rather risque when it came out in 1951, but today would be seen as pretty tame.

harryspooner · Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:09 am

Thanks lebeaux , but i have also heard of the fact that it was this book that this book was somehow linked with john lennon's killer . Any clue on what this book is about ? i am probably picking up a copy in a couple of days

R. LeBeaux · Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:18 am


	harryspooner wrote: Any clue on what this book is about ?

From Wikipedia:

The Catcher in the Rye is a 1951 novel by J. D. Salinger. Originally published for adults, it has since become popular with adolescent readers for its themes of teenage confusion, angst, alienation, language, and rebellion. It has been translated into almost all of the world's major languages. Around 250,000 copies are sold each year, with total sales of more than 65 million books. The novel's protagonist and antihero, Holden Caulfield, has become an icon for teenage rebellion.

The novel was included on Time's 2005 list of the 100 best English-language novels written since 1923, and it was named by Modern Library and its readers as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. It has been frequently challenged in the United States and other countries for its liberal use of profanity and portrayal of sexuality and teenage angst. It also deals with complex issues of identity, belonging, connection, and alienation.

Karen Fisher-Alaniz · Tue Nov 08, 2011 12:29 pm

Welcome! Your last line is so great - beautifully said!

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