THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
Although I read this online every week it is not the same as reading the actual newspaper while sipping on a decent cup of coffee.
Yesterday a bundle of copies arrived from my daughter in New York and I have spent several happy hours since reading them even though in fact I have actually already read all the reviews online.
Here are a few highlights from this latest bunch which covered issues from Sept, October and early November.
PAUL THEROUX
I’m not the greatest fan of Paul Theroux but I must say I was hugely taken by his very long, superb opening sentence in his review of Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa’s Greatest Explorer (Yale University Press) that appeared in the New York Times Book review of Sept 30, 2007.
Here it is:
Poor Africa, the happy hunting ground of the mythomaniac, the rock star buffing up his or her image, the missionary with a faith to sell, the child buyer, the retailer of dirty drugs or toxic cigarettes, the editor in search of a scoop, the empire builder, the aid worker, the tycoon wishing to rid himself of his millions, the school builder with a bucket of patronage, the experimenting economist, the diamond merchant, the oil executive, the explorer, the slave trader, the eco-tourist, the adventure traveler, the bird watcher, the travel writer, the escapee, the colonial and his crapulosities, the banker, the busybody, the Mandela-sniffer, the political fantasist, the buccaneer and your cousin the Peace Corps Volunteer.
And if you’d like to read the whole review use this link.
The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
Although I read this online every week it is not the same as reading the actual newspaper while sipping on a decent cup of coffee.
Yesterday a bundle of copies arrived from my daughter in New York and I have spent several happy hours since reading them even though in fact I have actually already read all the reviews online.
Here are a few highlights from this latest bunch which covered issues from Sept, October and early November.
PAUL THEROUX
I’m not the greatest fan of Paul Theroux but I must say I was hugely taken by his very long, superb opening sentence in his review of Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa’s Greatest Explorer (Yale University Press) that appeared in the New York Times Book review of Sept 30, 2007.
Here it is:
Poor Africa, the happy hunting ground of the mythomaniac, the rock star buffing up his or her image, the missionary with a faith to sell, the child buyer, the retailer of dirty drugs or toxic cigarettes, the editor in search of a scoop, the empire builder, the aid worker, the tycoon wishing to rid himself of his millions, the school builder with a bucket of patronage, the experimenting economist, the diamond merchant, the oil executive, the explorer, the slave trader, the eco-tourist, the adventure traveler, the bird watcher, the travel writer, the escapee, the colonial and his crapulosities, the banker, the busybody, the Mandela-sniffer, the political fantasist, the buccaneer and your cousin the Peace Corps Volunteer.
And if you’d like to read the whole review use this link.
The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
– this got a snaky review in Esquire which I published two days ago so here is another review, long and thoughtful.
Rhett Butler's People
Donald McCaig
Macmillan/St.Martin's Press
I reviewed this last week on the blog but here is NYT reviewer Stephen Carter's take on this new look at Rhett, Scarlett and the others of Gone with the Wind fame.
Photofest pic (right) from same article.
METRO BRIEFING
Two books by Times reporters about life in New York City.
CITY LIGHTS
Stories About New York.
By Dan Barry.
Illustrated. 297 pp. St. Martin's Press. $25.95.
Stories About New York.
By Dan Barry.
Illustrated. 297 pp. St. Martin's Press. $25.95.
THE WORLD IN A CITY
Traveling the Globe Through the Neighborhoods of the New New York.
By Joseph Berger.
267 pp. Ballantine Books. $25.95.
I'll be buying these when I get up to NYC for Christmas.
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