Good to know. And yeah Loyal Subject was what we read at school with the added fun of a horrible teacher (almost everything we read in her class just blends together to a big, annoying and boring mess). Ugh
I bet out of this list you get people ranting about Douglas Adams trying to convince you to try again. I get hit with it when I say I can take or leave Terry Pratchett lol. I think it helps to remember he was a scriptwriter first (and one of the Pythons), and HHGTG was a radio play (and I personally prefer it to the books, which, like Pratchett, can push a good thing a little too far for me.) I really liked his Dirk Gently series even more than HHGTG. In both he's the master of hilarious and brilliant turns of phrase, and funny little asides, but even as a fan I have to admit the plots are utterly incoherent :)
Of the rest, I actually liked Grisham's early stuff. Which is odd, because I also don't give a flying toss about legal thrillers, but I also spent some weeks about 25 years ago stuck in hospital with the wonders of the hospital lending library cart, and it was that, bodice rippers or Michael Crichton re-reads. Grisham turned out to be oddly readable, and I just skipped the boring legal bits. I do keep hearing that his early stuff is by far his best, so maybe I just got lucky.
It's really odd. I love Pratchett (though the newer ones are getting a bit preachy at times) and in 95% of all cases people are fan of both but I just couldn't get into Adams. Though I never tried Dirk Gently. Perhaps I'll give them a try...somewhen XD
Yup, early Crichton stuff is great. I think it's lucky I already knew that, and had read every book that lending cart had at least twice, or I might never have discovered I like Grisham too.
Hi. I prefer Heinrich to Thomas - and I admit to having enjoyed The Loyal Subject/Untertan as well as Professor Unrat/The Blue Angel. However, I cannot stand Thomas. I agree that Death in Venice is probably still the easiest one to like - if you can get over the creepiness - but Buddenbrooks is probably the worst book I have ever read. I had to read Tonio Kroeger at school and threw it out the window at least once. Magic Mountain - phew, long and tedious and well over-rated because it is essentially Mann celebrating his own intellect - ugh...
However, I'd recommend Mephisto by Klaus. His writing is nowhere near as self-reverential and he had a great talent for satire.
Of the rest, I actually liked Grisham's early stuff. Which is odd, because I also don't give a flying toss about legal thrillers, but I also spent some weeks about 25 years ago stuck in hospital with the wonders of the hospital lending library cart, and it was that, bodice rippers or Michael Crichton re-reads. Grisham turned out to be oddly readable, and I just skipped the boring legal bits. I do keep hearing that his early stuff is by far his best, so maybe I just got lucky.
But well. I survived her...and all the books
However, I'd recommend Mephisto by Klaus. His writing is nowhere near as self-reverential and he had a great talent for satire.