Just because I've finished The Brothers Karamazov (slow first half, phenomenal last half, for what it's worth) doesn't mean I should head out to the bookstore. It's not as if my shelves are barren wastelands, bereft of literature. But, as always, a trip to the bookstore is an excuse to indulge my every whim. To whit:
Essays, George Orwell (Everyman Library) -- I've read Animal Farm, but I have to admit I don't believe I've ever read 1984. Maybe once I got past Brave New World around seventh grade I thought I had the whole dystopian future thing covered. Anyway, I'm lacking in Orwelliana, and I should find something in nearly 1,400 pages to catch me up.
The Brief History of the Dead, Kevin Brockmeier (Vintage) -- An afterlife dependent on being remembered by the living. How can I resist that? Also, I remember reading a good review of the novel, so it lived on in my memory so it would later claim my wallet. This, though, I expect to actually have on my soon-to-be-read list.
Reading Like a Writer, Francine Prose (HarperCollins) -- Because my biggest literary error is that I read like a bricklayer. Someone help me!
Classroom in a Book: Adobe GoLive CS2 (Adobe Press) -- Because I'm a sucker.
I re-read 1984 last year; hadn't read it since, yes, 1984. The single most frightening piece of literature. You can read the entire book online (along with many other classics) at:
http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/1984/
Posted by: Joel | January 30, 2007 at 10:51 PM