With the first volume of this seminal series, most about “Jimmy Corrigan, the smartest kid on earth,” Chris Ware made loneliness ache in more color an...moreWith the first volume of this seminal series, most about “Jimmy Corrigan, the smartest kid on earth,” Chris Ware made loneliness ache in more color and dimension than the saddest country song. Where Will Eisner and Art Spiegelman taught me that comics could be novels, Chris Ware taught me that they could be literature. Though the series has been anthologized into a book, the printing, graphics, and reproductions are far superior in the original comics.(less)
Though written in 1939, this story of a struggling, socially inept writer in Los Angeles could have taken place today. It’s a must-read for any writer...moreThough written in 1939, this story of a struggling, socially inept writer in Los Angeles could have taken place today. It’s a must-read for any writer, and guaranteed to reduce all ego and pretension to dust.(less)
Besides adding at least a hundred new words to my vocabulary, this cleverly told story (in the form of a poem and its interpretation) made it hard to...moreBesides adding at least a hundred new words to my vocabulary, this cleverly told story (in the form of a poem and its interpretation) made it hard to take literary criticism seriously years afterward. Along with the equally revelatory Lolita, the perfect prose in Pale Fire manages to turn obsession into art.(less)
If Joyce taught me the power of the complexity of language, Dr. Seuss reminded me of the simplicity. “The Butter Battle Book” remains one of the most...moreIf Joyce taught me the power of the complexity of language, Dr. Seuss reminded me of the simplicity. “The Butter Battle Book” remains one of the most poignant metaphors ever written for the cold war, the arms race, and the folly of human nature.(less)
A near-perfect example of semi-autobiographical, semi-apocryphal, semi-fantastic historical fiction, set in and around World War II. Slaughterhouse-Fi...moreA near-perfect example of semi-autobiographical, semi-apocryphal, semi-fantastic historical fiction, set in and around World War II. Slaughterhouse-Five veers enjoyably into comedy and science fiction (and is a great example of non-linear narrative).(less)
The same girl who turned me on to the Calvino book loaned me this one. And though she regularly thwarted my amorous ambitions, I am forever grateful....moreThe same girl who turned me on to the Calvino book loaned me this one. And though she regularly thwarted my amorous ambitions, I am forever grateful. For I think about this book on a daily basis: it tells the story of a boy named Jamoril, born to be a great poet. However, swept up in the pressures of family and the politics of the time, he becomes a hack instead. Every day, we all must make this choice, between living to our fullest potential or getting bogged down in the details of the small consensus reality imposed on us by work, family, friends, and society.(less)
From the first word of this book, it’s clear that something different is going on. That first word is “you,” and this book was the first masterpiece I...moreFrom the first word of this book, it’s clear that something different is going on. That first word is “you,” and this book was the first masterpiece I’d read in the second person. Beyond being extremely clever, it was also the first book I’d encountered that so wholly explored the act of reading and being a reader. (The next one was Flann O’Brien’s At Swim Two Birds.)(less)
This book is another reason why high school influenced me more than my college education. When it came time to write The Dirt with Motley Crue, I look...moreThis book is another reason why high school influenced me more than my college education. When it came time to write The Dirt with Motley Crue, I looked to this book, with its multiple-voice, stream-of-consciousness narrative, for structure. From the story (of a motley crew on a senseless journey) to the characters (from the headstrong to the soft-in-the-head), Motley Crue is the Bundren family.(less)
Reading this book changed my life, and taught me just how much could be expressed and explored with words. Since then, I’ve re-read the book every few...moreReading this book changed my life, and taught me just how much could be expressed and explored with words. Since then, I’ve re-read the book every few years, and each journey through its labyrinthine pages has been a new experience with new revelations.(less)
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