Recently Mentioned Books

Michael Hofmann, Where Have You Been?: Selected Essays .  Hofmann is a poet, translator, and essayist and in my view he is one of the finest (and most underrated) thinkers and writers of our day.  The book is due out December 2.  Here are previous MR mentions of Michael Hofmann .

I have yet to start the new Colm Tóibín novel , and I often like his work.  I read some of the new Sarah Waters , which struck me as a little too belabored for the time I had to give to it, but a quality work which will please her fans.  Cesar Aira wrote some more and he continues to be interesting.  I continued a reread of Moby Dick .

I have yet to start the new Colm Tóibín novel , and I often like his work.  I read some of the new Sarah Waters , which struck me as a little too belabored for the time I had to give to it, but a quality work which will please her fans.  Cesar Aira wrote some more and he continues to be interesting.  I continued a reread of Moby Dick .

5. Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North .  The Booker Prize winner, I thought this was at times too sentimental but an excellent story with some depth too.  It deals with an Australian in a prisoner of war camp in WWII and his escapades surrounding that time in his life.

4. Javier Cercas, Outlaws: A Novel , my earlier remarks are here .

3. Andrés Neuman, Talking to Ourselves , “Women who know what they want never want anything interesting.”

2. Emmanuel Carrère, Limonov, The Outrageous Adventures of the Radical Soviet Poet Who Became a Bum in New York, A Sensation in France, and a Political Antihero in Russia .  This work blends fiction, non-fiction, and occasional social science (was a non-corrupt transformation of the Soviet Union really possible?, Gaidar ultimately decided it wasn’t), but in terms of the subjective experience of the reader it is most like a novel.  In addition to its literary quality, this is a deep book about wh...

1. Michel Faber, The Book of Strange New Things: A Novel .  A missionary visits space aliens, some of whom embrace the Bible eagerly, almost too eagerly.  Meanwhile he and his wife on earth write letters back and forth, showing they are the true aliens to each other.  This is the fiction book this year I enjoyed most, and the one I kept on wanting to pick up after I had put it down.  It is one of the most resonant portraits of space aliens I have read. yet without it being a science fiction nove...

…If you’re not convinced that a declining population is a problem, consider Japan. In terms of real gross domestic product per hour worked, Japan has continued to have good performance , but it has a fundamental problem: The working-age population has been declining since about 1997 . And Japan’s overall population has been growing older, so with fewer workers supporting so many retirees, national savings will dwindle and resources will be diverted from urgent tasks like revitalizing companies a...

3. Andrew Roberts, Napoleon: A Life .  The fact that so many pages still feel so non-comprehensive is a testament to the life being covered here, and to the richness of its historical period.  Still, this is fresh and easy to read throughout, recommended.

2. Michel Faber, The Book of Strange New Things: A Novel .  A missionary visits space aliens, some of whom embrace the Bible eagerly, almost too eagerly.  Meanwhile he and his wife on earth write letters back and forth, showing they are the true aliens to each other.  This is the fiction book this year I enjoyed most, and one I kept on wanting to pick up after I had put it down.  Here is a useful NYT revie w, describing the book as “defiantly unclassifiable.”

1. Denis Johnson, The Laughing Monsters. This one doesn’t seem like it is trying very hard, and yet I like it more than the author’s other books, perhaps for that reason.  It’s about two (ostensible) buddies, set in Africa, then all kinds of secrets unfold.  There is a NYT review here .

Igor Levit, Beethoven late piano sonatas .

Gerald Finley and Julius Drake, Winterreise , Schubert.

Bach, Brandenburg Concerti, Freiburger Barockorchester .

Gillian Weir playing Messiaen organ works .

5. Manfred Honeck, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Richard Strauss tone poems .

4. Sylvia Berry, Haydn piano sonatas .

2. Prokoviev piano concerti , by Jean-Effiam Bavouzet and  Gianandrea Noseda.

1. Busoni, late piano works , Marc-Andre Hamelin

That is from Alan Heston and Terry Sicular in this very useful 2008 book .  The Melanie Manion book is here .

That is from Alan Heston and Terry Sicular in this very useful 2008 book .  The Melanie Manion book is here .

That is from their new book The Hidden Agenda of the Political Mind: How Self-Interest Shapes Our Opinions and Why We Won’t Admit It , interesting throughout.

4. John D. Mueller, Redeeming Economics: Rediscovering the Missing Element .  That element would be Providence, and this work looks at how Scholastic insights can serve as a foundation for economic thought.  Loyal MR readers will know that is not exactly my brew, but some of you will find this of interest.

3. Marlon James, A Brief History of Seven Killings .  This account of 1970s Jamaica, centered on a plot to shoot Bob Marley, shows a remarkable amount of talent, as well as a mastery of plot construction and different novelistic voices, some of which are in Jamaican patois.  If you pick up this book you will be impressed and indeed many of the reviews are glowing.  Yet somehow never did I care, feel entertained, or wish to read further.  I stopped.  I remain interested in that era, but will inst...