Thanks for the link, Nathan. And here’s a linke to your review of Serena (if you don’t mind!).

Of the P/F finalists, Serena by Ron Rash is the only one I’ve read. I liked it a lot–full of action and it’s a re-telling of Macbeth. Netherland is deserving, though.

I did see that Roth has two books due in 2009 and 2010. I’m excited for both and will probably read them soon after they’re released (unless someone from Houghton Mifflin . . .).

As for Sherwood Anderson’s book, I’ve heard of it but never looked into it. But your statement about two very good authors from two different eras paying homage to him makes it seem very relevant. I’ll have to look into it much sooner than I would have otherwise.

That said, Kevin, I’m finally getting somewhat caught up with other things you’ve recommended to me (only about 100 pages left in The Age of Innocence) but I’m always looking for more even if it takes forever to navigate through the reading paths that keep coming up.

Also on the book gossiping front, have you ever read Sherwood Anderson’s short story collection, Winesburg, Ohio? Given that Roth used Winesburg in Indignation and Fante has Bandini thinking about going there in the Bandini Quartet, I can’t help but think that two very good authors from different eras were paying homage to Anderson — and I don’t know anything about the book except what I have googled since the thought came to mind. I’m thinking it is a work that I should investigate. It gets compared to The Great Gatsby and Main Street, both of which I do respect, and given my time living just east in Pittsburgh I am interested in fiction set in that part of the country.