Book by Book: Notes on Reading and Life

Page 120: In fact, the rapport between a reader and his or her book is almost like that between lovers. The relationship grows, envelops a life, lays out new prospects and ways of seeing oneself and the future, is filled with moments of joy and sorrow; when it's over, even its memory enriches as few experiences can. Michael Dirda, a Pulitzer-winning critic and longtime columnist for Washington Post Book World shares his love of literature and books in BOOK BY BOOK. This is an effortless read and it ignites the passion for classics in me. He does not only speak of classic but covers contemporary works as well, ranging from Cicero to Dr. Seuss. I had loads of fun pondering over Dirda's observations and the quotations he lavishes on his readers. Needless to say, my copy of the book is filled with marks and scribblings. After all, he encourages readers to do so and perhaps from our own reflections, we create our own reader's guide as well. Interesting idea, this one. "Life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love, and to be loved, is the greatest happiness of existence." - Sydney Smith "A poet looks at the world as a man looks at a woman." - Wallace Stevens The above are just some of the many striking quotations that Dirda said "worth carrying around in your head for their insight, solace, and counsel." I share his thoughts. Why do we read? Mostly for pleasure, yes. But there is also another important reason and that is to learn how to live. When the author wrote the guide, he offers us from his personal reservoir of readings on how to draw meaning from what we read. That is to mean, as readers, we turn to books in the hope to the better understanding of ourselves and better engaging with the meaning of our experiences. Self-exploration. Life, love, work, education, art, the self, death. He points us to the books that house "the knowledge most worth having." Dirda recommends the works of Homer (The Iliad and The Odyssey), Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice), Arthur Conan Doyle (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes), Vladimir Nabokov (Pnin and Lolita), Gustave Flaubert (Madame Bovary) and a whole load of other classic goodies. For fans of science fiction and fantasy, he suggests reading Ursula Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness, Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, Jack Vance's The Dying Earth, or Jonathan Carroll's The Land of Laughs--I followed his advice and bought all the fantasy titles he recommended. Oscar Wilde once said, if a book isn't worth reading over and over again, it isn't worth reading at all. Dirda agrees with him and stresses the importance of rereading, Which is why classics such as Hamlet and many others are never stale. As Dirda himself articulated: "Major works of the imagination only gradually disclose the various facets of their artistry; only slowly do they reveal the subtleties of their constructions." I am sold with the idea of building a good library filled with such timeless work of art. Another lovely thing abou

I get the impression that Michael Dirda didn't so much *write* this book as he organized and edited his collections of thoughts, favorite quotations, and recommended-readings-for-all-seasons-of-life. Which is perfectly fine, because what he's assembled is a fine little meditation on "reading and life" that makes an accessible and inspiring way to mark my tradition of starting the new year with a book about books. Dirda's passion for books and reading is evident, infectious, and defiant. Although I don't have children myself, I was happy to write down in my own "commonplace book" his declaration on page 73 that "Children need to read, and then to read some more. Quantity matters far more than quality," he continues, "there will be plenty of time for the classics. But when starting out, the young should be immersed in a culture of the sentence, not the screen." The author covers a lot of ground in this thin book, discussing not only quality children's lit, but also poetry, "matters of the spirit," and more, guided by his belief in the central role reading must play in any fully-lived life. It's a refreshing and powerful affirmation -- and when combined with Dirda's informed recommendations, makes for a great way to start a new year.

An excellent read. Very thought provoking in addition to providing a wonderful list of books to read or re-read. As in one of his chapters which describes what books should be in every guest room, this one should also be there. I have purchased four copies for friends as well.

I really enjoyed this book and was sorry to see it end. For me, books are like spiritual food, and this one was a tasty little meal. The section entitled "Guidance Counselors" in the chapter "Matters of the Spirit", and the last chapter ("Last Things") were very helpful to me at a difficult spiritual/emotional time in my life. I did find a few mistakes (typos), but otherwise this was an excellent book. I'm looking forward to reading the author's other books.

Another book of literary lists, interpolated with aphorisms on love, work, vacations and much else, culled from over fifty years of reading and collecting by this omnivorous Washingtom Post critic. What distinguishes this book from similar tomes is the wonderful taste, intelligence and wit Dirda brings to the enterprise. The pleasure he had in assembling his annotated lists is contagious: what to stock a guest-room library with, how to get children interested in reading, what music to take to a desert island, what are the best contemporary romantic novels, and so on. A book to browse, to debate and to take to heart.