Sense and Nonsense

More Books

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I was reading Nick Hornby's new novel, Julia, Naked.  I liked it a lot, though perhaps not quite as much as his other books.

I followed that with a rereading of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, which I just finished this afternoon.   It had been many years since I last read it, and I had been meaning to do so for a while.  (It's one of my favorite classics of American literature, along with Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms.)  It holds up well and is fun to read because  Fitzgerald was such a stylist.  But I think I still prefer Hemingway.

Now, on to Dan Chaon's Await Your Reply. 

Two Books

Some evening last week I finished reading Peter Mayle's new novel, The Vintage Caper.  Mayle is the author of other novels you've probably heard of or read, such as A Year in Provence, Hotel Pastis, and A Good Year.  Most of them are set in French wine country and involve harmless characters and relatively harmless crimes.  This one is similar.  It's not great literature, but it's a delightful way to spend a few evenings in France without the cost of flying there.

Then I started Nick Hornby's latest novel, Juliet, Naked.  I'm only a quarter of the way through it, but it is intelligent and very witty -- a great read, just like About a Boy, High Fidelity, A Long Way Down, and How to Be Good, some of his other novels I've much enjoyed.  More about this one when I'm finished with it.

That's My Motto (wink)

Give books as presents!

Horseshit

That's Elizabeth Kolbert's assessment in the current issue of The New Yorker of Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner's quick fixes for the climate, as outlined in their new book, Superfreakanomics.

Good lord. Save us from pseudo-thinkers of the Levitt-Dubner ilk. 

Dan Brown's Latest

Today I finished reading Dan Brown's new novel, The Lost Symbol.  It's not nearly as entertaining as his other books, but it has its moments.  Brown is really a poor writer, but he has a good imagination and he manages to pull lots of things together in an interesting way.  If you liked his other stuff, you'll probably enjoy this, too.   (Maybe part of the problem now is that I keep picturing Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, which sort of ruins it for me.)

A Marvelous Book

Run -- don't walk -- your pathetic, pampered ass (see post below) to your local bookseller to buy a copy of Nicholson Baker's new novel, The Anthologist.  Baker (pictured at right) is one of the best writers in America.  I've loved much of his earlier work.  But I now have a new personal measure of his greatness:  I hate poetry, absolutely hate it.  But Baker's new book -- a novel all about poetry, a poet, and the anthology of good poems the poet is assembling for publication -- is fabulous.  My interest didn't flag on a single page.  That's how good this book is!

Lorrie Moore's New Novel

I've been meaning to sing the praises of Lorrie Moore's new novel, A Gate at the Stairs, which I read last week. It's every bit as good as the fantastic reviews indicate.  She writes exquisitely and she has a really delightful sense of humor -- wry and piquant.

Mudbound

I just finished reading Hillary Jordan's wonderful novel, Mudbound.  It's a beautiful piece of writing.  I heartily recommend it.  And I thank my brother Tom and my sister-in-law Katie Neider for suggesting I read it.

Another Great Dog Book

I commented recently on how much I enjoyed David Wroblewski's novel, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. 

Today, I finished reading another great book that dog lovers will enjoy: The Art of Racing in the Rain.  Stein's narrator is Enzo, a smart golden retriever (is there any other kind?!).  If you have found my previous recommendations to be trustworthy, then pay attention to this one, too.  Read this book.  You'll enjoy it. 

Russo's Latest

Yesterday I finished reading Richard Russo's newly released novel, That Old Cape Magic.  Russo is one of my favorite novelists (if you're not familiar with his work, start with Straight Man), and this book doesn't disappoint.

Reading it, I often thought of the attraction that Cape Cod holds for many people.  Its supposed charms and allure elude me.  Nantucket?  Yes, of course.  Martha's Vineyard?  Sure.  But the Cape?   Bleh.

Fortunately for me, the characters are what make Russo's novels so wonderful, not the locales.