Complete Polysyllabic Spree, The |
| |
|
|
Author:
Nick Hornby
By Penguin
Average Customer Rating:  
|
|
Binding: Paperback
EAN: 9780141030692
ISBN: 0141030690
Label: Penguin
Manufacturer: Penguin
Number Of Pages: 278
Publication Date: 2007-06-28
Publisher: Penguin
Studio: Penguin |
|
|
|
 Reading about reading, 2008-07-01
This book was bought for me as a birthday present shortly after I'd added it to my wish-list on Amazon. I like Nick Hornby's relaxed, chatty style, and was expecting this to do for books roughly what his "31 Songs" did for music. I wasn't disappointed. For the most part, he uses his standard playfully passionate tone when writing about his reading, which is very entertaining; however, there are times (particularly near the start of the book) where he comes across as somewhat self-conscious about his tastes. In these passages, I was reminded of his shrill denunciation in "31 Songs" of anyone who didn't like Jackson Browne's "Late For The Sky" (as much as he did), which seems to miss the point of this sort of thing.
I was reading it to see if I agreed with his opinion of books which we'd both read, and to look out for interesting recommendations. Both of these expectations were more than met in this book, in spite of the way Hornby kicks against the restrictions placed on him by the editors of the original versions of these pieces - i.e. to never directly criticise an author or a book (he works around this by simply not finishing any book that he doesn't like, without giving its title).
I found one or two mismatches between the lists of books read and those discussed in the pieces, and it was somewhat distracting to find him referring to Christmas in his March column (presumably because of the time lag associated with the columns going into print). But overall, this was an pleasant read, with some nice insights into the communion that ought to exist between writer and reader.
Reading books about books isn't for everyone but if you do so, read this one. , 2007-10-22
Do my favourite authors enjoy the same books as me? Are they more erudite, and more Catholic in their reading taste? Nick Hornby's book gave me the chance to find out.Not only is he a favourite author but he is one of the writers I would love to go down the pub with too. He seems like a friend.
And I was not let down. Where Nick and I over-lapped, we agreed, and that made me feel wise - but he did read much, much more - and that made me realise I need to expand my horizions. And this book gave me pointers on how to do so.
I did not get bored because no literary genre is ignored (except sci-fi and that suited me fine). Dickens is there, So is Adrian Mole as well as new writers soon to be published in the Uk. Biographies, poetry, short-stories, crime are all there. He writes about each book he had read with wit and clarity. His literary criticism was never dry, worthy or condesending. Needless to say, he is often very, very funny but I can't spoil your read.
On the strength of his advice, I bought my first graphic novel (very right-on. It is about a girl's childhood and the Iranian revolution) and pre-ordered a book he enjoyed, Then We Came To The End.
Also he has other good advice. He sorts his books according to Trivial Pursuit categories - how brilliant is that? Much better than library cataloging and/or the unpacked box system I operate. "Where did I read it? In my first flat? Must be in the Hackney squat box!"
He writes directly to the reader. It is like having a fantastic English teacher who thinks we are all promising, precocious pupils and has taken us down the pub to discuss books we like. Naturally a large-flat screen TV showing football is on hand so stuff that is more fun than books can be enjoyed too. He never loses his sense of perspective.
Highly enjoyable, 2008-06-27
I enjoyed reading this novel about all the books Hornby had read over the course of two years. The book is presented as a series of magazine articles with each article being just the right length if you are in need of short sections, such as if you read whilst travelling. I liked the fact that his bought column was always longer than his read column! Just like me!
Not only do the articles discuss his love of reading but they also discuss why we feel we have to read certain books just because they are deemed winners or classics. It rang true with me on quite a few occasions throughout my read. You find out about what he has been reading and I liked the fact that he compared the novels to others at times, helping you make an informed decision as to whether it's a one you'd like to read. I came away from his book with a few recommendations of my own.
Written for an American audience he talks about which of the books he's read haven't been published there etc and I suppose his humour may have been presented differently for this audience. Nonetheless it is both informative and entertaining. So although Hornby says he doesn't like Amazon reviewers, well actually he's a little stronger, this Amazon reviewer is saying give the book a go. It's a pleasant read.
The fine print, 2007-10-25
I read through this book at my usual pace, walking the dog , on the train to work , waiting in the pub for friends, in the bath, waiting for pizza, basically the usual haunts of the book addict. This book articulated my relationship with books from the tendancy to over buy books given the constraints on my time to read them, to my hatred for plot-divulging revues (the irony isnt lost). Hornby's key critical capabilities are boosted by the limitations put on him by the editors of the magazine he writes the column for,i.e. no direct criticism of the writer or writing allowed. This makes for a really wonderful discourse on his relationship with the books he reads and his enthusiasm for the books he chooses to read is infectious. Beyond this though the humour is what makes this book special. I think even if you took away my constant empathy with the author (I walked around nodding my head as I walked into lamposts) the humour alone would have kept me captivated. Ironically enough the first lesson of the book is that life is too short to read books that you dont like , put them down, move on - a great piece of advice that I intend to keep with. However I must say the first pages of this book took a while to get going while the rapport and standing jokes matured. If I had followed the advice in that first chapter I would have missed out on one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. Dont be put off by the fact that it is a book of articles (this was almost enough to turn me away from the start), but being a fan of the author's novels I decided to give it a go, absolutely no regrets.
A Gold Mine, 2008-07-06
I just finished reading this book and it is brilliant! Obviously having been written by Nick Hornby it would be but the idea of compiling a selection of book reviews makes a great book in itself, from his reviews it has inspired me to go out and find some of the books he has talked about but I would probably have never heard of...or if I had, i wouldn't have considered myself as the kind of person to read them!
for readers this is a great book if you are in a lull as there isn't a story or a plot to get around, it is just one man talking about the books he has read. fascinating.
|
