some books i've read that i felt like commenting on at some point

• haruki murakami.
  i've read nearly everything of his that has been published in the u.s. he is poignant and surreal and introspective and absurd... he writes about alienation and the mystery of human emotions and searching for meaning and sheep in life. (among other things.) just the sort of stuff i would like.

• possession, a. s. byatt.
  this is one of those works of fiction that will remind you how much more than mere diversion fiction can be. there will be more byatt in my future.

• the alphabet versus the goddess: the conflict between word and image, leonard shlain.
  i haven't read anything else from shlain, but he seems to be generally regarded in educated circles as just a dilettante hack. this book talks about his theory that the rise of alphabetic literacy (and the way this leftbrain activity affects human cognition) was responsible for a decline in "feminine" values (by which he means holistic rightbrain image-driven modes of thinking). i found the book interesting and entertaining to read. interesting because some of his ideas are in fact fascinating to think about, and because i learned quite a bit of history and mythology. entertaining because shlain does come across as a bit of a hack, and you can't really take him seriously. some of his arguments are just plain hilarious. i would definitely recommend this book as a good read on condition that it must be taken with a liberal dose of salt.

• tales of the city series, armistead maupin.
  this series of books first appeared as a serial in the san francisco chronicle. it's an insightful and wellwritten look at life in san francisco from the late 70s through the 80s. it also is said to be the first fiction anywhere to deal with the AIDS crisis. the series consists of two trilogies, the first of which is just good plain fun and reflects the general tenor of the 70s, and the second of which is post-AIDS and is therefore rather more serious in tone. i think anyone who lives in the bay area should have read these books, and anyone who likes to read about the human experience in vignette form with really excellent dialogue...

• memoirs of a geisha, arthur golden.
  this is an historical novel set as a memoir of a kyota geisha who worked in gion from the 30s. a captivating tale with great attention to historical detail.

• the fountainhead, ayn rand.
  some people actually told me i shouldn't read ayn rand because they knew people who'd been seriously fucked up by reading it and taking her philosophy to heart. i thought i was probably mature enough to handle it... i find her interesting to read because of my own internal struggle between the bleeding heart liberal side of me and the cynical elitist side.

• margaret atwood, cat's eye, the handmaid's tale.
  i also have some newer stuff of hers waiting to be read. her prose is really beautiful and moving...

Last modified on $Date: 2005-05-15 01:39:26-07 $.