Saturday, December 12, 2015

Browsings - Michael Dirda


Hey, I didn't take this photo and it's still out of focus!  Maybe it's not me after all.

I was sure I'd read other books by Michael Dirda, but he doesn't appear in my Books Read list.  I know I have one unread one in my possession.  But I hadn't heard about this one until I read Stefanie's blog about it.

This book is a year's worth of his 'Browsings' columns, on books, reading, writing, and assorted other subjects, written for The American Scholar.  I've added far too many books to my TBR list, based on Dirda's columns.

As I read this book, I decided that Mr. Dirda and I must be twins separated at birth.  We don't look alike and he's a few years older than I am, but we sure agree on lots of things.  It's almost eerie.  We gravitated toward the same books and authors when we were kids, I agree entirely with his rants about his ill-fated trip to Rocky Mountain National Park and his local electric company, and his feelings about his aging mother in an assisted living facility mirror mine when my late mother was in an assisted living facility.  

'Mr. Zinsser, I Presume' and 'Style is the Man' are about writing well.  'Bookish Pets' is about animals in books and stories.  Dirda loves adventure stories, especially those written in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Jules Verne, A. Conan Doyle, H. Rider Haggard, H. G. Wells, Rudyard Kipling.  I love them, too.  I'm currently reading Tarzan of the Apes because, well, because I've never read it and it's on Dirda's list of the best adventure tales.  I made a list of them and plan to read the ones I haven't.  And maybe re-read the ones I have.
   
He is more fond of fantasy and science fiction than I am.  But I'm willing to dip into both genres if he suggests them.  And he does.  I don't like outer space science fiction, but I do like the kind where ants grow really big and eat all the people.  That's my idea of good fun.

He likes paper and notebooks, and so do I.  I'm guessing you might also have cupboards and boxes full of unused notebooks, tablets, and paper, right?  There is an essay on whether authors should continue to write in old age, one about book sales, and lots about book stores, especially used book stores.

Dirda says that as he gets older, he appreciates older books more than contemporary books.  I used to have a 'dead authors' rule of thumb:  an author had to have been dead for at least 50 years before I'd read him or her.  But I've read more contemporary fiction in the past few years than I ever have before.  That's mostly due to reading fellow book blogger's posts.

I think I've given you a taste of Mr. Dirda.  I enjoyed each essay and I look forward to reading more of his books.



10 comments:

  1. So glad you enjoyed the book! Dirda never fails to do damage to my TBR list and as you know this time around he made me buy a thesaurus! If you read his Classics for Pleasure, beware, you'll be adding lots and lots of books to you list :)

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    1. I believe that Classics for Pleasure is the one I have - somewhere. I could have sworn I read one of his books before, but I don't have any notes about it and it's not on any of my lists. I'm thinking about that thesaurus. I have a gift card idling away.

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  2. He sounds like my kind of guy! His books don't seem to be available here, maybe I can look at his columns online somehow. For years I mainly read dead authors too, I'm not really sure why, but like you, book blogs have changed that recently.

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    1. His writing is very readable. This book was like chatting with another book lover - like you! I think many contemporary books are too much like my own life or the lives of people I know. I want to read about different live. I also don't want to waste my time on the newest and would rather read a book that's stood the test of time.

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  3. Joan, I am crazy about Mr. Dirda. I once wrote him an email and he responded! Made my day. I didn't realize he had a new book out. I have just reserved it from the library. I have a couple of his books on my shelves. I will be interested to read his thoughts on other things as well as books. Thanks for the post.

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    1. I think you'll enjoy this book. Dirda and I agree about a lot of things. Maybe it's because we're about the same age and grew up in the same sort of family, the same culture. But I hate him for increasing my TBR list by at least a score!

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    2. By the way, he went up in my estimation when you wrote that he'd answered your e-mail. I think that's so cool!

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  4. I bought this based on the cover alone but have yet to crack it open.

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    1. Be forewarned, I added about twenty books to my TBR list while reading Browsings! Dirda listed a ton of adventure books, which I love, as well as a lot of short stories. Don't say I didn't warn you!

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  5. I bought this based on the cover alone but have yet to crack it open.

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