What is the best book you have ever read by a male author and a female author?

[chaptazbru]

Mine is The Pursuit of Happiness by Douglas Kennedy

and

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.

[gness]

Should have said on previous post. J.L.Carr is well worth looking at. Google him. I met him and he was fascinating. Could have fallen in love with him!

[askyourgran]

I recently cleared out a lot of books, including some Thomas Hardy novels. I did keep Return of the Native as I enjoyed that one. The writer who disappoints is John Le Carre, I find his books quite hard to get into.

[gness]

Chap. Reading this thread and making notes instead of reading my book!

[zebo]

Somewhere in these posts I, and others, mentoned Katherine, by Anya Seton. I would also recommend The Green Darkness by Anya Seton.

[bensmum]

naomi - I did read "Tenant of Wildfell Hall" (many years ago!) but not read any others that I can remember.
Seeing askyourgran's post - I love Le Carre's books. The stories are very involved and do take some getting into but well worth it.
Has anyone read Clive Barker's books? I really enjoy his writing.

[horseshoes]

Male - Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy (I love all his books)
Female - Gone with The Wind - Margaret Mitchell (another one hit wonder - but what a hit)!

Somebody suggested worst book. I struggled to the bitter end with Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment; I decided that at my age it was time I read a Russian classic! I shouldn't have bothered!

[naomi24]

I liked 'Gone with the Wind' too - but since Margaret Mitchell only wrote one book, it would have been rather difficult for her to achieve two hits. ;o)

[chaptazbru]

Somebody, think it was from Margaret Mitchell's estate, wrote a follow up book and it was absolute c**p. Bought it in a charity shop and wish I hadn't bothered.

[DTCwordfan]

I thought you were away this weekend, chapta...

[naomi24]

Chappy, I read a follow-up called 'Scarlet' - written by someone else. Is that the one you mean?

[chaptazbru]

Hi DT, no I've got my best friend staying with me and we've got a busy weekend planned, but we're just having a few minutes while she reads the paper and I asked her if she'd mind me coming on here as I can't resist it as usual!!

[chaptazbru]

That's the one naomi. I WOULDN'T recommend it ! It didn't have the Margaret Mitchell magic.

[naomi24]

I agree - and I wouldn't recommend the follow-ups to Pride & Prejudice either. Utter tosh!

I did read a follow-up to Wuthering Heights, though, that was quite good. I think it was called 'Heathcliff'.

[horseshoes]

Naomi - that's exactly what I meant - about it being a one hit wonder. Even if she'd written another story it would have had SO much to live up to. I don't think I'll bother with the follow up book if I ever see it; it sounds dreadful.

[DTCwordfan]

Have a great time - need to go down to Waterstones or have a little trip onto my Kindle.....time for some Forster or Hemingway.

[naomi24]

Horseshoes, I agree. She'd have had to go a long way to equal that. And you're wise not to bother with the sequel.

[nungate]

I read an awful lot of books by Anya Seton when I was younger, I'd quite forgotten all about them (more for me to search the house for - I never throw a book away). Another historical novel I read was by Sharon Penman called the Sunne in Splendour about Richard III, thoroughly enjoyed it, and a few others by the same author. Has anyone read the Angelique books by Sergeanne Golon? they were very popular among colleagues of mine, so I had a wee read too, they fired up my interest in Louis XIV and Versailles, interesting how works of fiction can fire up an interest in learning more about a subject.

[horseshoes]

Why do people think they can better the best? They do it with films too such as the Ladykillers, The Italian Job, Alfie etc etc. I'm off to start a thread about disappointing films.......

[naomi24]

I always thought Jean Plaidy was good for encouraging an interest in history too.

[whiskeryron]

The Matarese Circle by Robert Ludlum. I can't wait for someone to make it into a movie.

Ron.