We the Living is actually a really good book. She wrote it before she became a cult leader.
She has author slide in the worst way 1st novel good second ok third horrible. It actually happens to quite a few writer. The cult of personality overwhelms the writer they have a hard time editing. their publishers lower their standards because they know they can sell it. Johnathan Foer Safan is a good example but there are hundreds.
Who is an author that had one good book but the rest were bad? I guarantee it exists, but I can't ant think of one off the top of my head.
John Kennedy Toole may have had more than one good book in him, but we'll never know for sure. That one that he did have is a real gem, though ("A Confederacy of Dunces").
Margaret Mitchell, "Gone With The Wind" Ralph Ellison, "Invisible Man" Harper Lee, "To Kill a Mockingbird" F. Scott Fitzgerald "The great Gatsby" closer absent than bad. Then there is J.D. Salinger who I argue has no good books but since popular culture escapes me at every turn (catcher in the rye.)
Oh, come now, I'm a fan of Franny and Zooey. IMO Catcher in the Rye is a good book that suffers from its popularity. If it was obscure, I think it would read much better. Catch-22 was likely Heller's pinnacle, but I haven't read all of his works.Then there is J.D. Salinger who I argue has no good books but since popular culture escapes me at every turn (catcher in the rye.)
I just finished "Catcher in the Rye". I was reminded of it because it was mentioned in "11/22/63" in the context of school library censorship. It wasn't the worst book I've ever read, but definitely the worst in a good long time. I don't mind an asshole protagonist, but only if he's got something interesting to say. Yeah sure, youth alienation, absent parenting, and disillusionment with the American Dream are important themes, but it just wasn't well done IMO.
It seems to me that the only reason this book is famous is because at the time it came out, the juvenile delinquency and the use of the word "fuck" made it controversial and gave it a lot of free press.
some one gave me a copy of Salingers unpublished novel bound and everything I think I might have gotten through the first chapter I can't find it now. Franny an Zooey is better than Catcher in the Rye.
Fitzgerald only had one good book? I disagree. This Side of Paradise is his best IMHO. I remember The Beautiful and Damned being solid as well.
I think there's a lot of truth to this. The first novel is written with an uncertain audience, or maybe not for a particular audience at all. However, after an author achieves some fame, he/she probably cannot escape the notion that an audience is waiting to read (and judge) the book they are currently writing.
Thank the lord I will never be burdened with that problem.