My 2004 BookLust, Part I
It's the sixth day into the new year, and I've noticed that on various lit blogs and web sites people are posting their 'best of' lists for books published in 2004. Most of the titles I haven't read; quite a few I've never even heard of. Based on that information, I think I can safely classify myself as a gentleman intellectual (keeping in mind that old phrase 'gentleman farmer'). I love books, I love reading, but I am not a 'serious intellectual'. I will never, ever, ever read 'Ulysses' (I can still remember this girl in highschool who would deliberately carry that book around with her to every class, making every effort to bring to my attention that she was reading it, and understanding it all); I don't read books because I want to show off or even because I want to improve myself; I read books because I'm curious. For me, a good book should be a joy to read; it shouldn't be slogging hard work involving excessive trips to the dictionary or encyclopedia. My kind of book, as Jonathan Franzen so aptly described in his essay Mr. Difficult, "deserves a reader's attention only as long as the author sustains the reader's trust. This is the Contract model. The discourse here is one of pleasure and connection." The opposing model, according to Franzen, is called "the Status model. It invites a discourse of genius and art-historicial importance" ... "The Status position is undeniably flattering to a writer's sense of importantce. In my bones, though, I'm a Contract kind of person."
I spent many torturous years in highschool pretending to be a 'Status' reader, but in my bones I've always known that I am a good ol' 'Contract' reader, too, and damn happy to be one.
So I thought I would share some of last year's curiosity with you, and list some of my favourite 'Contract' books that I read and enjoyed. This doesn't mean that the book was actually published in 2004, it just means that I either discovered it last year, or I finally got around to reading it. Because this post is going to be so lengthy, I decided to write it in two parts. Part II will follow in a day or two.
How to Be Alone: Essays by Jonathan Franzen
Ahh, poor Johnny. If anyone must feel alone at times, it's gotta be him. So why not get together a collection of essays that somehow all touch upon that somber subject? From the sad and heart-felt essay about his father's Alzheimer's ('MyFather's Brain'), to his enlightening perspective on reading, writing and the death of the novel ('Why Bother' and 'The Reader in Exile'), to, of course, his never-to-be-forgotten experience with the all-powerful Oprah ('Meet Me in St. Lous'), this collection of Franzen's writing is provocative, sincere and often quite funny. Franzen is a talented writer and his heart is in the right place.
quirky QUWERTY: a biography of the typewriter and its many characters by Torbjörn Lundmark
Well geez, how could I not read this book? It's got a cool title, the cover is just plain delish (designed by a very talented book cover designer by the name of Joe Montgomery; keep an eye out for his stellar work), the author has a funky name and the subject is fascinating! What a wonderful idea, to write the history of something that most of us take for granted: the keyboard. Lundmark provides an intriguing history of the creation of the typewriter (hey, let's not forget that I.B.M. used to make typewriters before they got into computers), as well as delving into the delightful archaeology of each letter and symbol on the keyboard. Did you know why we dot our i's, or the origins of the amersand? Well I sure didn't. This is a fun and friendly reference tool for all you curious word buffs and linguist wannabes.
Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing by Margaret Atwood
This book probably slips into the 'Status' model in a few sections, but Ms. Atwood is one damn clever woman, and she just can't help being so smart. I don't know why this book didn't get more coverage and acclaim when it first came out; I loved it; it's just so rich and pithy, chock-full of candid insights on what it means (to Atwood) to be a writer, and just who are these strange creatures, these 'readers' out there? And why this need to meet the author after you have read their book? Atwood has a great answer for that one: "Wanting to meet an author because you like his work is like wanting to meet a duck because you like pâté." I must confess, that far too often I have a strong urge to meet the duck. So if you want to read an intelligent, insightful and humorous book about all the mysteries and marvels of the writing life, pick up this book. Do it for Peggy.
Out of the Flames: The Remarkable Story of a Fearless Scholar, a Fatal Heresy, and One of the Rarest Books in the World by Lawrence & Nancy Goldstone
Oh yeah, that subtitle hooked me in. Well, what the hell did you expect? A story about a heretical book considered so evil by some that a man is eventually put to death for creating it? And the story is true? Oh, I'm there, baby, with bells on. Michael Servetus is the man credited with the discovery of pulmonary circulation in the human body, and oh yeah, in 1553 he wrote this book called Christianismi Restitutio, in which among other things, he challenged the veracity of the Holy Trinity. Well, this put a bee in nasty ol' John Calvin's bonnet and "Servetus was tried and agonizingly burned at the stake, the last known copy of the Restitutio chained to his leg". But guess what! Three copies of the Restitutio managed to survive, despite all efforts to destroy them. I'll wager a bet Mel Gibson's already bought the rights to the movie. But seriously, this is an engrossing, extraordinary tale, involving the history of printing and religion and politics, told with all the most fascinating and influential people of that time; you'll learn about Johann Gutenberg, Johann Fust, Aldus Manutius, Erasmus, Martin Luther and Andreas Vesalius, and you'll get down on your knees and thank God you live in an age where you can express your thoughts on a blog without fear of being burnt at some stake with your computer chained to your leg. Not yet, anyway.
Black Bird by Michel Basilières
I actually read more fiction than non-fiction, but I guess last year I went through a real non-fiction phase. Hmmm....how to describe this story? Takes place in Montreal. During the October Crisis. There's an eccentric French Canadian family. Grave-robbers and mad scientists and a crusty black crow and a gripping denouement on Hallowe'en night. Dark, and funny and utterly outrageous and well-written to boot. Mr. Basilières was the recipient of 2004's First Novel Award for Canadian writers, sponsored by Amazon.ca and Books in Canada magazine. And I recall hearing somewhere that his manuscript was just another of the many from Random House's slush pile. Heartening news. And I'm looking forward to his next book, for sure. So get writing, Mr. Basilières.
Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
Words almost fail me, honestly. One of the most delightful collections of essays I have ever read. Ms. Fadiman has a passion for books and reading, and in these beautiful, erudite, witty and enchanting essays she welcomes you into her lifelong love affair with books and language. Oh, that I could express my thoughts like her! So many delicious anecdotes, like the essay 'Marrying Libraries' in which she recounts the holy (and stressful) event of when she and her husband finally decide to mix their books together. Or how one should lovingly care for their books, in the essay 'Never Do That to a Book'. Ah, the romantic delight of 'Words on a Flyleaf', all about what people write in the books they give to their lovers and friends. This book is a keeper. It's the warm, loving friend you pick up on a cold rainy sunday, and read and re-read, snuggled in your favourite blanket with lots of hot tea. A few warm cats couldn't hurt either. Oh and yes, of course, the cover is pure delight.
