What good fiction writers are you reading?

I read a great short story by Chekhov last week, the Bishop. Powerful stuff.

One of my favourite fiction writers is Mordechai Richler, and Barney's Version is his ultimate I think, featuring a narrator who's caustic, ill-tempered, loveable, hilarious, and possibly a murderer.

Another Canadian who's facility with words is astounding is Robertson Davies, I'm working on finishing the Deptford trilogy. Great psychological portraits.

I can feel safe recommending Nabokov's the Defense on a chess site!

Feel free to write about authors or specific pieces of work...I'd like to keep it to non-fiction and perhaps another thread can be started for other kinds of writing if so desired.

The full series of Belascoarán Shayne, written by
Paco Ignacio Taibo II, is a must read if you'd like
to try crime fiction.

http://www.thrillingdetective.com/shayne_hector.html

Finished Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum", an interesting read, kind of like the Da Vinci Code but better.