| Books |
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| the quiet american, graham greene |
a towering giant of a short book: this has as perfect a first chapter as I have ever read. a timeless look at the involvement of the first world in the internal affairs of the third. also, see the film |
| the human stain, philip roth |
for my money, roth is the best living novelist on american culture -- this is a searing portrait of the complexities of race (and if it's not enough, try also american pastoral). |
| we wish to inform you that in the morning we will be killed with our families, philip gourevitch |
non-fiction, to the great shame of the civilized world: this is an extremely powerful and unflinching look at the genocide in rwanda. |
| the loser, thomas bernhard |
an imaginary delight of a fictional account of three men (including the pianist glenn gould) -- a long, gushing one-sided conversation. |
| girl with a pearl earring, tracey chevalier |
sparse and luscious, this inventive novel imagines a vermeer painting from the life of its subject. quietly evocative, the novel mirrors the painting itself, clear crisp and haunting. |
not for anyone over 40, this book isn't heartbreaking (and no comment on the genius), but it is spectacularly funny, as long as one like purely irreverent humor, and the authors voice is true to the generation (how sad for us) with it's knowing cynicism and self-consciousness. Still, it touches a theme -- the complete independence and nonexistent responsibilities of us slackers, and the struggle when that worldview vanishes.
a stunning display of artistry. this is a layered, complex and rich book focused on the shifting politics between men and women against the counterpoint of the changed politics of race in south africa. at it's core is a deep cry for humanity's nobility, in all its disguises and erring ways.
magnificent, haunting, and surprisingly modern. the tale of the unnamed "whisky priest" and his run from a clerical purge of southern mexico. a compelling and thought-provoking narrative.
if all you know of cormac mccarthy is the insipid juvenilia of all the pretty horses, you won't recognize the rich artistry of the earlier novel: one of the most authentic (and most violent) voices on the settling of the American West.
shocking but true: this is a wonderful book of linked short stories, reminiscent of susan minot's monkeys. unfairly lumped with the sophomoric bridgit jones's diary; this is more like the senior seminar you wish would never end
readers of robert stone will see the obvious connections from earlier masterpieces like outerbridge reach and a flag for sunrise; he is a craftsman who is a master of both character and pace, and is cerebral without losing plot
An engaging and surprising masterpiece by one of the leading writers of his generation. Don't be fooled by the poor harlequin-esque title; although mcewan won the Booker Prize for amsterdam, this is a far better book.
A complex and intricate novel masked by the simple prose and velocity of the story. also try his first novel, the beach, and skip the DiCaprio movie
the first book of the alexandria quartet, lush, gorgeous prose and the interwoven lives of four people. simply spectacular.
first published in 1967, this is an erotic duet set in the countryside of france. read this, and you'll know why peter mayle should be trampled by truffle pigs