I think I am a pretty predictable reader. As a matter of fact I think if someone wanted to buy me a book it would be very easy for them if they knew me just a little or had read enough of my posts here. Of course no one ever seems to actually buy me books as gifts, but no doubt people think I already have too many. I tend to choose books that are great comfort reads. Not everything on my sidebar I have started is a comfort read, some are challenging in their own way, but nearly always they are within my comfort zone in terms of story or writing style.
Two recent posts have made me think about how I choose my books and wonder if perhaps I should try and be a bit more adventuresome at least sometimes. Dorothy wrote about Tom McCarthy's Remainder, and Litlove has written about Seizure by Erica Wagner. I hadn't even heard of either author until I read these posts, and had I seen them in the bookstore I bet I wouldn't have bought either of them. Reading about them from two readers I trust and respect makes me want to consider at least trying them.
Experimental literature (am guessing these would both be considered experimental?) tends to scare me a little bit. It's unknown terrain and I feel a little off balance when I try something like these--"will I get what the author is doing?". I like my stories to be recognizable to me. If it feels too strange, I balk at reading it and will give up rather than persevering. The last book I can think of that I tried to read (note 'tried') was Sleepless Nights by Elizabeth Hardwick, which the Slaves read last year. I couldn't even manage a book of less than 150 pages. It was very autobiographical and initially was very appealing. But as I got into the book I found myself lost and confused. The writing could be beautiful, but there was no plot to follow. How do you approach something like that? I like things to be neat and tidy, and quite often experimental literature seems to me to be very messy. I need to change my expectations, I think, and let the words wash over me and just go with the flow of the narrative.
I will have another chance to read something challenging soon. The Slaves are reading Jeannette Winterson's "genre-bending" Sexing the Cherry in January. This is a book I've owned for quite some time and am happy to be able to read it in a group setting. I love my comfort reads and I don't expect to ever stop reading those books that appeal to me the most, no matter how how predictable they may be (or I may be for choosing them), but I would love to be more comfortable about taking risks in my reading (something to work on next year) by choosing books that will challenge me more in some way.
So, are you like me and stick close to your reading comfort zone, or do you prefer to take chances on your book choices? If you do like experimental fiction, what books do you suggest for a reader who just wants to dip her toe into it and give it a try (without being too daring)? If I get enough suggestions I'll make a list--"experimental literature made painless"!