I had no idea this was the Next Big Thing, Do I actually dare put down the list of Ten Books That Had the Most Impact on Me? It might be kinda scary to some folks... Oh, what the heck. Bear in mind that a good number of these were read in their original languages — well, okay, not the Greek ones, but pretty much all the rest. 1. La Folle de Chaillot, by Giraudoux. It was my first encounter with him, and Ive since gone on to read everything else he wrote. A brilliant writer who deserves more attention than hes getting. 2. David and the Phoenix, by Edward Ormondroyd. The first real novel I ever read, and one I go back to every so often because of the important reminder it lays out for you. 3. Going After Cacciato, by Tim OBrien. Magic realism and the horror of war. 4. Gullivers Travels. A densely written, profoundly disturbing book about a man going mad and obsessed with bodily functions. 5. Every Single Thing Written By Aristophanes. Hysterical stuff, even after two millennia. 6. The Re-enchantment of Everyday Life, by Thomas Moore. This is one of those Just shut up and read it kind of books. Seriously, just shut up and read the damn thing, then youll know why. 7. The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. 8. Don Quixote de la Mancha. I read somewhere that this one affects you differently when you first read it as a young man than it does when youre an old man. Its very true. 9. Voyaging, by Rockwell Kent. Sure, we all know Kent as a great illustrator, but his journals while traipsing about the world were a glorious discovery, written at a time when the New World was still relatively new. 10. The Arrival, by Shaun Tan. A graphic novel without a single word, and yet one that totally captures the headiness of moving to a new country. And what the hell: its my list. 11. Dancer From the Dance, by Andrew Holleran. He may not have written anything that comes close since, but this was a landmark of gay literature. So. My list. Subject to change, but probably not by much. And I call on Jay Christopher Wagner and Charles Barragan and Matthew Denckla and Kathleen Fair to share theirs. Apparently you do this on your own page, mentioning the challenger, and in turn challenging someone else. Go for it, guys.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 23:41:42 +0000
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