Best debut novels?

A Personal Matter, Oe Kenzaburo

I just acquired this from my parents' bookshelf. Talk about it some more.

Charles Portis, 'Norwood'
Joe Brainard, 'I Remember'
Robert Walser, 'Jakob von Gunten'
Amos Tutuola, 'Palm Wine Drinkard'
Italo Calvino, 'Nest of Spiders'
Stephen Crane, 'Maggie: A Girl of the Streets'
Thomas Pynchon, 'V'

...Is 'Drowned World' Ballard's debut? -- if so, then that one too. I agree that D. Mitchell's debut is amazing, but am surprised none of the Brits have mentioned 'Wasp's Nest' yet.

Either way, it's terrific.

Now that I think about it, it should have been obvious giving the novel's content.

The story is, in reference to wmlynch's request, the most aptly named story of all time. It recounts Oe's struggle with the ultra-masculine feelings that come from being young and successful with his impotence in the face of having a braindamaged child.

This is a struggle Oe takes us through in most of his work, and as he does, you get the feeling that writing is what he's doing to get himself through life, with little regard for the reader. I love him.

I still have not read Mezzanine, even though I love Nicholson Baker. It makes me feel like a bad person.

x-p2: Joe Brainard has written a LOT, actually, almost all of it "little books." And yes it is def. a stretch to call it a novel -- well, OK it's actually *incorrect* to call it a novel but I just love his work a lot lot lot. If you ever find the 'Collected Writings' book that Kulchur released in the early '70s or the 'New Work' book on Black Sparrow around the same time, pick them up.

I got a few.

lot to check out! was portrait of the artist.. omitted on purpose?

some faves

Sarah Hall, Haweswater
Alasdair Gray, Lanark
Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose
Sally Rooney, Conversations with Friends
B.S. Johnson, Travelling People
Flann O'brien, At Swim Two-Birds
Lisa Halliday, Asymmetry

the last samurai >>>>

is it time to admit that i found the last samuari pretty insufferable; expected to love it after all the talk i'd read on here

haha it is very annoying, but in a way that i love (and am)

loved when it would stray into the tangential stories, but man that kid..

should add sebald's vertigo as well

Hunger, Knut Hamsun

Marilynne Robinson – Housekeeping was a good call!