So instead, I thought I would list out some of the books I have read this year and tell you which ones I liked the best. I will also bestow the first ever HERETICAL REVIEW PRIZE FOR WORDS ON A PAGE.
This is exciting.
Here we go:
1. John Steinbeck- To a God Unknown
2. Kurt Vonnegut- Fates Worse than Death
3. Nick Hornby- Juliet, Naked
4. Raymond Carver- Cathedrals
5. Ernest Hemingway- The Sun Also Rises
And the winner is....
Ok, all of that was really a long way to get to a book I have been meaning to write about for a while. Nick Hornby has/is become one of my favorite modern writers. He is the author of the books High Fidelity, About a Boy and Fever Pitch. I'm pretty sure he taught me how to appreciate fiction and literature. This happened one day while sitting in Barnes and Noble when I casually picked up his A Long Way Down. I sat and read 200 pages in one sitting. It felt like minutes. But, it was really hours and I was late to pick up one of my siblings from soccer practice. That was the first time that had ever happened to me. The idea of getting lost in a good book was foreign to me. But, his wit and insight into humanity floored me. It was there, in that chair, that my love affair with the novel began.
From there I found myself gobbling up his novels. I read the books listed above inside of a month and found myself venturing out to other men and women writers. Something that attracts me to Hornby's writing is his male protagonists. They are incredibly likable but extremely flawed. I found myself in these characters, wondering how they were going to get themselves out of the situations they had created for themselves.
Juliet, Naked is nothing new in the canon of Nick Hornby. It is the story of a couple, Annie and Duncan. Both in the world of the Arts/Humanities. Duncan is obsessed with a singer-songwriter named Tucker Crowe. Crowe released a monumental album named, Juliet. After the release of this album he disappeared. Two decades later, a stripped down release of the same album is released called, Juliet, Naked. The story follows these three individuals as they end up in a bizarre triangle (which conveniently enough is my favorite shape).
This book for any music fan, is immediately accessible. We can all relate with becoming overly obsessed with an album artist or some piece of art. We desire to have everything they have ever done, we spend hours discussing the meanings to some mysterious lyrics. In this modern world, we follow their blog, twitter and ask to be their friends on facebook. We assume that this musician, novelist or artist in general would love us if they met us.
I mean why wouldn't they? We are interesting, with things plenty of things to say!
This book explores themes of love, future, family, career, trust, concern and a myriad of other things. Also, it is absolutely hilarious. I recommend that you pick it up and read the first chapter, if you are not laughing by the end of the chapter, than maybe you should go and read this weeks issue of Tiger Beat.
If summer had not already passed us by I would call this a "Perfect Summer Sun Book" but since it is fall I will call it, "Perfect Cuddle/Fireplace Book".
Do yourself a favor, take a break from those school books, daily routine, and that mediocre relationship and crack open this book. You won't regret it.
First of all, I'm pretty sure I need to look into this guy. If he wrote High Fidelity I need to become well acquainted with his works.
ReplyDeleteSecond, you pretty much summed up my relationship with all musicians that I take a liking to. I become obsessed and won't stop until I know all the obscure details of their lives, right down to embarrassing moments from high school to former lovers to names of family pets. I have a problem. The newest edition I've added to my repertoire is Ryan Adams, which really pisses me off because I feel like that ship has already sailed and I'm just now figuring out that he is awesome.
Third, this sort of falls into the category I just mentioned, but I just started reading Marilyn Manson's autobiography "the long hard road out of hell" which I realize I'm a few years behind on this but I was raised in the church and was also homeschooled so these things can hinder ones learning process, but It is a pretty solid read. Right up there with Cash's autobiography. Check it out if you have time and I'll definitely search my B and N for Juliet, Naked.
Sadly, my only acquaintance with Nick Hornby (oddly, I always forget his name, and the way I remember it is remembering that Bruce Hornsby sang Changes) is through High Fidelity. It isn't even through the book. I'm two removes away from the author! Shame on me. I do remember reading bits and pieces of a sort of journal he wrote that chronicled all the books he bought compared to the ones he read. I remember his jibe against Lewis, of course. Wink. But I do like his colloquial style. He can get away with it because of aroma of sophistication coming from a British author. His commentary on culture is distinct because not only is he usually right, he's interesting. The obsessive characters that act as the mouthpieces are equally interesting. Just a passing reference to The Unbearable Lightness of Being in High Fidelity was enough to peak my interest. Arranging music autobiographically, instead of alphabetically or chronologically. I've never thought of that. All time top-5: haven't we all done this. But Hornby gives it literary form.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like I won't get to the bottom of Mario Vargas Llosa in one sitting. I'll have to look into him.