Books for Gulping
If you've read any of Nick Hornby's novels, About a Boy, High Fidelity, or his latest, Juliet, Naked, you'll know that they are enjoyable, funny, satisfying reads.
He has been writing monthly columns for the Believer magazine since 2003 and they are absolutely delightful. Reading them is like listening to a bright, wickedly hilarious friend entertain you with stories about what books they've been buying, what books they've been reading and what books they just can't bring themselves to read.
The Polysyllabic Spree, Housekeeping vs. the Dirt and Shakespeare Wrote for Money stand alone, so read them in any order. Dip in — if you enjoy one article you will enjoy them all. I got all three from the library and devoured them. These are not books for sipping. These are books for gulping.
Hornby didn't always agree with Greil Marcus' opinions in Marcus' Like a Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan at the Crossroads, but writes: "Just to live in the world of this book, a world of intellectual excitement and curiosity and rocket-fueled enthusiasm, was a treat."
This is an exact description of the experience of reading Hornby's own three books.
I came away from them wanting to read dozens and dozens of books that I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. Is there higher praise for books of reviews?
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