I am not picky about genre (magical realism is good- just not fantasy worlds or romance, or too much of a slow burn) I just like good unique stories/plots with literary writing, I do typically prefer stories that aren't a modern setting with cell phones and jobs in the city etc. So historical or based in nature. In my opinion Dianne Setterfield was born for writing, particularly in "once upon a river." The descriptive nature of her language is top tier, I think Brom & Gillian Flynn (believe it or not), are on or close to her level as well.
It's really tough for me to find writers like this as so many popular books just feel "produced for the masses," and I really don't enjoy anything less than a masterpiece lol. It takes me days of wading through audible previews to settle on my next book, so if you've got any hidden gems I should check out please let me know!
by GoblinQueen765
1 Comment
I loved Once Upon a River, and found these books to have a similar style of immersion and description. I hope you’ll think so as well.
Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips- a mother and daughter seeking refuge in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War—and a brilliant portrait of family endurance against all odds
North Woods by Daniel Mason – A sweeping novel about a single house in the woods of New England, told through the lives of those who inhabit it across the centuries
Cloudcuckooland by Anthony Doerr – this book follows three time spans: the fall of Constantinople, a small town in present day Montana, and a person stuck on a spaceship in the future. Immersive storytelling, lots of details and beautiful writing