A while back I read this review of Nick Hornby’s collection of columns about reading called The Polysyllabic Spree. I put it in my notebook to keep an eye out for it so when I saw it the other day at Kinokuniya and picked it up. Even though I started reading the new Murakami, I couldn’t resist devouring it in a couple of sittings, it’s only 140 pages. I’m excited about reading the new Murakami, but it is over 500 pages and is a hardback-so it’s difficult to lug around, but I couldn’t wait for the paperback edition. So I grabbed the Hornby book to read at the gym after starting it on the way home for
Anyway, I really enjoyed Hornby’s previous book of essays about music, Songbook. He writes from the point of view of a fan more than a critic, although he will point out weaknesses and elaborate on why he likes what he likes. But there’s a sort of enthusiasm that permeates his writing about books and music. He seems like the kind of writer that I could sit around with at a pub talking about music and books, his tone suggests approachability. I find his style refreshing and unpretentious. He is often quite funny as well. I can say that I ‘ve come away with about 10 new books that I feel compelled to read. He begins each column by listing books read and books bought. They don’t always match. Every reader I know has books that have set on the shelf waiting to be read, I have a tendency to read most books that I buy right away due to an article read or some reference that spurs me to seek out a particular work. But others are bought for future reading, for example I bought Runaway Horses because it is the second of a teratology or book written by Mishima, Hornby’s taste is quite eclectic, he reads biographies, nonfiction books, sports books, literary books, classics, thrillers, etc…which reflects his passion for reading. It’s something that I can identify with, because my interests are varied as well. In homage to Hornby, Here’s my list of books bought and read so far this month:
BOOKS BOUGHT:
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby
Yellow Dog by Martin Amis
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Hope Dies Last by Studs Terkel
Runaway Horses by Yukio Mishima
Sex, Drugs, and Coca Puffs by Chuck Klosterman
(ordered)The Sorrows of Empire by Chalmers Johnson
BOOKS READ:
Reefer Madness by Eric Schlosser
Granta 86: Film
The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby
(started) Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Comments