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Aug 11, 2024

Underread Experimental and Avant-Garde works

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Aug 11, 2024

1950-present

I've intentionally constructed this from an anglocentric perspective, prioritizing obscure works in English and including works well-known in literary circles in their original language/country.

Underread does not mean obscure, so some of these are decently popular in the anglophonic world (by which I mean they've been read by many of those with an interest in the unique) yet are surpassingly well-written.

All of these I've read and enjoyed or my girlfriend has. If you have a question about any, ask me in the comments and I'll reply or relay the question and answer.

I'm using avant-garde and experimental in the broadest possible sense, and some of these are hardly formally unique.

3 comments

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1 month ago

Love it. The only one I’ve read is the excellent Motorman. I’ve read other stuff by Matthews and B.S. Johnson; the rest of this stuff is terra incognita for me.

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1 month ago

You know it's a good obscura list when 60% of the books don't have a cover... I'll try to add them manually <3

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1 month ago

Thanks! I had to add four of the books to OpenLibrary. There's no need to add covers if you don't want to. As I mentioned in that thread, I don't particularly care about them on real books, and that apathy extends stronger still to the digital.