John Fante

[Haruki]

Right, I've hung about here long enough that people have probably decided I'm either a hot air blowing arrogant pr'ck or maybe a half decent, self deprecaciating, kinda humble, only slightly arrogant pr'ck.

So it's time I introduced you all to John Fante. The greatest ever writer. The most criminally neglected writer ever.

John Fante took the English language and made it his own. He didn't invent it but he re-invented it. He made shapes with words in any way he saw fit. His phraseology, at times, beggared belief. It astounded and marvelled me. That's just his style I've mentioned so far.

Fante was an American-Italian. Born of an Italian father, who he made into the greatest literary creation I've ever encountered, his humanity, in my eyes, has not been exceeded. He wrote short sharp sentences that revolutionised the way I speak and write. He had an unbelievable effect on my life. He was, and is, my idol.

Fante was a family man through and through. He spoke of family so honestly it made me shudder. His mother and father bugged him severely at times. He revered them to a pedestal I've never seen in literature before. It's humbling, it's beautiful. His later works dealt with his kids in the exact same way.
They bugged him. He revered them.

His novels all resonate with truths never heard. Truths that had hitherto never been spoken. And thus he amuses. If you can read "The Road to Los Angeles" without crying with laughter I'd be surprised. "The Brotherhood of The Grape" is the best father/son piece of literature I've ever read. It will also make you laugh. Therin lies his brilliance.

For those interested he also wrestled with a catholic conscience which I suppose might appeal to some here.

He's an easy read. Novels can be read in a day easily.

I've said enough. Believe me or don't. I just had to say this.

[GalegoHibs]

John Fante seems quite fashionable at the moment - thanks mainly to being championed by the very much in vogue, Charles Bukowski. I don't dislike Bukowski, I have enjoyed some of his books but he has been discussed on here before and my view is that although he deserves credit for being very readable and helping bring literature to the masses, I do find his work a bit one-dimensional - too much stuff about shagging women, getting drunk and betting on horses. Post Office and Ham on Rye are good novels though.

But getting back to Fante. I read Wait Until Spring Bandini and Ask the Dust some years ago. They came highly recommended bu the problem is I don't remember much about them, which suggests to me they are not particularly memorable and a bit over-rated probably due to the Bukowski connection. As I recall they are well enough written books but not in the same league as great American authors like Jack London or Mark Twain, some of whose books I can recall very well even though I read them yonks ago. Bukowski or Henry Miller, who cover much of the same territory are better writers than Fante in my opinion.

[Haruki]

Bukowski was my god in my early teens. It was entirely through his mentions that I discovered Fante. In fact it was Bukoswki that turned me onto classical lit. and even classical music. As I age I agree that he was a tad macho but I'd be a different person entirely if it wasn't for him.

The two Fante novels you mentioned probably aren't his best although "Ask the Dust" is the one most generally revered for some reason. "The Brotherhood of the Grape" and "West of Rome" are very accomplished and more mature works. "The Road to Los Angeles" is simply the ne plus ultra of modern writing in my eyes. If you want memorable read the crab killing section of that book. I'm smiling thinking about it.

I was very young when I read Miller. Memory tells me he wrote a fantastic amount of sh't interspersed with the odd bit of brilliance. Verbose is the word that springs to my mind when he's mentioned. The very opposite of Fante in fact.

Have never read London or Twain I'm afraid. So many books, so little time.

[GalegoHibs]

Indeed, especially with novels which demand so much of our time. I'll take on board what you say about those other Fante novels compared to the ones I've read. The Brotherhood of the Grape, with the father-son relationship sounds interesting and it's a great title by the way.

I loved Miller's stuff when I was in my twenties. Haven't read any for quite some time and it would be interesting in a way for me to go back... but then again maybe I should just remember them as great novels for a twenty-something and not go back and pick holes in stuff I really enjoyed at a certain point in my life. Yes, Miller is more wordy than some of the other writers mentioned. I like a pared-down style but not at the expense of other ways of writing. Some of Dostoevsky's sentences and descriptions went on a bit but they were all the better for that, weren't they?

[Haruki]

Ah, Fyodor Mikhailovich. Don't get me started on that mighty man.

Agree with everything you've said though my man.