a writer I usually like more than expected

Hemingway.

In principle, he’s not one of my favorites. In practice, I find his writing powerful and his stories often compelling.

Normally I don’t like experimental language tricks very much, preferring those who simply craft good prose (a hard thing to do well on a consistent basis). So, I ought not to like Hemingway’s trademark gimmick of comma-free sentences. But it usually feels like he pulls it off.

He also wrote what is still the best Nobel Prize acceptance speech I’ve read (he was unable to attend the ceremony in person). It’s short, modest, and powerful. Compare Bertrand Russell’s bizarrely long-winded and tedious speech, and Hemingway’s looks even better.