Add comments to this page to suggests books you have recently read and whatever else comes to mind!
5 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Add comments to this page to suggests books you have recently read and whatever else comes to mind!
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Theme: Rubric. Blog at WordPress.com.
It’s so good that it’s hard to believe that Andre Agassi wrote his own autobiography, “Open”. Maybe there was a ghost writer. That would be really disappointing because the whole point of the book is that he finally comes clean after living a life of lies. After all, on the first few pages, he admits he always hated tennis. That’s a significant admission for somebody whose whole life was based on the demands of the sport. So, I prefer to think that it was just skilfully edited.
Anyway, it’s very well done, not just the writing, but the structure of the book. Mostly, it’s chronological, as an autobiography should be. But it starts out with his last match at the US Open and proceeds to a flash-back at about age 8. Even then, he’s griped by conflict embodied by the fact that he’s exceptional on the court but hates the game. He’s a team-player, but is trapped alone on the court. (Recently, Jennifer was writing in her blog about growing up with horses and she mentioned how hard it was to write from the perspective of your young self without sounding childish. Agassi (or his editor) manages this problem very well.)
There is not doubt that he’s a compelling figure. And you don’t have to be a tennis fan to enjoy this tale.
Comment by Brother John — January 25, 2010 @ 9:22 am |
Dear Bob and Gerry – We enjoyed meeting you. A great evening at the Gerbers!! I read your blog. Your writing is very good! The book that was recommended by our friends son who is a Publisher for Penguin in the UK is “Every Man Dies Alone” by Hass Fallada. He said it was a thriller and tells the story of Germany during the war. He rarely is so enthusiastic and it sounds special. We’re reading it for our bookclub. Have to order it soon! Other author I like is Roland Murillo – The Revere Beach Trilogy, and a book called Sun and Sand by Andre Dubois III. I intend to read The Man in the White Flannel Suit.
I wrote a migillah and it got lost. Brief this time. Recommended book by our friend the publisher – “Every Man Dies Alone” Hass Fallada. Germany WWII, thriller. Written in 1947. Just published here. Has another title in the UK, “Revere Beach Trilogy” by Roland Murillo,” Sea and Sand” by Andre Dubois III.Great meeting you and Gerry. I am going to follow up on Gerry”s suggestion for hotel shops. We may go to the concert if we are not exhausted from NYC.Regards, Barbara
Comment by Barbara Adner — April 6, 2009 @ 5:54 pm |
The Man Who Pushed America To War – The Extraordinary Life, Adventures and Obsessions of Ahmad Chalabi by Aram Roston: This non-fiction is an extraordinary story of a brilliant (math PhD from MIT), charismatic, manipulative, opportunistic Iraqi who had a powerful influence on the U.S.’s decision to invade Iraq. Towards the end of the book the author refers to Chalabi as “Don Quixote and Captain Ahab and Elmer Gantry all rolled into one contradictory and tragic bundle.” With determination and charm Chalabi appears to have swayed (or hoodwinked) the CIA, State Department, and many top members of the Bush administration. If you are still trying to figure out how the U.S. ended up in Iraq, this book is extremely inciteful.
Comment by Dick Fleiss — April 6, 2009 @ 10:06 am |
Just finished reading John Grisham’s new book, The Associate. Other than being set in NYC instead of the south, its very Grishamesque. It is a quick read and fun as a young Yale Law School graduate is coerced into joining a huge New York law firm to pursue corporate espionage. I wouldn’t go out of my way to read it, but probably works at the beach or on a long flight. Just started Dennis Lehane’s The Given Day after getting a recommendation from Blogger Bob and hearing Lehane interviewed on Emily Rooney’s show. So far it is good.
Comment by Dick Fleiss — March 22, 2009 @ 8:29 am |
I just finished reading The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr per Blogging Bob’s recommendation. It is a fun read if you enjoy historical novel/mysteries. It is set in NYC in the late 1800′s as well as Saratoga Springs in its hayday and weaves into the plot some prominent fictures such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Clarence Darrow and Theodore Roosevelt as assistant secretary of the Navy Caleb Carr did some very deep research and wrote a highly readable compelling story. Also, thanks to Blogging Bob, this 600+ page book cost $2.50 at the new second hand bookstore on route 3A in Burlington.
Comment by Dick Fleiss — March 16, 2009 @ 10:38 am |