My Least Favorite Pulitzer Winners for Fiction

These books won a Pulitzer for fiction but I just can't get behind them.

But wait, there's more!

[jacqulynhenry]

I love love loved the Goldfinch. It has become a comfort read/listen for me. I first read it a couple years ago and have picked it up several times since. Breathing Lessons was a dud for me. I was also very annoyed with Maggie, and found myself scoffing at the book often, and when I was about half way through considered DNF, but ended up hate reading the rest of it and now I'm watching reviews trying to make sure I didn't miss something. But it does make me feel a little better to know that it won in '89.

[deirdre]

A couple things: Definitely read "The Hours" again. I think it will mean more to you now than when you were 18. I loved "The Shipping News" mainly because of the beauty of AP's narrative style. Also, her descriptions of Newfoundland really chilled me--I mean I was cold every time I read a chapter! Also, I just can't get out of my head a version of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" done up for a Hallmark Channel movie. LOL

I'm new to your channel and am enjoying it very much.

[pham]

Just a quick note, I had to ask my husband how to pronounce Nguyen because he grew up in an area with many Vietnamese refugees. The author's last name is pronounced new-win.

When I was younger and worked at a library I set the Pulitzer goal for myself, and like most things in my ADHD brain eventually got completely sidetracked. I decided to pick it back up this year. I also found The Hours so incredibly BORING! I went to the movies to watch it and try to get me more enthused about it and I fell asleep in the theater haha! I was about 18 when I tried to read it and am going to give it one more shot.

[OldBluesChapterandVerse]

I’ve never read Mrs. Dalloway, but I love The Hours. Have read it twice, written about it in grad school, adore the film, etc.

[kellyrule]

I actually love Anne Tyler but I can not stand Breathing Lessons. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant and The Accidental Tourist are great books and both books were in the running for the Pulitzer. I think they gave it to her for Breathing Lessons because she was nominated twice before,

[adamhasideas]

Greg, fantastic video as always. For my two cents worth, having read 30 Pulitzers so far, my least favorite would be 1. A Fable by William Faulkner was almost incomprehensible because it was so dense and vague. 2. Tales of the South Pacific by James Michener more like a collection of short stories that weren't really that interesting.

[talking_to_trees]

The Goldfinch is so polarised. People in my life either hate it or love it. They recommend it as the book I absolutely have to read. But I also DNF'ed it. And I did so 3 quarter of the way in. So I was pretty willing to give it all its chances, but in the end I just could not go on. My sister read it and said it was meh, and she is the only person that I met that was kind of neutral about it. I could not stand it! But I did love The Secret History, although I need to reread it as it I cannot quite remember the story and when people tote it as the best book ever, it makes me wonder because clearly it wasn't that for me.

[kalcool]

I began my journey to reading all Pulitzer Winning books and The Goldfinch is my second favorite book (so far). I really like it for the way it's written and the messages it gives. I never thought the book was too unrealistic, but I see where you're coming from. However, you did make me realize how forced the beginning is, but the book is overall good.

Just too long.

[ryanhorner]

Personally, I found The Hours and The Shipping News both excellent; The Sympathizer was in some aspects, at some times pretty good, but ultimately really not one of my favorites; I really agree with your review. And The Goldfinch, etc. couldn’t agree more. March especially was a bland disappointment. In 1999 when The Hours was awarded it was among some excellent finalists: Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks and The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, I would say that was quite a year. I read all three in high school. The one that compels a revisit for me is Cloudsplitter. I think I will subscribe to your channel. I’ve enjoyed your content.

[sfopera]

I don't think the Pulitzer is very serious. Any prize that failed to recognize Gravity's Rainbow is under suspicion.

[JuanReads]

Most of the books you discuss here have been on my TBR for years! Of the ones you mentioned, I've only read The Hours.

[eseoghenetuoyo]

I secretly judge anybody that like the goldfinch..and I never take their recommendations seriously.

I love the sympathizer though.

[gs]

Goldfinch and Shipping News are among my favorite books. Breathing Lessons is good but not as good as Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant.

[ladydisa]

Just found your channel! Really enjoy your videos (subscribed!) Thought I'd help out with The Sympathizer's author's name. Nguyen is pronounced like "Win" in English.

[mradcaqbdb]

I haven’t read The Shipping News, but I may be the only person in the world who can say they loved the movie. I only ever saw it once, so I don’t know if I would still enjoy it, but that one time I saw it, I loved it.

[barbarahurwitz]

I hated A Secret History and have no idea why I started reading Te Goldfinch. I dint finish it.

[whatpageareyouon]

Oh..The Goldfinch's second act certainly takes a tumble in my opinion, so I think it was a good choice to DNF it if you weren't feeling it halfway through. But The Hours!! Gosh, I loved it, but very true, I think I may have liked it so much because I read it soon after Mrs. Dalloway. Still need to read an Anne Tyler

[sharathsomashekar]

Am currently reading The Goldfinch as a bookclub pick... Am liking it a lot for now.. Idk why people never talks about it. Even in my bookclub very less people reading this pick.. I really don't know... :(

[LouiseReader]

I hated The Shipping News SO much! I toiled through The Hours, I am definitely not a Virginia Woolf fan, but it was so much better than anything I've read of her. I remember enjoying March, but can't remember too much about it.

[buttheclouds]

Who is the speaker here, please? I cannot find a credit for him.