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Sometimes a review can be life changing. Just ask Jaime , Mario, and Gilbert Hernandez aka The Hernandez Brothers. The brothers in the early 80's put out a self published comic book called Love & Rockets (an English band borrowed the name from them), It was an anthology of stories incorporating different genres. They sold them at small comic book conventions and wherever they could peddle them. One of the brothers got the idea to send a copy to the editor of the premiere comic book review publications, The Comics Journal, and it's strongly opinionated publisher, Gary Groth, a man notorious for disliking traditional super hero books, and who approached comic book reviews like one did in film magazines like Sight & Sound or as in books, The New York Review of Books In depth analysis and critique. They thought Groth would hate the comic book and give it a blistering review, but it wold give them publicity and allow them to sell more copies. Well it didn't turn out that way. Not only did Groth like the comic book, giving them a glowing review in the journal and stating that this was the future of comic books, he contacted the brothers and offered to publish future issues of the comic book. The rest is history. Love & Rockets celebrated it's 40th anniversary last year with a beautiful box set of the initial run and is still going strong today. A masterpiece in the medium

Nice detailed post James. Being sent stuff for free is out of my experience! Best wishes as always.

This was interesting and thought provoking. I think a less outlandish response - a more measured put down - may have been harder to deal with, in my case. For Joseph Heller, it’s hard to say. But I can easily imagine Kafka’s _The Castle_ getting misunderstood had it been released in its day.

Pat, both of these anecdotes are priceless. The Whitman review quote is hilarious, but the one on Atwood more deeply thought-provoking. Mary McCarthy was no slouch, and so for her to get it wrong speaks to the originality we get in art or poetry. I imagine Blake would have had some caustic words about Dickinson if he ever got to see a poem - something about the movement of the times too.

Catch-22 “repetitive and monotonous.” Well, how’s this for coincidence-earlier today I was listening to a 1988 Fresh Air interview with Joseph Heller (as one does). Explaining the choice of the number 22 (originally intended to be 18, but Leon Uris beat him to the punch with publication of Mila 18), he said it works in part because it reflects the “repetition of dire events that occur throughout the book.” So there. 🙂

I watched Dave read his review a few times because i thought his performance was entertaining and artistic.

This was really interesting, James. That review of Catch-22 is priceless. Here's a famous line from a review of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass from The London Critic: "Whitman is as unacquainted with art as a hog is with mathematics." Here's one that seems particularly significant today. Mary McCarthy apparently reviewed Atwood's Handmaid's Tale very unfavorably in The NY Times in 1986. She called the writing "undistinguished." She criticized it for not having a futuristic language like what Orwell used in 1984 and Burgess in A Clockwork Orange. She wrote: "The writing...is undistinguished....This is a serious defect, unpardonable maybe for the genre: a future that has no language invented for it lacks a personality. That must be why, collectively, it is powerless to scare." Wrong, Mary, very wrong. Nice video, James. Very thought-provoking.

I've gotten some free books that I do not like, and I ignore them and keep reading and focusing on the books I enjoy. I don't feel any pressure to cover the books I get for free; I email anyone who sends me a book that there's no guarantee of anything and they have to be okay with that.

Evicted sounds brutal but good. The landlady at Christmastime sounds like she could be a British politician...

Hey, buddy. Hey, when we gonna buddy read (your pick; something new), hey? 🎸 Molly, my ex, is a landlord genius in Toledo, Ohio. (Almost bought a house off her and staying! Glad I didnt.) Jenna Bush recom.ends books?¿? 🤔

Evicted sounds excellent. I read Desmond's more recent book, Poverty by America, earlier this year, also very good.

On-brand or not, much good stuff here. As always. 🙂

“Stumbled into being a landlord…” Is that like England stumbling into empire? 😂 Interesting Ashe details, nice quotes. Ah, you may have got the Ruben boost… 🎉

Reading or hearing of folks down on their luck spooks me to survey my good luck that could have gone wrong at any time. Luck is about one's judgment which can seem good at the time but prove not so. Quaint and Curious Proust has lots of poor judgment to discover; deCharlus and Morel are talking stupidly about girls today.

My wife said I was obsessed with tennis. I said can you get me some juice love.

Hey, don't knock Jenna, she's a fellow Texan, and cute! Orlando...just can't make up her and his mind:)

Evicted does sound like a very good and important book. “Gotta get back to the garden….” I like that. The Arthur Ashe bio does sound very compelling too. “Honorary White…” I never knew about that. Incredible.

Oh, my vote is strongly for you to read Orlando! But as you suggest earlier in the vid, you shouldn't devote too much time reading for others. Still, Orlando Orlando Orlando... Orlando... let that title fade in echo... (And thank you for the kind words, as we keep ebbing and flowing compliments to one another).

I'm glad you highlighted her poems, James. Her name has crossed my path for years and when I forget about her someone new brings her up. I like Eastern European writers, they share the tragic (and sometimes dark comedy) found in Mexican and South American writers I like.

“When correctly viewed Everything is lewd, I could tell you things about Peter Pan And the Wizard of Oz… there’s a dirty old man.” 😂 (I like Szymborska too.)

Am wondering if she is saying that porn prose is dirtier than porn pictures. Wish I was young again to imagine a dirty feeling. I take that back.

Well, that was simply terrific. How have I not heard of her? Thanks for the introduction. I'm off to learn more about her . . .

It was so mean of Proust not to send you a copy! Coincidentally, he hasn't been responding to any of my fan-mail either...

Just picked up my first Proust today. Best wishes James.

Doesn't the narrator realize how boring the 200-page party is? At the time I guessed that was the point of that long and boring scene. Either way, great you are promoting In search of lost time!!

Proust will be the end of you, James:) "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" is the only McCuller's book I read. In time I'll just buy the Library of America edition and read her other works including A Member of the Wedding.

I’m fascinated by the Mc cullers! I have it and have meant to read it for awhile. It sounds right up my alley. I don’t particularly like books with children, but if it has quirkiness to it, then yes!

Hi James. Nice video. I remember reading A Member of the Wedding early in high school. I also remember that it made me very sad. I don't think I have revisited it....Poems? I have you seen the videos that we are doing on five great poets? Maybe you would like to join in? Hint, hint. No pressure from me though....😉

I don’t think about the South a lot, but I heard “Ode to Billie Joe” the other day after many many years and keep thinking about how the song gets its dramatic power - not that I can figure it out. This sounds like a book to put on my list now.

The Quixotic children of literature. There's an interesting subgenre. My mom brought The Member of the Wedding home from the library for me to read in 7th grade. Too late, I was already in cranky contrarian adolescent mode by then, so I just rolled my eyes and ignored it till it left the house.

I found I put a tab at F. Jasmine referring to her brother and the bride as the "we of me" and feeling resonance. Then over hopping-john, "The crazy call the sane the crazy." You got me thinking I should try to endure the play.

Seven Gables is such a subtle psychological thriller. Many people miss the ending's meaning. The Scarlet Letter is a great book on many levels. And Pearl, well, she's just creepy. Have you read it recently? I liked it in high school and liked it even more as an adult. Once I read a book, it usually gets unhauled/donated. The Scarlet Letter is a keeper. =)

Listening you talk about Exit West made me think of Denis Villeneuve's "Incedies." Did you see it? It's an early film by him. I recently saw it not knowing what the film was about (not even seeing a trailer) nor that it was made by him. A strong movie, just like Sicario.

An Arthur Ashe book, what's not to love?

Yes to poetry content. Trashy, trash-adjacent, or highfalutin, bring it on.

I’ve just gotten _Exit West_ from the library - mainly to take a glance at - and _Heavy_ will be coming. Thanks for piquing my interest.

In Proust world, welcome to Sodom and Gomorrah. Am looking forward to your travel reporting.

That was some sh*t😂

Nice video. No sh*t. Winnie the.... Richard the....

I remember a zoo exhibit that had a scat test - you had to identify the animal (in a multiple choice) based on its leavings. I rate that poem: 💩💩💩

"that leopards induce" 🤣

Oh my! Well, that did make me laugh out loud!

Crab shit not okay. Booktube shit neither. Napping until September.

Hello James, I found your channel because of this tag. I was also tagged by Pat. She’s a wonderful booktuber and person. I also have been watching Hannah for more than a few years and she is an eloquent speaker and super smart. She’s also a kind human. The only disagreement I have with your answers has to do with my own emotional make up. I get very caught up with authors of books I like and books I hate. If I read a book and find that something the book says reveals the author to be Butthead. I tend to go down rabbit holes to see if I’m right. Then I won’t read anything by them anymore. This really has to do more with modern books not books written in in the 17th and 18th century. Sorry for the long comment, but I tend to write long comments. Aloha from hawaii. PS my partner was born in Long Island and I was born in Brooklyn.

You are not convincing me to finish _Swann’s Way._ I didn’t find your excerpts tedious though (nor tediously gay).

The sad section you mentioned is one of the few times a book has made me sob. Very well done.

Poor hat, never did anyone any harm. I love how you can take a “most boring” meandering waffle and find all the giggles, puzzlements, and insights. When you talk about these characters and their goings-on, I’d swear you're telling us stories of people you’ve actually met.

Volume 4 tells us Charlus is tediously gay and so's the narrator. 300 pages in am still wondering if they will kiss. Am pretending to care as I patiently wait for a delicious description or a bit of philosophy. Has happened so still reading.

Catching up a bit, but wanted to say don’t be intimidated by Jon Fosse’s Septology. I’m reading it right now and it’s not challenging although there’s a lot to think about. It just flows. Granted I’m Norwegian, but I think it would translate well although some traditions and such mean more to us possibly.

I am surprised that taking another writer's unique idea then reworking as in "James" can be considered such a great work. To me it's a form of plagiarism.