June 21st, 2009 / 11:20 am
Snippets
Snippets
Justin Taylor—
Slate’s audio book club is talking about Cheever’s “The Swimmer” and O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” Don’t know why they’re doing that, but uh– sweet? Yes, sweet. **UPDATE** “And the reason we’re doing this is there are two big new biographies out of each writer.” – Meghan O’Rourke, 00:39.
I’m reading that O’Connor just now. I didn’t know there was an audio book club. Is it good?
I’m reading that O’Connor just now. I didn’t know there was an audio book club. Is it good?
It’s because their biographies are out; see Updike on Cheever http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2009/03/09/090309crbo_books_updike
and Joseph O’Neill on O’Connor
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200906/flannery-o-connor
(If you can peek at O’Neill’s review through the spaces between your fingers, which will be covering your eyes after clapping your hand on your forehead because of The Atlantic’s ridiculously overblown headlines, it’s pretty good.)
It’s because their biographies are out; see Updike on Cheever http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2009/03/09/090309crbo_books_updike
and Joseph O’Neill on O’Connor
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200906/flannery-o-connor
(If you can peek at O’Neill’s review through the spaces between your fingers, which will be covering your eyes after clapping your hand on your forehead because of The Atlantic’s ridiculously overblown headlines, it’s pretty good.)
Er, duh, I didn’t see the update. Still, good book reviews.
Er, duh, I didn’t see the update. Still, good book reviews.
haha
THE ATLANTIC…ARG!
I wasn’t so crazy about his thesis. But it wasn’t as bad as Marry Him!
haha
THE ATLANTIC…ARG!
I wasn’t so crazy about his thesis. But it wasn’t as bad as Marry Him!
I began listening to it. Not worth it, unless you want to hear retreads of two admittedly great, but over-familiar, over-analyzed, over-anthologized short stories. And other than regurgitating a lot of received ideas, we’re treated to, among other things, a discussion of “The Swimmer’s” “surrealistic” and “over the top” qualities. Huh? And it’s a “perfect” story because of its “surrealistic” elements? And they talk about it over and over again. I couldn’t bear to hear them chew the cud on “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” I imagine they’ll talk about how The Misfit is really Satan. I’d rather listen to bland folk musician Sufjan Steven’s take on the story (another kind of torture).
But then again, maybe the first half is no indication of the rest. Has anyone swum all the way through this discussion where a good idea is hard to find?
I began listening to it. Not worth it, unless you want to hear retreads of two admittedly great, but over-familiar, over-analyzed, over-anthologized short stories. And other than regurgitating a lot of received ideas, we’re treated to, among other things, a discussion of “The Swimmer’s” “surrealistic” and “over the top” qualities. Huh? And it’s a “perfect” story because of its “surrealistic” elements? And they talk about it over and over again. I couldn’t bear to hear them chew the cud on “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” I imagine they’ll talk about how The Misfit is really Satan. I’d rather listen to bland folk musician Sufjan Steven’s take on the story (another kind of torture).
But then again, maybe the first half is no indication of the rest. Has anyone swum all the way through this discussion where a good idea is hard to find?
I really love both of those stories and don’t believe it’s possible for them to be over anthologized. That said, I’m not going to listen to Katie Roiphe share her feelings about them.
I really love both of those stories and don’t believe it’s possible for them to be over anthologized. That said, I’m not going to listen to Katie Roiphe share her feelings about them.