20 Strange and Wonderful Books
I believe that one can never have enough books. As an avid reader, I’m always on the lookout for random lists of “favorites” of other people so I can stretch my palate. I’m not selective as I’ve learned that if I don’t like a book, I can simply put it down and go to the next one.
I got a nice note from a Steve Proper with a pointer to 20 Strange and Wonderful Books – a magnificent list by a guy named John Cartan. I don’t know John (and don’t think I know Steve, but he reads my blog) – but I am now the proud owner of 17 new books via Amazon (I already owned three of them – 2. Flatland; 11. Godel, Escher, Bach; and 20. The Tolkien Reader.)
One of my favorite piles (the “book pile”) just got bigger.
Sometimes I need to remind myself not to get belligerent with people who don’t see a need to read books. I say to myself: Now now, Ben, they’re not bad people…they’re just….different.
The battle for me is books vs. periodicals. A constant struggle, of Good vs. Good.
I have 4 (GEB, Flatland, Labyrinths (actually the complete works of Borges) and the complete Gormenghast).
If you still have room on your pile, add “The Khazar dictionary” by Milorad Pavic.
Oh, another excellent one: “The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor” by John Barth
And if you only get *one* of these books make it Flatland (like John says)- it’s available free from Gutenberg so you’ve no excuse:
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/201
Brad, did you know that in seeing your post through Bloglines, there’s an Amazon affiliate program text ad link at the bottom of your post placed there by Feed Burner? Doesn’t look like your affiliate link.
strange and wonderful books
:: John Cartan has compiled a list of 20 strange and wonderful books. I will do the same and compile a list of oddities that you are not likely to have encountered. First one on my list is Quiddities: An Intermittently Philosophical Dictionary by W.V. …