Great Modern Authors?

answers1:In my opinion the two most important writers of the late 20th
century are Philip Roth and the late Joseph Heller. Start with
"Goodbye Columbus" and "Portnoy's Complaint" by the former, and work
your way up to "American Pastoral" and "The Human Stain." For Heller,
well, everyone should know "Catch-22," but also read "God Knows" and
the chilling "Something Happened."
answers2:Jhumpa Lahiri's collection 'Interpreter of Maladies' is
great.Anne Tyler: 'The Accidental Tourist' and 'Breathing
Lessons'.John Irving: The Hotel New Hampshire', 'The Wordl According
to Garp''Case Histories' by Kate Atkinson When you said you couldn't
make heads nor tails of modern authors you reminded me of a book by
B.R Myers called 'A Reader's Manifesto', which really picks apart
today's so called "great writers". I recommend that too.Other than
that, enh......Show more
answers3:May I suggest:*Haruki Murakami - The Wind-Up bird
Chronicles*John Irving -A Widow for one year* Chuck Palahniuk- Choke
answers4:Gabriel Garcia Marquez (100 years of Solitude) is one of my
favorites as well as Paulo Coelho (Veronika decides to die). I have
this same problem, I go into the book store and am just overwhelmed by
the choices, I tend to rely on the advice of friends.
answers5:I know many people will disagree with me, but Anita Shreve
has a way of writing about womanhood that seems to echo. "The Pilot's
Wife" excluded, of course. And Annie Proulx ("Brokeback Mountain"),
Anna Quindlen, and Zora Neale Hurston are a few other great writers.
Sorry I can't help more, but I have a tendency to read stuff way
older.
answers6:Frank Peretti- Anything of his is good.
answers7:Thomas Pynchon is great, comepletely overwhelming but great.
His writings fall under post-modern lit. The modern period is
considered 1900-1945. That would make Hemingway probably the greatest
of that period though there are so many more possibilities. Consider
Burroughs, Crane, Bishop, Faulkner, Ferber, E.E. Cummings, T.S. Eliot,
etc....Show more
answers8:Link to my favorite modern author: http://www.laytonelliott.com
answers9:YOU SHOULD TRY HOWARD STEWART
answers10:I would be tacky and say "me" but my writing is far to
niche-oriented. Rather for a good read that also has a level of
thinking involved, I do like Dan Brown's work -- except for Digital
Fortress where I feel his formula crumbled rather dramatically
compared to earlier works. Angels and Demons really hooked me with the
historical element ... this author does his homework then brings his
own imagination into the fray. My only complaint is that at the end of
the book I want more!...Show more