I find myself today looking for examples of beautiful prose. Writing of such skill and quality that the subject matter is irrelevant.

Perhaps you could share your favorite authors/titles?

I find myself today looking for examples of beautiful prose. Writing of such skill and quality that the subject matter is irrelevant.

Perhaps you could share your favorite authors/titles?


The first time that I re-read passages just because of how beautifully they were written was my initial reading of "The Lord of the Rings". Of course, some of what I loved most was the poetry, rather than the prose...

I don't know if this is beautiful, but it is certainly profound:

"the West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion but rather by its superiority in applying organized violence. Westerners often forget this fact, non-Westerners never do."----------
Samuel P. Huntington

I found it at this site:

http://www.dear_raed.blogspot.com/

Margaret

No one else has any recommendations? Annie Dillard? William Faulkner? James Joyce? Henry James? Anyone?

Maybe a little too far of base, I don't know.

"Shot in the Heart" by Mikal Gilmore
It's an autobiography of the Gilmore family and of Gary Gilmore by brother Mikal. Beautifully written, heart wrenching, and displays a deep and unwavering honesty that must have been difficult to achieve. To look deeply and critically at ones own family and despite what is found still manage to portray a deep love and sadness for all concerned is no small feat. Brought lumps to my throat and tears to my eyes so many times. Not just a picture of another family. So many questions and thoughts raised in the book made me realise just how little I knew of my own family's past and the events that brought us to be.

**Paris**

I've read everything by the late Andre Dubus. This article is a fitting tribute:

http://www.salon.com/books/feature/1999/03/18feature.html

His son, Andre III, wrote "House of Sand & Fog", also very good book.

Linda

I find myself today looking for examples of beautiful prose. Writing of such skill and quality that the subject matter is irrelevant.

Perhaps you could share your favorite authors/titles?

The Fox by D. H. Lawrence.

I don't seem to get enough time these days to sit down and enjoy really good prose. All too often, it's pretty fluffy stuff. Death is at the same time both beautiful and terrifying. Maybe that's why I'm always drawn to Macbeth (you may know the author).

"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, / To the last syllable of recorded time, / And all our yesterdays have lighted fools / The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! / Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage / And then is heard no more. It is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing."

By the way Margaret. I love your piece. I wonder how many Westerners "really" get it!

Cheers
Duv