Nicholson Baker

Born

in New York City, New York, The United States

January 07, 1957

Genre

Nicholson Baker is a contemporary American writer of fiction and non-fiction. As a novelist, his writings focus on minute inspection of his characters' and narrators' stream of consciousness. His unconventional novels deal with topics such as voyeurism and planned assassination, and they generally de-emphasize narrative in favor of intense character work. Baker's enthusiasts appreciate his ability candidly to explore the human psyche, while critics feel that his writing wastes time on trivia (Stephen King notoriously compared Baker's novel Vox to a "meaningless little fingernail paring").

Combine Editions
Nicholson Baker’s books

Average rating: 3.62 · 31,505 ratings · 4,305 reviews · 33 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Mezzanine 3.89 avg rating — 6,086 ratings — published 1988 — 27 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Vox 3.43 avg rating — 5,067 ratings — published 1992 — 39 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Anthologist (The Paul Chowder Chronicles #1) 3.76 avg rating — 3,616 ratings — published 2009 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Fermata 3.69 avg rating — 3,968 ratings — published 1994 — 29 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	House of Holes 3.08 avg rating — 2,375 ratings — published 2004 — 20 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Box of Matches 3.67 avg rating — 1,994 ratings — published 2003 — 22 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Human Smoke: The Beginnings of World War II, the End of Civilization 3.98 avg rating — 1,433 ratings — published 2008 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Traveling Sprinkler (The Paul Chowder Chronicles #2) 3.69 avg rating — 852 ratings — published 2013 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Double Fold: Libraries and the Assault on Paper 3.41 avg rating — 905 ratings — published 2001 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	U and I 3.77 avg rating — 833 ratings — published 1992 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Nicholson Baker…

Series by Nicholson Baker

The Paul Chowder Chronicles (2 books)
by

Nicholson Baker

3.75 avg rating — 4,509 ratings

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Quotes by Nicholson Baker

“I woke up thinking a very pleasant thought. There is lots left in the world to read.”
― Nicholson Baker, The Anthologist

3914 likes

“Books: a beautifully browsable invention that needs no electricity and exists in a readable form no matter what happens.”
― Nicholson Baker

tags: books, inventions

2255 likes

“But spending your life concentrating on death is like watching a whole movie and thinking only about the credits that are going to roll at the end. It’s a mistake of emphasis.”
― Nicholson Baker, The Anthologist

tags: death, life

65 likes

See all Nicholson Baker's quotes »

Polls

What 'life stages' book would you like to read in June?

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

9 votes, 50.0%

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

6 votes, 33.3%

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley

3 votes, 16.7%

Room Temperature by Nicholson Baker

0 votes, 0.0%

18 total votes

4 comments

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