Shakespeare Wrote for Money

Shakespeare Wrote for Money

by Nick Hornby

★★★☆

For years Nick Hornby (author of High Fidelity) has written a column for Believer Magazine about the books he is currently reading. In the hands of another author the column could have been condescending or intimidating, but Hornby’s casual style and honest approach made it fun.

This isn’t my favorite collection of the columns. I think he comes off as a bit more jaded and frustrated with the editorial staff at Believer here. But there are still some wonderful gems about his love of reading. I also discovered a few books that I immediately added to my TBR. Hornby and I don’t have the same taste in books, but at this point I’m pretty sure I know where our tastes overlap.

Hornby has always been a vocal advocate for reading being fun, not work. That enthusiasm comes through in his writing and I can’t help feeling a bit more passionate about it myself after reading one of his columns.  

“I now see that dismissing YA books because you’re not a young adult is a little bit like refusing to watch thrillers on the grounds that you’re not a policeman or a dangerous criminal, and as a consequence, I’ve discovered a previously ignored room at the back of the bookstore that’s filled with masterpieces I’ve never heard of.” 

Each chapter represents one month’s column and begins with a list of “Books Bought” and “Books Read” that month. This collection contains his first “What are you watching” column too. It was a fun deviation from the norm to read about shows or movies he was enjoying. 

BOTTOM LINE: If you’re new to these columns I would recommend starting with The Polysyllabic Spree. It’s the first collection and my personal favorite. Next up is Housekeeping vs. the Dirt. If you already love those then this one is a must for you!

“Yes, it’s the job of artists to force us to stare at the horror until we are on the verge of passing out. But it’s also the job of artists to offer warmth and hope and maybe even an escape from lives that can occasionally seem unendurably drab.” 

“There have always been relentless and empty-headed self-promoters, although in the good old days we used to ignore them, rather than give them their own reality show.” 

“Maybe the best thing to do with favorite films and books is to leave them be: to achieve such an exalted position means that they entered your life at exactly the right time, and precisely the right place, and those conditions can never be re-created."

Housekeeping vs. the Dirt and A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge

Housekeeping vs. the Dirt

by Nick Hornby

★★★★

Hornby’s column may have switched magazines since the collection published in The Polysyllabic Spree, but it retained its acid wit. This edition contains 14 monthly columns published in The Believer, chronicling the author’s book purchases and what he’s read.

Along the way I found a couple books I want to read, but mainly I just enjoyed his writing. I love the sections where he talks about wanting reading to be a joy, not a chore. He gives such a refreshingly honest look at reading. He reads what he wants. He knows he isn’t always reading the “best” books, but he’d rather read something he enjoys.

I think I tend to read books I think I “should” read, but I also balance that with books I want to read. I’ve also found that I often end up loving the “should read” books more than the others. I think the important thing is just to keep reading no matter what.

BOTTOM LINE: Start with The Polysyllabic Spree and enjoy Hornby’s snarky observations.

"If I felt that mood, morale, concentration levels, weather, or family history had affected my relationship with a book, I could and would say so."

"We often read books that we think we ought to read, or that we think we ought to have read, or that other people think we should read."

"One of the problem, it seems to me, is that we have got it into our heads that books should be hard work, and that unless they're hard work, they're not doing us any good."

"If reading books is to survive as a leisure activity - and there are statistics which show that this is by no means assured - then we have to promote the joys of reading rather than the (dubious) benefits."

 

A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge

by Josh Neufeld

★★★★☆

This beautiful graphic novel tells the true story of a few Hurricane Katrina survivors and the obstacles they faced.   

I loved that Neufeld told the specific stories of five individuals who lived in New Orleans, instead of giving a wide lens view of the catastrophe. Readers are able to see what happened through the eyes of those that experienced it. It reminded me in many ways of Dave Egger’s book Zeitoun, which covers the same event.

I hadn’t thought about the people who evacuated the city, but lost all of their belongings. They other books and articles I’ve read tended to focus on those who stayed, but the others still experienced a huge tragedy. They had to watch news stories of their homes and treasured possessions being destroyed. They’re lives were washed away while they struggled to find a temporary place to stay in another city.

I also think people often assume those who stayed made a selfish or stupid decision. Why would you stay if there was a mandatory evacuation and you knew what was coming? It’s easy to forget that many of those people had no where to go and might not have even had enough money for gas to leave the city.

BOTTOM LINE: I think many of us know the general story of the Katrina, but this novel delves deeper into individuals’ experiences. I think it will be even more valuable for future generations that weren’t alive when it happened.