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News & ArtsThursday, January 8, 2009
Books Classics for Cheap
Posted by Paul Constant on Thu, Jan 8, 2009 at 2:35 PM
University Book Store is having a sale on selected New York Review of Books classics.
The New York Review of Books is one of those few publishers who can do no wrong: Like Dalkey Archive, you can pretty much pick one at random and expect to find, if not your favorite new book, at least an intelligent, well-written piece of work that's been underappreciated. NYRB has published books like A High Wind in Jamaica, Pinocchio, Novels in Three Lines,Don't Look Now, and Life and Fate. You should go and pick up anything you're interested in; NYRB books don't often make it to used bookstores.
I don't know if the above-listed books are on sale. UBS's blog suggests that authors like Henry James and Proust's housekeeper, Celeste Albaret, are represented. I also don't know if NYRB's edition of The Dud Avocado, on your left, is for sale at UBS, either. All I know is that I think it's the sexiest book cover in the world.
2
Oh, I'm so there. Soon as I get off work. You are totally correct about NYRB being unable to do wrong. I don't know how they find the stuff they publish, but I suspect them of wizardry. In addition to the fine titles mentioned above, check out the Conrad-esque sea thriller "In Hazard" by Richard Hughes, the richly entertaining picaresque "Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll" or any of the black-as-night mystery novels by Georges Simenon. All amazing.
3
Oh, oh, oh, and everyone interested in the death of the American Empire has got to read J.G. Farrell's "Empire Trilogy," An incredible sequence of books detailing dozens, hundreds, of lives impacted in different corners of the world by the fall of the British. A f*cking brilliant trio of novels that deserves to be much better known.
Okay, I'll shut up now.
Okay, I'll shut up now.
5
Being a straight woman I don't really have an opinion on the sexiness of the cover, per se, but the book itself was entertaining. Slightly odd, but entertaining.
7
The sexiest cover of all time? Oh, really, Paul, you must be leading an astonishingly sheltered life.
And PopTart, large numbers of people have done astonishing things with nudes - things that make that photo look like amateur hour. OK, cute girl; come-hither look; nekkid - alright, it works for me. But "The Greatest?" Hardly.
And lest you all think I only think nudes of women can be profoundly touching, this very straight guy happens to think Annie Liebovitz's nude of Lance Armstrong on his bicycle was one of the best photos I've ever seen in my life.
And PopTart, large numbers of people have done astonishing things with nudes - things that make that photo look like amateur hour. OK, cute girl; come-hither look; nekkid - alright, it works for me. But "The Greatest?" Hardly.
And lest you all think I only think nudes of women can be profoundly touching, this very straight guy happens to think Annie Liebovitz's nude of Lance Armstrong on his bicycle was one of the best photos I've ever seen in my life.
9
Poptart? Are you one and the same poptart that dj'd at kcmu/kexp? If so, I loved your show and miss it.
10
I think @7 was meant for me. I don't mean that particular picture is the sexiest ever, though she definitely has a cute oddness to her. But the pose itself, in general, is very hot n' sexy, at least to me. *shrugs*
11
I did go by the U Bookstore, and there's a ton of great NYRB titles for sale. The Dud Avocado, A High Wind in Jamaica, Pinocchio, Novels in Three Lines, Don't Look Now, and Life and Fate are all there for 4 - 6 bucks each. I picked up a history of the French war in Algeria called "A Savage War of Peace," a biography of Walter Benjamin written by Gershom Sholem, and two mysteries by Leonardo Sciascia. There's plenty more too, but it looks like it's going fast. Awesome stuff.
12
The ad for this sale was the only thing I saw in your holiday issue. Here is my account of my experience with the sale:
1) I went to the bookstore on New Year's Eve to inquire as to whether there would be a display area for the books. This was so I would know if I needed to make a list of books by author, or if I could just browse them all, gathered in one spot. I made a list anyway.
2) I showed up on New Year's Day as soon as the store opened. I bought ~ 20 books, in an orgasmic frenzy.
3) I stopped by a few days later to see if they had any new titles on the display. They did. I bought five more.
4) I considered writing Paul Constant to ask him if he was aware of the sale. I don't know Paul Constant, but I wanted to share it with someone.
5) I have been eyebrow deep in books since New Year's Day, emerging only to drink heavily in public.
I love you, NYRB classics.
1) I went to the bookstore on New Year's Eve to inquire as to whether there would be a display area for the books. This was so I would know if I needed to make a list of books by author, or if I could just browse them all, gathered in one spot. I made a list anyway.
2) I showed up on New Year's Day as soon as the store opened. I bought ~ 20 books, in an orgasmic frenzy.
3) I stopped by a few days later to see if they had any new titles on the display. They did. I bought five more.
4) I considered writing Paul Constant to ask him if he was aware of the sale. I don't know Paul Constant, but I wanted to share it with someone.
5) I have been eyebrow deep in books since New Year's Day, emerging only to drink heavily in public.
I love you, NYRB classics.
14
Agreed, Paul. I almost slept with a girl just because she looked like the beauty on the cover of The Dud Avocado. Almost.
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