Part V in an almost finished series of posts examining some of my favorite books. You can check out the other entries by clicking on this handy little link right here. Each entry is run through the yard twice a day, gets regular visits to the computer, and is provided with visitation rights on a bi-weekly basis. Enjoy.Rest assured, though - none of the books listed in this series are going anywhere...as a matter of fact, I'm also in the process of making my virtual Shelf of Fame a literal one, so maybe one day soon I'll have an actual picture to use instead of the random shelf currently acting as my SOF title card.
It's been a great ride so, without further ado, here's Books 21-25:
21. Hunter S. Thompson - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: I was going to say this was an easy pick, similar to On the Road in its draw of life on the seedy side of America where everything is skewered or twisted into shapes almost, but not quite, familiar. But Fear and Loathing barrels its way through to enlightenment with a shotgun and a fistful of pills, a smirk on its face the entire way, and by doing so set the standard for "gonzo" journalism that hasn't been equaled almost 30 years later.
22. John Kennedy Toole - A Confederacy of Dunces: If there is a modern equivalent to Don Quixote, it is the towering slab of indignation that is Ignatius J. Reilly, railing against the modern windmills of our age. A Confederacy of Dunces plays on Cervantes' book in all manner of ways, working as a beautifully realized series of comic misadventures, a satiric eye at the virtues and vices of being intellectual, and the relationships that join or fracture because of it. Toole's tragic suicide and the the subsequent posthumous publication of this novel adds another dimension to an already fascinating story.
23. Kurt Vonnegut - Cat's Cradle: Another one of those "pick any book" authors. Everything Vonnegut does is magical, and this novel maybe best captures all the best things about him. Really, to go on any more would be pointless - just read everything, and that includes Player Piano, which is admittedly merely "very good."
24. David Foster Wallace - Infinite Jest: I've already written about the effect this book, and DFW in general, have had on me after his suicide back in September 2008. This is almost as much a challenge as it is a recommendation. Wade through the 1,000+ pages (over 100 of which are footnotes) of life on the junior tennis circuit, addiction in all its forms, a videotape so funny it kills you after you watch it, and a future where each year has a corporate sponsor (e.g. The Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment). Foster creates a narrative so immense, so labyrinthine (is that even a word?) you happily get lost. Not for the faint of heart or easily tired. This book is B-I-G.
25. Jeanette Winterson - The Passion: True story: I once took a course in college called Feminism in Literature. I can't recall why I took it - most likely to fulfill some requirement or other. There are only two books from that class I can remember: Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys and this one. And while I can't remember anything about Wide Sargasso Sea (I think it has something to do with Jane Eyre, which I loved), I recall everything about The Passion. Few authors can weave such exquisite tales of the nature and complication of love like Jeanette Winterson. The Passion is a love story between Napoleon's cook and a pickpocket with webbed feet. Like all her novels, it's rich in its use of meter and imagery and a light breath of air.
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Normally, this would be where I give my tearful farewell to the Shelf of Fame series, as the original plan was to only go to 25. But Fate has a wonderful way of keeping the fun alive, so to speak, and in this particular instance Fate came in the guise of regular Un:Bound commenter K.A. Laity, who wondered where all the old book were (for those not in the "know", K.A. is an award winning author, purveyor of excellent bars, and all-around nice human being who also happens to have a blog right here).
So there will be one more Shelf of Fame, spotlighting some of my favorite works of literature pre-1900. So we'll be back before long (probably not next week, but soon - promise!!) with a proper good-bye to the Shelf and a chance to explore some more fun stuff.
In the meantime, let's talk about books, shall we?
9 comments:
hey don't throw them out, ship them to me. Ok perhaps not a practical solution. :( I feel your pain though love.
Aw, shucks -- thanks for the kind shout-out. Glad to hear there will be an "oldies" list! I feel your pain; I am in the process of psyching myself up for some book giveaways. I'm trying to get rid of many of my belongings and it's a 180 turn for a former packrat, but after a couple of cross country moves (and contemplating moving to a new country) I need to unload a lot.
Fear and Loathing and Cats Cradle are big faves of mine (though I'd have gone for Breakfast of Champions (you had Slaughterhouse 5 already, right?) just because it is so heart-breakingly funny but you do have to know all of Vonnegut to get a lot of the jokes. DFW has never managed to engage me; I feel guilty every time I pass the JKO statue in New Orleans, because I keep meaning to read Confederacy but it's with all the many books in storage that I crumble every time I face them and just considering torching the place like the end of "Frank's Wild Years." Sigh. Gotta get rid of them somehow.
Ooooh KA what new country?
are you coming here are you huh huh? Coz if you do move to the midlands and we will hang out. :)
Um, yeah. Not the midlands, but you know, once I'm there, the midlands ain't far from London. Of course all I have to do is work out how to support myself as academic jobs who want a tech-savvy medievalist seem thin on the ground at present. Need to find that bestseller pitch that's eluding me.
I will be in London in May again (and possibly sooner, but only for a week), so who knows where I might get. Oh, definitely Northampton end of the month, come to think of it.
Maybe I should make 2010 the year of the big giveaway on my blog. Just give something away every freakin' day. Or maybe ask for postage.
Hmmmm. It's just mad enough to work...
Oh sweety I am right near the border with Northants. See you in May. (there is an implied "or else" there, you spotted that right?)
:-D Righty then. I'll be at this conference. Should be fun.
I really like this series of yours! So fun to see other people's favorite books.
Hagelrat - no worries...most of them are getting a home with various libraries and schools.
K.A. - I'm in the same boat, being a packrat for years. You just get to a point where you need to unburden yourself. Getting rid of the books is painful but cathartic at the same time, you know?
I almost went with Breakfast of Champions - CC won out because I read it first, and it was the book that turned me on to all of his other work. But were I to rank them all I think BOC would come out on top.
And it pleases my worn heart to no end to see a Tom Waits reference. Sigh, indeed...
Aarti - Thanks for the nice words, but let's hear more from you! What are some of your favorite books?
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